Most common 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems
Share of the 136 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mitsubishi Eclipse complaints by model year
Best Eclipse years: 2005, 2012, 2004. Years to avoid: 2000, 2001, 1997, 1995, 1996. Compare all years →
1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse recalls (3)
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.
Power train › Automatic transmission
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Lockup of the transfer case can occur due to insufficient lubrication.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles for adequacy of the transfer case oil volume, transfer case oil leakage, and operational degradation of the transfer case mechanism.
Seats › Front assembly › Head restraint
The headrest guide bracket was improperly welded to the seat back frame on the passenger side seat back assemblies only.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger seat back assembly with a new assembly.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse:
Transfer case leakage
The transfer case of the all wheel drive (AWD), Mitsubishi galant, allegedly leaks oil causing one or more wheels to lockup; or the inability to transmit engine power to the drive wheels.the vehicles have the same transfer case design as the eclipse vehicles which have been recalled for the same alleged defect.
What 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse owners say
Engine & cooling all 41 →
On August 8, 2003, my son purchased a 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse, 97037 miles, from [redacted]-owner, south bay auto-[redacted]. We purchased the car for $8,849.21. On August 11, 2003, the engine blow because there was no oil in the car, and the dealer stated that the car had been serviced and it was in good mechanical condition. Just this week the warranty investigator said that the oil leak was there before we purchased the car, and that they will not be replacing the engine, and that the car is the dealers problems. Needless to say, the dealer does not want to do the moral thing and give us back our hard earned money, nor does he wants to replace the engine. This same dealer, loan us an unsafe car that we found out that it has been declared by the state of california as a salvaged. The car is a 1991 Honda, VIN #[redacted]. …
I have owned my care for 3 years. In that time I have had a leaking sunroof, broken passenger rear view mirror, broken passenger window "wont roll up", numerous tire changes, bad vibration, horrible noises when turning wheel, have replaced 2 transmissions, both tie rod ends, 1 lower ball joint and control arm suspension bar"more info on this below", alternator, both headlights, 4 differant seats of breaks, 2 seats constintly running low on oil, replaced the fuel filter, seat belts don't stop, battery cables keep caroding, replace spark plugs atleast 3 to 4 times a year, vibrates when going down road. Those are just the things off the top of my head that I have done to this car. Now to the accident. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 22 →
I have owned my care for 3 years. In that time I have had a leaking sunroof, broken passenger rear view mirror, broken passenger window "wont roll up", numerous tire changes, bad vibration, horrible noises when turning wheel, have replaced 2 transmissions, both tie rod ends, 1 lower ball joint and control arm suspension bar"more info on this below", alternator, both headlights, 4 differant seats of breaks, 2 seats constintly running low on oil, replaced the fuel filter, seat belts don't stop, battery cables keep caroding, replace spark plugs atleast 3 to 4 times a year, vibrates when going down road. Those are just the things off the top of my head that I have done to this car. Now to the accident. …
Fuel relay switch on my mitsuibishi Eclipse 1997 gs has failed on several occasions. In order to get my car to start, I have to go under the hood, "wiggle" the relay switch and lightly tap on the top of it. This fuel relay has been replaced by dealer and the problem continues to occur, even causing the car to go dead during travel. Dealership claims they do not know why it occurs. (20+ occurrences) enormous amounts of "bluish" gas fumes coming from the tail pipe, regardless of idle or in motion. (always occurring) sunroof sticks (5-10 occurrences) both driver and passenger windows rattle when car is in motion and as the door is being shut (continuous occurrence) clutch failure, hard shifting (1 occurrence).
Suspension
Tl contact owns a 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle spun out of control and crashed into the curb. The road conditions were foggy and damp. The mechanic was unable to diagnose the cause of failure. Approximately three years later, the vehicle jerked to the right and the left. The mechanic stated that the lower control arm and rod ends needed to be replaced. There is a recall for the lower ball joint (recall # 00V421001). The powertrain was unknown. The current mileage is 130,000 and failure mileage was 80,000.
This vehicle has a recall for the lower ball joint. After calling to set up an appointment to fix this issue the vehicle shows up as already serviced, which May have only been as little as an inspection that was done. The ball joint in this vehicle is currently failing and is extremely noticeable while driving. I am in search of a record for who filed the service for this recall or a confirmation that this issue can be "fixed" once again under the same recall.
1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 30 / 23 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 28 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 20 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse a good car?
Based on 136 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Eclipse rates use caution: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Eclipse at the same age. It is one of the Eclipse 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 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
The engine & cooling — 41 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › gasoline. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (22) and suspension (16).
How many recalls does the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse have?
There are 3 recalls for the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse, 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2005, 2012 and 2004. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2000, 2001, 1997, 1995 and 1996. See the full Mitsubishi Eclipse years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 97,000 miles; 13% 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.