How to replace rearview mirror

Good news first: on most Mitsubishis you don't need to touch the bracket at all. The bracket — the small metal button glued to the windshield — stays on the glass, and the mirror itself slides or unbolts off it. The trick is finding which of the two common mount types you have, because they come off completely differently, and forcing the wrong one is how windshields get cracked.

First, look at the underside of the mirror base, right where it meets the windshield. Get your head down low and look up at the base with a flashlight. If there's a small screw there — usually a tiny Torx or Allen set screw — that's your mount. Loosen it a turn or two (don't take it all the way out, or you'll be fishing for it in the defroster vent), then slide the mirror straight up off the button. It should come off with firm, steady upward pressure. If it won't budge, loosen the screw a little more — a set screw that's still biting will hold the mirror fast even when it looks loose.

If there's no screw, you have a slide-on or twist-lock mount. On these, the mirror base has a spring clip inside that grips the button. Push the mirror firmly upward, parallel to the glass — not outward, not twisting it hard. Some need a sharp upward tap with the heel of your hand. If yours twists instead of slides, try a small turn counterclockwise while pushing gently up, then lift it off. Never pry the base away from the glass with a screwdriver: the button is glued to the windshield, and prying can take a chip of glass with it, which turns a mirror swap into a windshield replacement.

Fitting the new mirror to the old bracket. This is the part that trips people up. Mirror buttons are not universal — there's a wedge style and a round-button style, and the shapes differ between brands and years. Before you buy, compare the back of the new mirror's base with your old one: the slot has to match the button already on your glass. If the new mirror comes with its own button, you don't need it — leave your original button right where it is. A replacement rearview mirror commonly fits your Mitsubishi, but always confirm against your vehicle's exact trim and engine and the product's fitment data before buying, since mount style, auto-dimming, and compass/temperature features vary by trim. If the new mirror doesn't slide on smoothly, stop — the button shapes don't match, and forcing it will either break the clip or pop the button off the glass.

If the button itself came off the glass. Don't panic, but don't just glue it back with any adhesive. A rearview mirror adhesive kit (two-part, made for this job) is the right fix: clean both surfaces completely, mark the button's position on the outside of the glass with tape before you start, and let it cure fully before hanging the mirror on it. A mirror hung too early will slide down the glass overnight.

One thing that would pin this down exactly: your year and model. The set-screw size and the button shape changed across Mitsubishi models, so if you post those, someone can tell you the exact screw and whether yours is the slide or twist type. If the button is already loose on the glass or the glass looks cracked around it, that's a glass-shop job — if unsure, consult a professional mechanic.

Disclosure: I used an AI tool to help draft this answer.