Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
The paint on my black 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse began to delaminate in October of 2004. I have noticed this same problem with other black Mitsubishi cars such as the galant but the eclipses exhibit this problem more frequently. It began as faded areas on the roof then spread to the hood, trunk, sail panels and now to the top rear quarter panels. It seems to be caused by sun damage as a result of insufficient ultraviolet inhibitors in the paint as applied from the factory as I have washed and maintained the paint on a regular basis.
My black 2001 Eclipse gt paint is failing. It began as a small white smudge looking spot on the roof of the car, 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. It looks as if acid or bleach had been poured on my car. I'm now forced to pay thousands to have it sanded down and repainted, but there's no alternative.
I have a 2001 black Eclipse gt...bought brand new in jan. 01. At 43,000 miles all top surface areas were showing signs of paint pulling from the primer...at 53,000 miles the roof was down to the metal...took me months to get mits. To handle. They only would paint the affected surfaces? Then 20,000 the rest of the surfaces became affected. I took it to the dealer and said they were not covering these issues anymore??if it was established as a defect it should be covered.
My black 2001 Eclipse gt paint is failing. It began as a small white smudge looking spot on the roof of the car, but has spread to the entire hood, roof and trunk. The paint seems to just break down from inside. It's not cracking but is changing color from black to white like the sun is bleaching it out. It looks as if acid or bleach had been poured on my car. I'm now forced to pay thousands to have it sanded down and repainted, but there's no alternative.
No injuries: a blow out within a 2 yr period, front left tire flat 13 times, replaced that rim 3 times. Drivers side door, left side of hood, left rear by trunk does not align properly to the right side. Already had a manufacturers defect in my left strut scratches by left tire started out small now are 5 inches wide.
Dashboard becomes brittle, and cracks result--causing airbag on passenger side to be misaligned--this is on a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse rs, 2.4l-----the company refuses to fix it, I would like a new dashboard.
Dash cracked in half (degradation). I found that this is happening to almost everybody with the Mitsubishi Eclipse (mine is a 2001). Mitsubishi will not address this problem. This needs to be a recall.
My calapana black 2001 Eclipse gt started to fade a year ago. I noticed that most black Mitsubishi cars starts to fade in 2-3 years. I have a couple of friends that have the same problem but refuse to complain here because they already done several times to the dealer but never had a response. I also have exact problem as complain no. Odi id: 100511429 NHTSA complaint id: 448638. As mentioned, the car has trouble shifting from 1st to 2nd gear (worst when cold), stutters when first accelerating, and makes a continuous rattling noise when the clutch is not engaged. I complained to Mitsubishi dealer many times but they refuse to be responsible.
Body complaints in other Eclipse years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the body & structure of the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse, 10% of the model year's 209 complaints. The component named most often is body (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.