Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 129 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 129 · page 1 of 6
"TAKATA RECALL" I HAVE REPLACED MY CONTROL ARMS ABOUT 4 TIMES NOW IN THE PAST 2 YEARS. I HAVE IT FIXED AND THEN THE SQUEAKING ALWAYS COMES BACK LASTS ABOUT 6 MONTHS THEN THE LOWER BALL JOINT BREAKS. LAST TIME IT BROKE I WAS GOING ABOUT 40 MPH, IT WAS VERY SCARY. THE PICTURE I SENT WAS TAKEN ON 7/28/2014. THOUGH THE LAST TIME IT BROKE WAS ON 6/20/2015.
"TAKATA RECALL" I HAVE REPLACED MY CONTROL ARMS ABOUT 4 TIMES NOW IN THE PAST 2 YEARS. I HAVE IT FIXED AND THEN THE SQUEAKING ALWAYS COMES BACK, LAST ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND THEN LOWER BALL JOINT BREAKS. LAST TIME IT BROKE I WAS GOING ABOUT 40MPH, IT WAS VERY SCARY. THE PICTURE I SENT WAS TAKEN ON 7/28/14. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ON 6/20/15 AND I HAVE HAD IT REPLACED SINCE.
BATTERY DISCHARGES OVERNIGHT AND ELECTROAUTOS CANNOT FIND ANY ELECTRICAL LEAKAGE BUT THEY SUSPECT THE STARTER SYSTEM DEVICE (AN OBLONG DEVICE THAT NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED TO A RED LIGHT TO GET THE STARTER TO FUNCTION). THE BATTERY HAS BEEN CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES BUT LEAKAGE CONTINUES. DUE TO AGE, NO SENSORS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO CHECK IT. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY IN GARAGE.
RECENTLY, RELOCATED TO FLORIDA WITH IN 18 MONTHS I NOTICE MY PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS PROTRUDING OUT FROM THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY IN SW FLORIDA. ORIGINALLY HAD CAR IN NEW YORK AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT EXPLODING WHILE I AM DRIVING. NOTICE ON RECENT RECALL CONCERNING AIR BAGS DIDN'T INCLUDE MY MAKE AND MODEL. THIS 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GST IS MAKING A TRUE STATEMENT ON THE ABOVE AIR BAG ISSUE AND ALL STATEMENTS ARE TRUE. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE ABOVE MAKE AND MODEL IDENTIFY SAME ISSUES WITH AIR BAG BEING EXPOSED TO HIGH HEAT CLIMATES IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER I BELIEVE THIS MAKE AND MODEL SHOULD BE ON THE RECALL LIST, THANK YOU. *TR
1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE, UNIT 1 WAS TRAVELING EAST ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE NEAR THE 54 MILEPOST. UNIT 1 FILLED WITH SMOKE. UNIT 1 PULLED TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AND STOPPED. THE DRIVER OF UNIT 1 EXITED AND OPENED THE HOOD AND OBSERVED FIRE. THE DRIVER OF UNIT 1 WAS CHARGED WITH OVI. BF (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0046-89)*JB UPDATED 04/22/11 *BF
ON 9/6/2010 I GOT IN MY CAR AND PULLED OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE. MY CAR HAD BEEN SITTING ALL THAT DAY AND THE PREVIOUS DAY. AS I PULLED OUT, HEARD A FLOP, FLOP NOISE, STOPPED MY CAR, GOT OUT AND LOOKED AROUND. THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE, A UNIROYAL LONG TOURING A/S, HAD COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT (NOT JUST GONE FLAT). I REPLACED THE TIRE WITH MY SPARE. I LOOKED OVER THE BLOWN TIRE AND FOUND A TEAR APPROX. 1-2 INCHES LONG ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE, JUST BELOW THE TREAD. MY FATHER CONTACTED THE TIRE MANUFACTURER, BECAUSE MY SISTER HAD THE SAME MODEL TIRE AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WEEKS EARLIER. MY FATHER WAS TOLD WE COULD GET REIMBURSED FOR NEW TIRES IF THEY WERE INSPECTED BY THE DEALER AND FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. TODAY, 9/8/2010, I TOOK MY CAR TO A TIRE DEALERSHIP AND GOT THE ONE TIRE REPLACED. THE BLOWN TIRE WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THAT DEALERSHIP CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER & WAS TOLD TO FILL OUT A CLAIM FORM SO I COULD BE REIMBURSED 60% OF THE NEW TIRE COST. THE DEALER KEPT MY BLOWN TIRE. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT GETTING ALL NEW TIRES, BECAUSE THE OTHERS WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE WITH CRACKS BEGINNING. THEY SAID THE TIRE I JUST PAID FOR COULD NOT BE COVERED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT AN ACCEPTED BRAND, BUT FOUR NEW TIRES THAT WERE OF AN ACCEPTED BRAND COULD BE COVERED UP TO 60%. THE TIRES HAVE ALL BEEN SAID TO BE DEFECTIVE BY THE DEALERSHIP, HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO COVER THE FULL COST OF REPLACEMENT TIRES. *TR
