Most common 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems
Share of the 129 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 →
1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse recalls (4)
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.
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.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The dash panel pad can shift interferring with the throttle cable control.
Remedy: Dealers will remove a portion of the dash panel pad so it cannot interfere with the throttle cable control.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1998 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 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 28 →
I bought my 98 Eclipse, standard, in 2003, not even a year after I had it it died on me on the freeway one day. Turned out it was the speed sensor that got me stranded in the middle of no where. About another 6 months later the found an oil leak on the head gasket that was making me misfire, that was fixed. The car was fine until about 2 months ago when the engine went out on me because apparently the engine oil and coolant were somehow mixing, my hoses were out, so was my water pump, o2 sensor and fuel pump sensor, all at the same time. Well I had major work done everything was put in new, about a month later my driver door handle falls off, that cost me 150 dollars! One month after that, now, my speedometer stops working all of a sudden and 2 weeks later my transmission goes out. Also my clutch is going out. …
I was exiting an interstate and approaching a traffic signal. The rear wheels of the vehicle locked up due to a failure in the transfer case. This is the direct result of the transfer case having inadequate design and/or manufacturing error (ref NHTSA recall id: 98V069001). Both the dealer and manufacturer are refusing to perform recall work at no charge citing that the recall service was performed once before. Defective parts within the transfer case were replaced under the recall notice once before however manufacturing flaws in the transfer case design were never corrected by the manufacturer. Subsequently, the failure of the transfer case was only delayed, not corrected, through the initial recall service. Telephone inquiries made to NHTSA and the texas attorney general?s office resulted in feedback supporting this position.
Engine & cooling all 21 →
I bought my 98 Eclipse, standard, in 2003, not even a year after I had it it died on me on the freeway one day. Turned out it was the speed sensor that got me stranded in the middle of no where. About another 6 months later the found an oil leak on the head gasket that was making me misfire, that was fixed. The car was fine until about 2 months ago when the engine went out on me because apparently the engine oil and coolant were somehow mixing, my hoses were out, so was my water pump, o2 sensor and fuel pump sensor, all at the same time. Well I had major work done everything was put in new, about a month later my driver door handle falls off, that cost me 150 dollars! One month after that, now, my speedometer stops working all of a sudden and 2 weeks later my transmission goes out. Also my clutch is going out. …
Had recall done for lateral arm, dealer informed me head gasket was blown, two weeks later both door handles broke off, maybe the door handles shouldn't be made of plastic. The car has been through two alternator belts in the last two years. The car overheats and it melts them right off. You buy a product from Mitsubishi so you dont expect it to be made by Chrysler. My sister drives a Dodge avenger and we have the same exact engine, and guess what happened to it ---a blown head gasket. Maybe you people should stand behind your product and fix the ever so common problem. Everyone I know who drives an Eclipse has a blown head gasket. I am very unhappy and will never buy a car from Mitsubishi again.
Air bags
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 MPH, a vehicle pulled out in front of the contact causing the contact to hit this vehicle on the front driver's side from the wheel forward. The passenger side air bag got stuck to the back plate and did not deploy. The air bag began to smoke and was burned beyond repair. As a result, the passenger side window cracked. There was damage to the vehicle and a police report was taken.
I was driving to manchester from concord. I hit a patch of snow or black ice, I couldn't tell, and hit a guardrail head-on going approximately 55 miles per hour. The front end of my car was pushed in and the frontal impact was strong enough to pop open the trunk. My airbags did not deploy and I almost went through the windshield. I didn't happen to have my seatbelt on this time. The only thing that kept me from going through the windshield was the fact that I sit so close to the steering wheel that my legs caught on it and pushed me down. My head hit the wheel and then bounced back to hit the metal bars on my headrest whereas it had popped up on impact. I was transported by ambulance to the hospital where I was treated for minor concussion, bruised ribs, and back and neck pain. The back and neck pain are still here and I am taking medication for it. …
1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 20 / 29 / 23 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 20 / 30 / 23 |
| 2.3L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 28 / 22 |
| 2.3L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 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 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse a good car?
Based on 129 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Eclipse rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Eclipse 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?
The transmission & drivetrain — 28 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the engine & cooling (21) and air bags (18).
How many recalls does the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse have?
There are 4 recalls for the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse, the most recent from September 1, 2004 (labels). 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 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 71,000 miles; 23% 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.