Mitsubishi dealer begged the company to serve as a sales booth

Mitsubishi dealers are asking the company to take action to get them involved in selling new cars.

There is little positive news at Mitsubishi Camp. It seems that the company is focusing on the aging lineup of crossover SUVs and leveraging partnerships with the Renault-Nissan alliance to fill the gap. Hopefully changed with the merger of Nissan-Honda, but now that’s dead in the water, our dealers are frustrated.

There are multiple issues at work. The date lineup of these three diamonds cannot be ignored, such as the Outlander Sport, which dates back to 2011 cars, and the Eclipse Cross has been redesigned in 2021. Meanwhile, Mirage’s stock (the second best seller of the brand) has now been discontinued (the brand has no replacement in summer and no replacement in the U.S. market.

Prices rise, tensions rise

Dealers were not satisfied: so many that they tried to get the attention of company executives by sending a letter to Mitsubishi Motors North America CEO Mark Chaffin and Mitsubishi Motors CEO Takao Kato. “A quick action is needed to involve your dealer group in selling new vehicles,” the letter reads Automotive News.

Read: Mitsubishi sues its own dealership to redirect cars to Volkswagen service and violates brand rules

Profits fell, according to information provided by the dealers of the National Automobile Dealers Association Mitsubishi Group. In 2023, the average dealer profit represents 2.2% of sales. In 2024, this dropped significantly to 0.92%. In the Midwest, four of a third of Mitsubishi stores reportedly went bankrupt within a year, while the other said they lost $80,000 a month.

In addition to the aging lineup, prices are rising. Outsiders have refreshed the appearance of 2025, but the price is also $1,250. In fact, the average list price of the new Mitsubishi has risen 22% to $31,338 over the past four years, according to Cox Automotive. At the same time, incentives have also been reduced, and brands’ spending has decreased by 26% during the same period.

An anonymous retailer with Automotive News. The person said that each of their stores lost $1 million last year. “Not many people want to buy a Mitsubishi that is not from other places.”

Light at the end of the tunnel?

There may be some bright retailers at the end of the tunnel. There is a new wave of products expected in 2026, with a brand new EV to North America next year. However, dealers still think they are fighting with one hand tied behind the scenes, especially when brands like Toyota, Hyundai and Kia are all offering comprehensive products here and now.

Mark Chaffin, North America CEO of Mistusbishi, claims the brand is listening and taking action. The company is considering offering more dealer cash to shut down sales, and in the last quarter of 2024, the automaker redesigned the dealer margin structure to offset higher floor plans, increased trade aid claims and increased sales bonuses while lowering monthly sales targets.

But is it enough? One risk is that Mitsubishi dealers will be forced to focus on used car sales. With many near-new fleet cars returning to retailers and the lower appeal of the company’s current products, dealers are expected to be forced to survive the huge used cars.