Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
WHILE HAVING A BASIC OIL CHANGE AT THE MITSUBISIHI/CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP WAS INFORMED OF THE HEAD GASKET LEAK. AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE MOTORS AND A $1000 TO REPAIR.*AK
SIMILAR TO ODI 10080649 BUT RESULTED IN FIRE WITHIN ENGINE BAY WHICH WAS QUICKLY PUT OUT WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR. THREW A PISTON THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK. VEHICLE ONLY HAD 66K MILES. WORKING CAR FIRE FIRST REPORTED VIA 911 IN BRIDGEWATER NJ. REVISED STATUS WAS ALSO CALLED IN BUT WAS RESPONDED TO. STATE FARM INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER THE COST OF ENGINE EVEN WITH FULL COVERAGE INCLUDING COMPREHENSIVE. CAR STILL AT TOWED LOCATION. *NM
TOOK CAR TO DMV AND IT WON'T PASS OBD-II TEST. I HAVE TRIED THREE TIMES. FOUND OUT THAT A TSB-03-13-005 WAS SENT OUT. WHICH STATES HOW TO RESET SO YOU CAN PASS THE EMISSION TEST. IF YOU DISCONNECT YOUR BATTERY YOU COMPUTER WON'T RESET TILL YOU TAKE IT TO THE DEALER WHO CHARGES YOU HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO RESET A PROBLEM THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT BUT REFUSE TO CORRECT. SO EVERY TIME I NEED TO GO TO THE DMV I FIRST NEED TO VISIT THE DEALER SO THAT HE CAN RIP ME OFF, AND BYPASS THE EMISSION SYSTEM. AGAIN THEY KNOW OF THE ISSUE THEY POSTED THE TSB 03-13-005. WON'T BUY OR RECOMMEND A MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE AGAIN. *NM
1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 33,000 MILES.
AT 58,500 MILES HEAD GASKET BEGAN LEAKING. TOOK IT TO DEALER THEY STATED WAS PAST 5YR MARK FROM PURCHASE. MITSUBISHI IS SO LOYAL TO THEIR CUSTOMERS NOT. *JB
AFTER PULLING OFF FROM A RED LIGHT, SHIFTING INTO SECOND WE HEARD A LOUD BANG (LIKE GLASS BREAKING). WE PULLED OFF THE ROAD. A MECHANIC HAPPENED TO BE TRAVELING RIGHT BEHIND US AND STOPPED. THE CAR HAD A TRAIL OF OIL A FOOT WIDE AND PARTS STREWN ALL OVER THE ROAD. THE MECHANIC LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND SAID THAT IT THREW A PISTEN THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK AND INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THERE WERE PARTS OF THE BLOCK, PISTEN, GEARS...........ETC. THAT WE PICKED-UP OFF THE ROAD. I HAVE THEM IN A BAG. THE CAR IS FIVE YEARS OLD (JUST PAID FOR). IT HAS APPROX 72,000 MILES ON IT. THIS CAR IS TOTALLY BABIED, WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND NOT DRIVEN BY A MANIAC TEENAGER (I'M 36 YEARS OLD AND FEMALE). I CAN TELL YOU I'LL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MITSUBISHI EVEN THOUGH I LOVED THE CAR. THE MECHANIC WHO STOPPED SAID HE ESTIMATED 3-4 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR REPAIR. I HAVEN'T HEARD THE ACTUAL ESTIMATE YET. WHAT A SHAME, IT SEEMED LIKE SUCH A SOLID CAR BUT I GOT 160,000 MILES ON MY LAST CAR (A FORD MUSTANG). I'M CALLING THE DEALERSHIP IN THE AM BUT I'M NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY.*AK
MY CAR JUST STARTED MAKING A SQUEAKY NOISE ONE DAY RIGHT AFTER IT STARTED RAINING AND I HAD ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 4 MONTHS.BUT I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT SEEING THAT IT WOULD STOP 2 DAYS AFTER IT RAINED KINDA LIKE IT HAD TO DRY OUT.BUT AFTER A WHILE IT STARTE GETTING WORSE I CHANGED MY BELTS IT STOPPED BUT THEN IT CAME RIGHT BACK.IN FEB2002 THE BELTS WAS CHANGED WITH MY TIMING BELT THE NOISE STOPPED BUT CAME BACK A MONTH LATER.THESE NOISES HAVE CONTINUED TIL NOW 2004 I'VE JUST BEEN WAITING ON A RECALL TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE REPLACING BELTS IS COSTLY.
HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT AT 80,000 MILES. *JB
THE UPPER PULLEY HAS SQUEALED FOR SOME TIME NOW. I TOOK IT THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE BELTS AND BLAMED THE PROBLEM ON THEM. THIS STOPPED THE PROBLEM FOR A SHORT TIME AND HAS PERSISTED SINCE. I HAVE TRIED TIGHTENING THE BELT, USING BELT DRESSING, AND LUBRICATION THE PULLEY. MOST TIMES THE SOUND STOPS, ONLY TO RETURN. IT OCCURS MOSTLY WHEN IT RAINS OR HEAVY MOISTURE IS IN THE AIR. THE DATE OF FIRST INCIDENT IS INACCURATE, I AM NOT SURE OF THE FIRST OCCURRENCE AT THIS TIME. *JB
WHILE AT A REPAIR SHOP FOR OTHER REPAIRSTECHNICIAN INFORMED CONSUMER THAT ENGINE HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. SHORTLY AFTER HIGHLIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THEN VEHICLES LIGHTS IN DASH TURN ON AND OFF, WIPERS TURN ON AND OFF, AND VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOSES POWER AT 75 MPH. BATTERY APPEARED TO HAVE EXPLODED. BATTERY ACID OVER ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WILL NOT START AFTER NEW BATTERY IS TRIED.
CRANKSHAFT/ PULLEY FAILED, INNER & OUTER RINGS SEPARATED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENDLY LOST POWER, AND WAS BARELY RUNNING AT 400-500 RPMS, AND THEN IT WILL WORK AS NORMAL. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES WHEN THE VEHICLE STALL THE THIRD TIME BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. *YH
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. VEHICLE HAS DIED A COUPLE OF TIMES. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE SHAKES. *AK
OCCURRED FOR THIRD TIME TODAY. ENGINE LOST POWER, ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED, REGAINED POWER. I NOW HAVE TO RETURN TO THE DEALER YET AGAIN AS THIS IS HOW THE OTHER TWO POWER FAILURES STARTED. NOT A HAPPY MITSUBISHI OWNER AND NO TRUST IN MY CARS ABILITY TO MAINTAIN SPEED, A DEFIINITE SAFETY PROBLEM. *AK
OIL WAS LEAKING OUT OF DOORS AND ONTO THE INTERIOR. CONSUMER TOOK CAR TO DEALER, AND DEALER SAID THAT IT WAS NOT UNDER THE WARRANTY. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH AND VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
I HAD CHANGED THE OIL IN MY MITSUBISHI ON 12/20/98 AND ON 1/7/99 WHILE DRIVING, WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON, MY CAR SOUNDED A KNOCK AND COMPLETELY STOPPED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO FREEHOLD MITSUBISHI, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER HAS TOLD ME THAT HE VISUALLY DETECTED THAT I HAD USED AN OIL FILTER THAT WAS FOR THE TURBO MODEL OF THE ECLIPSE. HE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE I HAD USED THE WRONG FILTER WHICH HAS THE WRONG THREADING FOR MY CAR. MITSUBISHI IS NOT COVERING THIS UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE TWO TYPES OF FILTERS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THERE DOES NOT SHOW ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE THREADING ON EITHER OF THEM. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD AND I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY PROOF FROM MITSUBISHI THAT USING AN OIL FILTER, MADE FOR THE CAR WITH THE SAME SPECIFICATIONS FOR TURBO AND NON-TURBO, COULD POSSIBLY BE THE CAUSE OF BREAKING A CONNECTING ROD. WHAT IS MY WARRANTY FOR? THERE COULD BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. I HAVE PAID IN FULL FOR THIS CAR. I CAN NOT AFFORD REPAIRS. THEY HAVE GOTTEN TH
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
Data on this page last refreshed .