Most common 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems
Share of the 20 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder complaints by model year
Best Eclipse Spyder years: 2005, 1996, 2004. Years to avoid: 2001, 2002, 2007, 2003. Compare all years →
1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder recalls (1)
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. If the rubber boots on the lower lateral arm ball joints of the front suspension were damaged during assembly, dirt and water can intrude. Also, mmc has added the potential of leaking moisture, which can cause the ball stud to corrode.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the lower lateral arm ball joint for wear. Ball joints that exhibit wear beyond the established tolerance will be replaced with newly designed lateral arm ball joints.
What 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
Transmission was slipping so I stop driving it. When I tested it out again, it was even worst and I can't even go past 40 MPH. So far there hasn't been any repairs done to the car since I was told by a mechanic that there are transmission recalls on the automatic 97 gs Eclipse and was advise not to drive it anymore because it can result in a accident. Did a little research online and found out that this car does have a recall on the automatic transmission. Http://www.autosite.com/content/own/service/index.cfm/action/recallsview/seriesid/509.
1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder catastrophic failure of clutch. The line that runs from the slave cylinder to the master cylinder has what appears to be a cut in the line 1mm from the connection to the master cylinder. I have now replaced this line six (6) times in two years. Failure usually occurs after driving the car at highway speeds for 2 or more hours. Clutch goes to the floor due to loss of fluid. I have also replaced the master cylinder twice & the slave cylinder three times, the last time was 2 weeks ago.
Body & structure
Roof leaked & would not fully retract due to deformation of structural roof members (roof pillars). Required replacement of 3 major roof members plus installation of straps (as defined in technical service bulletin). This was a structural failure of the roof design known to Mitsubishi, but no recall or consumer alert was communicated.
1997 mitsibishi convertible. Brackets on both sides of convertible top have bent preventing top from opening completely. It happens on all convetibles of this type and has already been identified by manufacturer, however, they won't do anything about it.
Engine & cooling
The thrust washer is welded to the crankshaft in my car. For whatever reason, there is a defect in the thrust washers that cause there to be an increase in the amount of play in the crankshaft. This causes what had been termed the "crankshaft walk". Among other symptoms, common and what happened to my car was that the 5 speed manual transmission started to lock up on me where I could not even get the car in gear. The movement in the crankshaft caused the crankshaft positioning sensor to go out, and when it did, I was driving on the freeway at 65 MPH and the car shut off on me causing me to lose my power brakes and steering. I did not get into an accident, but I could have. I had the thrust washer replaced and now have the same problem. I am not alone. The following is a website that contains post after post of the same problem. …
Car fails mandatory OBD-ii smog test due to non-continuous readiness monitors failing to set to complete during normal driving. Dealer must use mut-ii diagnostic tool to set monitors to ready state. When diagnostic mode is exited and ignition turned off monitors revert to not-ready state. Problem common to 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse gst according to dealer. No remedy available. Car does not meet federal emission requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder a good car?
Based on 20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Eclipse Spyder rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Eclipse Spyder at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?
The transmission & drivetrain — 6 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about manual transmission › floor shift assembly. Next are the body & structure (5) and engine & cooling (4).
How many recalls does the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder have?
There is 1 recall for the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, the most recent from December 18, 2000 (lower ball joint). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2005, 1996 and 2004. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2003. See the full Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 101,000 miles; 29% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.