1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Interior & seats240.0%
- Airbags120.0%
- Other / unspecified120.0%
- Suspension120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
PASSENGER SEAT ONLY LOCKS IN ONE POSITION. IF YOU THINK THE SEAT IS LOCKED AND IT'S NOT, THE SEAT DOES MOVE/SLIDE BACKWARD AND FORWARD AS YOU ARE DRIVING. YOU MUST HEAR THE "LOCKED IN PLACE NOISE" OR IT IS NOT LOCKED!!!! THIS IS IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A PASSENGER RIDING IN THIS SEAT. *TR
I HAD PARKED THIS AUTO AND WENT INSIDE TO SLEEP- WAS AWAKEN BY HORN GOING OFF IN AUTO- WENT OUT TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND WHEN I OPEN THE DOOR ALL I SAW WAS A BLAST OF SMOKE THAT HIT ME IN THE FACE. FIRE CHIEF SAID IT WAS A ELECTRICAL FIRE THAT STARTED BEHIND THE DASH WHERE THE INSTRUMENTS ARE. THE INSURANCE TOTAL THIS CAR OUT EVERYTHING WAS MELTED IN THE AUTO- I BOUGHT THIS AUTO 15 DAYS AGO USED
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE ACCIDENT WAS A NEAR HEAD ON COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLE (CHEVROLET BLAZER) TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40-50 MPH. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED ALTHOUGH ENTIRE FRONT OF CAR WAS DESTROYED. CAR WAS CONSIDERED TOTALLED BY INSURANCE COMPANY. MITSUBISHI CONTACTED AND DENIED THERE WAS A PROBLEM. CLAIMED AIR BAG SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED IN THIS SITUATION. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL ON A MAJOR HIG WAY WHEN I HEARD AN AWEFUL NOISE COMING FROM UNDER MY CAR, IT SOUNDED AS IF I WAS DRAGGING SOMETHING. I GOT OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT AND LOOKEDF UNDER MY CAR BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE SO I CONTINUED HOME. WHEN I WAS BACK ON THE HIGHWAY THE NOISE STARTED UP AGAIN BUT THIS TIME MY STEERING STARTED TO GO. I IMMEDIATLY BROUGHT IT TO THE SHOP WHERE THEY PUT IT ON A LIFT. THE MECHANICS STARTED TO CHECK SHAKE EACH TIRE, WHEN HE GOT TO THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE THE TIRE WAS VERY LOOSE. ACCORDING TO THE THE THREADING ON THE BULTS THAT HOLD THE RIM ON WERE STRIPPED AND THE DAMAGE WOULD RUN ME ABOUT 200 PER TIRE. ONE TOP OF THE NEW BULTS I NEEDED NEW RIMS. THEY SAID MY RIMS WERE TO BENT UP. I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 3 YEARS AND HAVE HAD MY RIMS BANGED BACK INTO SHAPE SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY. THE SHOP SAYS THEY ARE VERY WEAK RIMS AND I NEED NEW ONES, BUT THAT COSTS OVER A THOUSAND. THERE WAS ANOTHER INCIDENT WITH MY RIMS AS WELL. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I WAS LOSING STEERING POWER SO I GOT MY CAR CHECKED OUT, I NEEDED TO HAVE MY RIMS CUT AND SHAVED BECAUSE THERE WAS TO MUCH WEAR ON THEM.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED RIGHT BALL JOINT BROKE. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .