Most common 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems
Share of the 24 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 →
2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2000-2005 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 5, 1999, to December 17, 2004, 2001-2005 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured January 19, 2000, to March 18, 2005, 2001-2005 Chrysler Sebring vehicles manufactured April 17, 2000, to February 21, 2005, and…
Remedy: MMNA will notify their owners, and Chrysler will notify the Chrysler and Dodge owners. Dealers will install a tether strap to retain the passenger sun visor, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the bilingual english/spanish removable air bag warning labels affixed to the dash and to the sunvisor do not meet the size requirements of the standard.
Remedy: Mitsubishi caribbean will mail a customer notification letter containing a written description and a graphic of the bi-lingual dashboard air bag warning label.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder:
Aluminum alloy wheel denting
See attached report.
What 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder owners say
Wheels & tires
I own a 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder gt. I was in a relatively minor car accident. About 2 months ofter the accident and repairs had been made, one of my tires could not hold tire pressure. I had the tires replaced on the vehicle. The same tire continued to go flat. I inspected the factory 17" alloy rim and I found a crack in the rim. I inspected the other rims as well and noticed similar smaller cracks forming. I do not now if the cracks are due to the accident or due to faulty workmanship. A well made rim would not have cracked due to a relativley minor impact. Accident report on file hamilton twp police. Accident not caused due to failure of the rim.
Under normal driving conditions, tire began losing air. Took to the tire dealer and no tire problem was found. Two weeks later tire would hold no air, returned to the tire dealer and they found that the wheel was cracked and would not allow the tire to hold air. I had to purchase a new wheel and a new tire since riding on low / no air damaged the tire.
Body & structure
Tl contact owns a 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. While driving approximately 45 MPH the driver observed that the dashboard cover sustained excessive cracks. The manufacturer was notified of the defect; however, the part was unavailable. The vehicle has not been repaired due to the unavailability and uncertainty of the part. The failure mileage was 38,000.
The boot cover for the convertible top blew off two times onto the highway behind me on a recent trip to houston, tx. After passing a u-haul and noticing that the boot cover was about to blow off again, I immediately pulled off the highway, removed the boot cover and placed it in the trunk. This could have caused a major accident if the cover had blown off in the path of a vehicle following me. I dread to think what might have happened if the cover had blown off in the path of the u-haul I was passing.
Air bags
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. The contact stated that he approached an intersection driving 15 MPH when he was involved in a crash. The air bags did not deploy and the seat belt did not restrain him. Both vehicles were inoperable and were towed from the scene. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact sustained three cracked ribs and was transported to the hospital. The police were also contacted and a report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,500. Mitsubishi was called with same info. Updated 11/03/2011
The vehicle was involved in a side impact accident, and the side air bags failed to deploy.
2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder a good car?
Based on 24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Eclipse Spyder rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Eclipse Spyder at the same age. It is one of the Eclipse Spyder years we suggest avoiding. 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 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?
The wheels & tires — 8 complaints, 33% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rim. Next are the body & structure (4) and air bags (3).
How many recalls does the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, the most recent from June 2, 2015 (inflator module). 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 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 38,000 miles; 64% 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.