Selling an old Mitsubishi Precis

Its NHTSA file is small but lopsided: 16 owner complaints against 6 recall campaigns. If yours is sitting with a dead engine or a rusted floor, we buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Two generations, model year by model year

Wikipedia dates the first generation (X1) from February 1985 to April 1989, with a 4-speed manual listed. The second (X2) was built from April 1989 until July 1994, keeping both engine sizes. In its last form the Precis came only as a three-door hatchback, in Base or RS trim. The RS and its five-speed manual were dropped for 1991, a new grille arrived in 1993, and the car was discontinued in 1994.

1987-1989: brakes, emissions and the heater valve

These three years hold 9 of the 16 complaints, and every one of them has at least two recalls.

• 87V180000 (1987): the front pads might not meet the brake fade and recovery part of federal standard 105. The fix was new semi-metallic pads. NHTSA's 321,000 figure is a campaign total and could take in more than the Precis.
• 91V225000 (1987-1989): the reed valve in the emissions system's secondary air supply could deteriorate, partly because its screws could rust. Dealers fitted a stainless-steel version. The campaign counts 895,000 vehicles across every model it covers, far more than Precis sales.
• 94V103001 and 95V059000 (1988-1989): when coolant ran hot, the stem of the heater control valve might leak. The second campaign caught cars that had received the wrong stem during the first fix. NHTSA files these under visibility, the defroster and heater group, which is why visibility is the second most-named component in the complaint file, with 4.

The 1989 has the most complaints, 5, including one crash, one fire and one injury.

1990-1993: the hatchback years

The later cars have 7 complaints, mostly power train. Recall 90V053000 (1990) swapped out the washer under each front hub nut, because a bad heat treatment could leave it prone to cracking. Recall 94V080000 (1990-1994) applies after the cars spilled more fuel than allowed in a side-impact barrier test; its 12,890 vehicles count every car in that campaign.

Precis complaints and recalls by year

These are the counts NHTSA's file gave on October 10, 2026. Younger cars get less time to pile up reports, but the newest Precis is from 1993, so the numbers have stopped moving.

Worth reviving?

A Precis is now a 30-plus-year-old economy hatchback, and few were kept. Ask a shop for a written list of what it needs to run and pass inspection, and price it. Then look for any running Precis listed for sale in your area; there may not be many to compare. If you've already started a project on it and stalled, see old project car.

How to sell it whole

1. Find the title. Lost it? Start with selling with no title.
2. Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Note anything that makes loading harder, like a flat tire, a locked steering wheel or a tight carport.
4. Leave it as is. Don't strip it first; missing parts change the offer.

See more models on the Mitsubishi page.