MitsubishiPrecis1987Overview/mitsubishi/precis/1987/base/

1987 Mitsubishi Precis

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1987 Precis.

Transmission Automatic 3-spd

The 1987 Mitsubishi Precis is documented with a 3.2‑qt engine oil capacity and offers three viscosity options — 20W‑20, 20W‑40 or 20W‑50 — for its powerplant, which is paired with an automatic three‑speed transmission and EPA fuel‑economy ratings of 23 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined. Only one owner complaint has been recorded for the model, and it has been subject to two recall actions, indicating limited early‑year issues. However, complaint volumes increase in later model years, peaking at 15 complaints in 1991 and dropping to a single complaint in 1992, reflecting a mixed reliability trajectory that began with relatively low incident reports for the 1987 introduction.

Model year19941993199219911990198919881987

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity3.2 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-20 / 20W-40 / 20W-50OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy23/26/24 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 2630035500. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Tire size4WD:P225-75R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter2630035500
Spark plugMS851238

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined23 / 26 / 24 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume82 cu ft
Cargo volume11 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 3.2 qt of 20W-20 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 engine oil, DOT 3 · DOT 4 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3 · DOT 4
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine OilABOVE 32 degrees F
Engine Oil Capacity3.2 qt
Power Steering FluidUse Mitsubishi PS fluid

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 15,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 15,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Disc Brake Caliper (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (inspect)
At 15,000 miThrottle Position Sensor (inspect)
Every 15,000 miBrake Drum Assembly (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Engine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Choke System (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 50,000 miFuel Evaporative Canister Filter (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (replace) · Fuel Filter (replace) · Ignition Timing (inspect) · Oxygen Sensor (replace) · PCV System (inspect)
Every 60,000 miTiming Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1987 Mitsubishi Precis sits at the peak of a brief complaint spike in the early 1990s: 1991 saw 15 complaints, the highest in the dataset, while 1990 and 1992 dropped to 7 and 1 respectively, and by 1994 complaints fell to zero. Recall activity remained low across this period, with only one recall each year from 1990 to 1994, indicating no major safety defect drives. Investigations stayed minimal—only one in 1990 and 1991, none thereafter—suggesting that most complaints were isolated or not tied to systemic issues. In 1987, the only recorded complaint area was “Service Brakes, Hydraulic” (1 complaint) and there was a single crash-related complaint, with no fire complaints reported. This places the 1987 model in a relatively clean segment of the trend, with few systemic problems and low recall frequency. Consequently, a 1987 Precis could be a reasonable purchase, provided the brake system is inspected, as it appears to be a comparatively reliable year within this short generation.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
4
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

91V225000Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust SystemReported 31/12/1991

DETERIORATION OF THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY MAY LEAD TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SECONDARY AIR SUPPLY PORTION OF THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM. THE SCREWS WHICH ATTACH THE REEDS TO THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY MAY RUST, AND… Remedy: REPLACE THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY WITH ONE WHOSE METAL COMPONENTS ARE FABRICATED FROM CORROSION RESISTANT STAINLESS STEEL.

87V180000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:PadsReported 25/11/1987

VEHICLE MAY FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE BRAKE FADE AND RECOVERY PORTION OF FMVSS 105. Remedy: REPLACE FRONT BRAKE PADS WITH NEWLY DESIGNED SEMI METALLIC BRAKE PADS.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 4 of 4 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
TT2532019-11-26EquipmentThis is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TSB-19-00-0082019-07-30EquipmentThis is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes…
TT2372018-02-26EquipmentThis is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TSB-13-42A-0022013-01-29StructureThis Technical Service Bulletin updates the door adjustment procedure in the Body Section…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Precis. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1987 Precis take?

3.2 qt of ABOVE 32 degrees F: 20W-20, 20W-40, 20W-50, ABOVE -10 degrees F: 10W-30, 10W-40, 10W-50, BELOW 60 degrees F: 5W-20, 5W-30, 5W-40, per the factory manual.

Does the 1987 Precis have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Precis get?

EPA figures are 23 city / 26 highway / 24 combined mpg.