I PURCHASED MY 1998 ECLIPSE GS IN 2003 WITH APPROX. 38,000 MILES ON IT. WITHIN 2 MONTHS, MY DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE BROKE WHEN OPENING THE DOOR. THIS OCCURRED ON A DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER. NOT THINKING MUCH ABOUT IT, I HAD IT REPLACED AT A COST OF ALMOST $300.00 (PARTS, LABOR, & PAINT) IT HAPPENED AGAIN WITHIN 3 MONTHS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THIS ONE ALSO AND ONLY CHARGED ME FOR THE PART, A MERE $175.00. ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER, MY GIRLFRIEND AT THE TIME WAS OPENING THE PASSENGER DOOR AND THAT HANDLE BROKE OFF. THIS MAKES 3 BROKEN DOOR HANDLES IN 11 MONTHS. I MIGHT BE A STRONG GUY, I GUESS, BUT MY GIRLFRIEND WAS 5'1" AND ABOUT 90 LBS.. THE KIND OF GIRL WHO HAD TROUBLE TEARING NOTEBOOK PAPER. WELL, WHILE WAITING FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO ORDER A REPLACEMENT HANDLE, MY BROTHER WAS GETTING INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF MY CAR TO INSTALL A NEW STEREO AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE HANDLE SNAPS OFF IN HIS HAND. I HAD TO LEAVE A WINDOW DOWN FOR A WEEK INORDER TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE SINCE STOPPED ORDERING FROM THE DEALERSHIP AS A FIBERGLASS DOOR HANDLE WAS AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR $35.00 AND CAME BLACK IN COLOR. TO DATE, AS OF 2010, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE 6 TIMES AND THE PASSENGER SIDE TWICE. AFTER SPEAKING WIT QUITE A FEW MITSUBISHI ENTHUSIASTS, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM MITSUBISHI KNOWS ABOUT, ALWAYS KNEW ABOUT, AND HAS SIMPLY REFUSED TO FIX, EVEN AS FAR AS NOT MAKING REPLACEMENT DOOR HANDLES OUT OF STRONGER MATERIAL. I WILL NEVER BUY A MITSUBISHI AGAIN BASED ON THIS SIMPLE DESIGN FLAW WHICH THE COMPANY DEEMS IS BENEATH THEM TO MAKE RIGHT. *TR
RATTLING/CLACKING WHEN DRIVING SLOWING ON ROUGH ROAD. FOUND RIGHT FRONT LOWER LATERAL ARM HAS A LOT OF PLAY AND ALSO INNER AND OUTER TIRE ROD ENDS HAVE A LOT OF PLAY. THE FRONT LOWER LATERAL ARM TO SUSPENSION AND EVERYTHING DROPPED PRIOR GETTING TO DEALERSHIP TO INSPECT AND FIX IT. MORE DAMAGES INCURRED FOR BROKEN SUSPENSION, TIE RODS AND LATERAL ARM. *JB
AROUND 50,000 MILES ABOUT 2001 MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF. I CALL DEALERSHIP AND BECAUSE I COULDN'T BE SEEN NO EARLIER THAN 2 WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME I WAS UNABLE TO GET A CONVENIENT APPT. I DIDN'T GET THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP UNTIL MUCH LATER. WHEN THE LIGHT STARTED STAYING ON STEADY AROUND 81,000 I TOOK IT IN. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP AND THEY CHARGED ME OVER $200 TO TELL ME MY COMPUTER WAS NO GOOD AND A NEW ONE WOULD COST $1100 AND MY WARRANTY ON THE COMPUTER WENT OUT AT 80,000. I LET SOME TIME GO BY AND PURCHASED A COMPUTER FROM THE JUNKYARD. I THEN FOUND A PLACE THAT REBUILT COMPUTERS. I SENT MY ORIGINAL COMPUTER AWAY. I LATER GOT A PHONE CALL WITH THE PLACE TELLING ME THAT MY COMPUTER HAD BEEN RECALLED SO I CALLED MITSUBISHI. THEY TOLD ME THERE HAD NOT BEEN A RECALL SO I CALLED THE PLACE BACK. THE GUY EXPLAINED THAT MY COMPUTER HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS MANY OTHERS LIKE MINE HAD AND THAT MITSUIBISHI DID NOT RECALL THEM BUT STOP MAKING THAT TYPE OF COMPUTER. HE DID TELL ME THEY MADE A NEW ONE AND IF I COULD FIND OUT WHAT THEY WENT OVER TO HE COULD FIND ME ONE. WHEN I CALLED MITS BACK AND EXPLAINED THEY TOLD ME THAT THE DEALERSHIP COULD HAVE OVER RIDDEN THE 81,00 MILES SINCE IT WAS SO CLOSE TO THE 80,000 AND IF I WENT BACK THERE I COULD SEE IF THEY WOULD DO IT. WELL I CALLED BACK AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE WANTED ME TO DO ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH I AM TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT WOULD NOT BENEFIT ME. I WOULD BE PAYING ANOTHER $200 PLUS DOLLARS TO BE TOLD THE SAME THING THAT THEY HAD ALREADY TOLD ME OR TOLD SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHICH MEANS I HAVE WASTED MY FIRST $200 PLUS DOLLARS. I GAVE UP AND HAVE BEEN REPLACING EVERYTHING ON THE CAR TO GET IT FIXED. I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO USE THE JUNKYARD COMPUTER CAUSE MY ORIGINAL ONE HAD BLOWN UP AND IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE EVERY SINCE. MY SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT STAYS ON NOW AND IT IS MISSING BADLY. I HAVE CHANGED THE OXYGEN SENSORS 3 TIMES. *TR
1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE TURBO CUSTOMER STATES THAT LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR, IT BROKE DOWN IN THE PARKING LOT. THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE CAME OFF CRASHING TO THE GROUND**CC THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THE VEHICLE WAS APART OF A RECALL, HOWEVER SHE WAS TOLD BY CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO TOLD THAT BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A MITSUBISHI DEALER THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT. *JB
TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS PULLING OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY IN HIS 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE WHEN HIS LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD ONLY REACHED A SPEED OF 7 MPH AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, A VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF THE CONTACT CAUSING THE CONTACT TO HIT THIS VEHICLE ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE FROM THE WHEEL FORWARD. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG GOT STUCK TO THE BACK PLATE AND DID NOT DEPLOY. THE AIR BAG BEGAN TO SMOKE AND WAS BURNED BEYOND REPAIR. AS A RESULT, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW CRACKED. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN.
ONE OF THE CYLINDERS HAS MISFIRED SEVERAL TIMES IN WHICH I REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES. IT WAS DUE TO A FAULTY FUEL INJECTOR. *JB
I BOUGHT MY 98 ECLIPSE, STANDARD, IN 2003, NOT EVEN A YEAR AFTER I HAD IT IT DIED ON ME ON THE FREEWAY ONE DAY. TURNED OUT IT WAS THE SPEED SENSOR THAT GOT ME STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE. ABOUT ANOTHER 6 MONTHS LATER THE FOUND AN OIL LEAK ON THE HEAD GASKET THAT WAS MAKING ME MISFIRE, THAT WAS FIXED. THE CAR WAS FINE UNTIL ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO WHEN THE ENGINE WENT OUT ON ME BECAUSE APPARENTLY THE ENGINE OIL AND COOLANT WERE SOMEHOW MIXING, MY HOSES WERE OUT, SO WAS MY WATER PUMP, O2 SENSOR AND FUEL PUMP SENSOR, ALL AT THE SAME TIME. WELL I HAD MAJOR WORK DONE EVERYTHING WAS PUT IN NEW, ABOUT A MONTH LATER MY DRIVER DOOR HANDLE FALLS OFF, THAT COST ME 150 DOLLARS! ONE MONTH AFTER THAT, NOW, MY SPEEDOMETER STOPS WORKING ALL OF A SUDDEN AND 2 WEEKS LATER MY TRANSMISSION GOES OUT. ALSO MY CLUTCH IS GOING OUT. SO NOW I CANT DRIVE THE CAR ANY HIGHER THAN 5TH GEAR BECAUSE IT THROWS MY GEAR OUT!!! SINCE I STILL OWE 6K ON THE CAR I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FIX IT. WHICH IS GOING TO END UP COSTING ME, IN ALL I'VE SPENT AND AM ABOUT TO SPEND, AS MUCH AS I STILL OWE ON THE CAR! *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED PRIOR TO PURCHASE THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE LOWER BALL JOINTS, #00V421001. THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED, BUT THE VEHICLE HAD THE FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECALL AGAIN. SINCE PURCHASE, THE STEERING WAS POOR AND THEN THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE LOWER BALL JOINT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
AFTER CRASHING IN A MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE THE AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG CAUGHT FIRE. TO FIX THIS PROBLEM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO PULL APART THE DASH IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE WIRES FROM THE AIRBAG. *JB
