Most common 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems
Share of the 16 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 →
1998 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 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder owners say
Body & structure
Convertible roof does not fold down due to bent frame members on each side - called "bent top stack control links". This prevents the top front bow from closing tightly and allows water to enter the cab causing additional damage from mold and mildew - health hazards. The head liner pulls 1-1/2" from the front bow and sags significantly due to the slack distorting the view forward and limits the view in the mirror - a definite safety issue. The repair should be a factory issue and not cost me more than $500 for the parts and labor. If this bar breaks it will further damage the rag top and quadruple the repair cost. The repair shop said this has been a problem with many mitzu ecclipse spyders since they were introduced. Recall - recall - recall. Thanks
Convertible top does not go down all the way. Design flaw causes the top stack control links to bend upon opening and closing the top. The replacement parts along with labor is ridiculously high over $650. Mitsubishi who is fully aware of this design flaw, refuses to accept any responsibility.
Locks & latches
Both of my outside handles on my car fell off within a couple months of each other. I didn't realize that my passenger side handle fell off until I saw it missing on day. The driver side handle fell off as I went out to my car one morning to leave for work. I went to lift up on the handle and it came right off. There was no vandalisim, just a faulty product. I had to pay $367 to get new handles put back on the car, plus $22.50 for towing the car to a Mitsubishi dealer because you can't get into a car if you have no handle to lift.
I purchased my car new in February 1998. After 9 years I only have 43,000 miles on the car. I live in southern california so there is no extreme temperature changes which might have caused the door handle to be compromised, nor abuse as I see others are being told by service shops. I did not expect to open my drivers side car door last week and have it come off in my hand. The reason I bought this car was that a friend had just bought one for himself the month before I did. I was visiting him yesterday and asked him to guess what happened to my car and he beat me to it. His driver's side door handle had come off in his hand 2 weeks ago. I was first checking for a possible recall before bringing it to the dealership. Right now, I have to climb through from the passenger side to pop open my door or leave the window down when running errands. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder a good car?
Based on 16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Eclipse Spyder rates average: about 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 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?
The body & structure — 7 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body › roof and pillars. Next are the locks & latches (3) and transmission & drivetrain (2).
How many recalls does the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder have?
There is 1 recall for the 1998 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 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 58,000 miles; 43% 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.