Most common 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems
Share of the 209 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 →
2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse recalls (7)
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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A bulge in the fuel tank caused by the manufacturing process resulted in thinning of the material during a welding operation, increasing the risk of fuel leakage.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel tank assembly. Owner notification began March 26, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Power train › Automatic transmission › Cooling unit and lines
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. A hose was mis-manufactured and could weaken over time, which could result in leakage of the automatic transmission fluid.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the hose assembly for the automatic transmission oil cooler. Owner notification mailing will be phased over a five-month period starting March 26, through July 23, 2001.
Seats
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A number of incorrect driver side seat mounting bolts were installed into vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the seat mounting bolts and then replace the bolts if necessary. Owner notification began February 15, 2001.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The outer layer only of this 3-layer fuel return hose does not contain the desired ozone protection due to a processing error.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel return hose.
Show 1 more recall
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The harness for the crankshaft position sensor could come in contact with a new protective shield causing a grounded circuit.
Remedy: Dealers will re-route the crankshaft position sensor harness.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse:
Headlights failure
Improper installation of the original equipment headlight connector can cause increased terminal resistance and overheat the headlight connector.this problem can affect independently either headlight but does not cause simultaneous failure of both headlights.
Alloy wheel denting and fracturing
Front shoulder belt webbing guide
Alleged that the anchor bolt for the front shoulder belt fuide is loose or mis-installed
Aluminum alloy wheel denting
See attached report.
What 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse owners say
Wheels & tires all 77 →
Since I bought the car in 9/01 I have had over 20 flat tires, causing me to miss work getting stuck over the bridge. I have had to pay for 4 new rims and several tires because the rims seperate from the tire. I have had scratches appear around the drivers left side of the car which now move all the way to the license plate I was putting on the donut in 2002 and saw my strut was blown after several attempts with the dealership as to why my car shakes after hitting a bump they kept telling me I was hitting curbs when I said to them my strut is blown they tried blaming me and after several attempts they investigated and realized I had a manufactuers defect in my left drivers front tire. I said they should replace the front side of my bumper bacause of the scratches they refused. …
I was driving my 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse equipped with 17 inch alloy wheels, going about 30 miles per hour, when I heard a loud bang from the right front area. It was after dark and the car seemed to handle okay so I proceeded on but after a short distance I heard a similar bang. I pulled over and found that the right front wheel rim was greatly deformed and the tire knocked off the bead. I changed the tire and proceeded home without further incident. I inspected the road the following day in another vehicle and drove over the same rough spots and barely noticed them. There were no signifigant pot holes in the road. I believe that a wheel that will fail so easily is a hazard. If I had been traveling at highway speeds and struck a hole in the road I believe the tire would have gone flat immediately and control of the vehicle would have been lost.
Air bags all 22 →
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH making a sharp turn, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. The contact's air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was engulfed in flames within moments. Lucky, the front passenger was able to free the contact in time. The contact sustained fractures on the left clavicular bone, left ulna bone and bruising on chest and face which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
My sons 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse hydroplaned on a standing puddle of water on us 50. He lost control of the car and hit the guard rail twice on the front and rear of the car. The insurance company totaled the car because of the excessive damage to front and back. My concern and complaint is that the air bags did not deploy. The car took such a major impact to the front end that I can see no reason for the air bags not to deploy other then being defective. I have pictures of the vehicle if you need to see the damage. The maryland state police report number is[redacted]. The state farm insurance company can be reached at [phone] ext. 33, claim # [redacted]. VIN number of the car is[redacted]. My position is that other 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse should be checked for faulty air bag systems. Updated 07/17/2012
Body & structure all 21 →
I've previously owned 2 eclipses w/ no problems, this one however has been nothing but a lemon. 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse gt v6. In addition to the clutch which had to be replaced 1 yr after warranty expired, I have had an abundance of problems w/ parts that should never need to be replaced, none have been covered by warranty. I have replaced every sway bar twice, the A/C failed, the antenna embedded in the rear window failed, one oxygen sensor, the middle rear brake light wiring broke, 2 catalytic converters failed. And the worst is I was going through a headlight a month only to discover that the headlights had actually melted the to the connectors on both sides! And now I May have an electrical fault or faulty valve in my A/C unit causing my heat to kick on when the A/C is turned on.
My black 2001 Eclipse gt paint is failing fast. Started as a small white smudge looking spot on the hood but has spread at a alarming speed to the entire hood and the roof and trunk. The paint in circular areas seems to just break down from inside. It's not cracking off but it's changing color from black to white like the sun is bleaching it out. Looks just like if you spilled bleach on blue jeans. It has spread from hood to roof to trunk in 4 months. I'm told it will have to be sanded down to bare metal to remove the failing paint before repainting.
2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 20 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 26 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse a good car?
Based on 209 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Eclipse rates avoid: 2.2× 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 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
The wheels & tires — 77 complaints, 37% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rim. Next are the air bags (22) and body & structure (21).
How many recalls does the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse, 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?
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 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 52,000 miles; 45% 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.