DT: WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AND VEHICLE SPEEDED UP. THE CALLER'S HUSBAND APPLIED THE CLUTCH TO PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND THE CLUTCH BLEW OPUT. IT SHOT PIECES OF METAL THROUGH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. INSURANCE COMPANY SAID IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE CRUISE CONTROL OR THE THROTTLE. DEALER SAID THEY NEVER HEARD OF THAT HAPPENING AND WANTED HER TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN. SHE WILL HAVE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC LOOK AT VEHICLE TOMORROW. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET.*AK
DT: THE CONSUMER HAD MANUFACTURER'S RECALL C9803T REPAIRS DONE. AFTER THE RECALL WORK WAS DONE THE VEHICLE LEAKED OIL AND THE TRANSFER CASE BROKE. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD HIM TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WOULD SEND HIS COMPLAINT # 375 625 FOR REVIEW. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER ON 8-30-05. *AK
PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE OF 98 MITSUBISHI SNAPS OFF WHILE OPENING AND OCCUPANT ALMOST FEEL TO THE GROUND. *JB
1) NONE 2) TRANSFER CASE BEGAN LEAKING (HASN'T LOCKED UP YET) 3) NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, DEALER WILL NOT RECALL FOR A 2ND TIME.
40000 OR MORE NEED A NEW HEAD GASTIC AND THATS TAKING THE ENGINE APART, HAD A LEAK WASN'T VALUE GASITIC AND TURNED OUT TO BE HEAD GASITIC, WHEN YOU DRIVE CAR A 100 MILES OR SO IT LOSES OIL, AND LOOSE ABOUT HALF A COURT OF OIL AND BURNING SMELL, IF YOU DON'T REPLACE WILL LOOSE MORE OIL
WHILE IDLING IN TRAFFIC THE DIFFERENTIAL EXPLODED AND KNOCKED A LARGE CHUNK OF METAL OUT. THIS RESULTED IN TRANSMISSION LOCKING UP AND OIL SPILLING. VEHICLE WILL ONLY ROLL BACKWARD.*AK TOWED VEHICLE TO CONSUMER'S HOME. DEALERSHIP WILL BE CONTACTED. *AK
WHEN DRIVING ANY SPEED, THE CONSUMER WOULD HEAR A CRACKING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER OF A WORN LOWER BALL JOINT. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *JB THE CONSUMER CHECKED THE INTERNET AND SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON HER MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE FOR FAULTY BALL JOINTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CLOSEST MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AND REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS MADE. *BF *NM
I WAS EXITING AN INTERSTATE AND APPROACHING A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. THE REAR WHEELS OF THE VEHICLE LOCKED UP DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE TRANSFER CASE. THIS IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF THE TRANSFER CASE HAVING INADEQUATE DESIGN AND/OR MANUFACTURING ERROR (REF NHTSA RECALL ID: 98V069001). BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER ARE REFUSING TO PERFORM RECALL WORK AT NO CHARGE CITING THAT THE RECALL SERVICE WAS PERFORMED ONCE BEFORE. DEFECTIVE PARTS WITHIN THE TRANSFER CASE WERE REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL NOTICE ONCE BEFORE HOWEVER MANUFACTURING FLAWS IN THE TRANSFER CASE DESIGN WERE NEVER CORRECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE FAILURE OF THE TRANSFER CASE WAS ONLY DELAYED, NOT CORRECTED, THROUGH THE INITIAL RECALL SERVICE. TELEPHONE INQUIRIES MADE TO NHTSA AND THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL?S OFFICE RESULTED IN FEEDBACK SUPPORTING THIS POSITION. *NM
DOOR HANDLE ON OUTSIDE OF CAR BROKE WHILE TRYING TO OPEN THE DOOR PARKED IN MY GARAGE. TEMP IN GARAGE AROUND 35 F. CAR STILL HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AND DOOR IS UNUSABLE AS A RESULT. PARTS WILL HAVE TO ORDERED FROM DEALER AND THEN A BODY SHOP WILL HAVE TO PAINT TO MATCH. CAR IS SEVEN YEARS OLD THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING. *NM
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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