Mitsubishi Eclipse Reliability
2,784 NHTSA complaints (1989–2012). Complaint rate: 342.0 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1995–2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse (209 crash-related complaints). The 2012 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: SERVICE BRAKES.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Mitsubishi Eclipse Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES | 216 | 11.6% |
| WHEELS:RIM | 198 | 0.5% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 95 | 1.1% |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 94 | 5.3% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 93 | 1.1% |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 92 | 88.0% |
| AIR BAGS | 80 | 56.2% |
| WHEELS | 73 | 8.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 70 | 4.3% |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 64 | 3.1% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989GOOD | — | 13 | 0 | — | View 1989View→ |
| 1990 | — | 59 | 4 | — | View 1990View→ |
| 1991 | — | 65 | 5 | 2 | View 1991View→ |
| 1992 | — | 65 | 8 | 1 | View 1992View→ |
| 1993GOOD | — | 44 | 2 | 1 | View 1993View→ |
| 1994 | — | 53 | 8 | 2 | View 1994View→ |
| 1995AVOID | — | 440 | 64 | 13 | View 1995View→ |
| 1996AVOID | — | 220 | 31 | 5 | View 1996View→ |
| 1997AVOID | — | 185 | 30 | 7 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998AVOID | — | 174 | 23 | 6 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999AVOID | — | 150 | 10 | 3 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000AVOID | — | 380 | 18 | 13 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001AVOID | — | 287 | 33 | 10 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002 | — | 84 | 6 | 4 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003AVOID | — | 158 | 18 | 8 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004GOOD | — | 20 | 9 | 3 | View 2004View→ |
| 2005GOOD | — | 8 | 0 | 4 | View 2005View→ |
| 2006 | — | 118 | 14 | — | View 2006View→ |
| 2007 | — | 122 | 21 | 1 | View 2007View→ |
| 2008 | — | 82 | 13 | — | View 2008View→ |
| 2009GOOD | — | 44 | 10 | — | View 2009View→ |
| 2012GOOD | — | 11 | 1 | — | View 2012View→ |
See also: Mitsubishi Eclipseaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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