Most common 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems
Share of the 73 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 →
2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse 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:
Aluminum alloy wheel denting
See attached report.
What 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse owners say
Wheels & tires all 32 →
Under normal driving conditions, I hit a small pothole while changing lanes while heading to the Mitsubishi dealership (where I used to work) and lost control of my 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse gt. Upon changing my tire, my rim was bent so severely that I had a hard time getting the lug nuts off of the vehicle. Over 2 inches the rim dented in. Now, 2 weeks later, I noticed a problem in the front left end, that rim is dented severly in two places, not just one. I am going to have to replace that rim as well. To top everthing off, I also had to replace my tire because the first time I blew out the sidewall. This is over $1,000 in just wheel and tire damage. Also, during employment at the Mitsubishi dealership, I reported defect's with my wheels and it was not brought to the attention of the district service manager, bob desimone. …
I have a black I guess you can call it black and white 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The clear coat it completely off and the black paint is just about gone. I have rust spots coming through now. It first started on the hood about a year ago and now it is everywhere. I also had to replace two of my rims because they were bent. Now I have a shimmy in my steering wheel when I get up to 65mph this started about a year ago also. I have gotten new tires and rims on it hoping that would help the problem but it is just as bad as it was last year.
Body & structure
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse. While in park, the contact noticed that there were multiple fractures across the dashboard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
I own a 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse gt with a paint-peeling problem. The vehicle has a horrible paint-peeling problem all over the top areas of the car. I bought the car with about 48,000 miles, and the paint problem started about two thousand miles later. I have seen many, many vehicles with the same problem as my car. I took my vehicle to a Mitsubishi dealership so that they could take pictures and send them in. I received a response about three weeks later saying that they would not do anything to the car because I was not the original owner and the vehicle was out of warranty. The fact that I wasn't the original owner has nothing to do with the paint being a problem on other people's cars. They refuse to accept that the defect is on their behalf and refuse to fix the problem. My vehicle is beginning to rust and I am not able to afford the repainting of my car. …
Electrical system
We were driving and car just died. But it still wanted to start just acted like didn't have gas. To but we just filled up. So we figured fuel pump. Replaced it and nothing still so then we call a dealer and he says most common thing that happens in these cars is computer gets fried.
My left turning signal would not return to the off position after turning and then out of the sudden my headlights on high beam would stay on permanently, low beams would not start . My turning signal stop working and now my car wont start.
2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 20 / 28 / 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 / 25 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse a good car?
Based on 73 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Eclipse rates better than average: 41% fewer complaints than 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 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
The wheels & tires — 32 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rim. Next are the body & structure (15) and electrical system (5).
How many recalls does the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2002 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 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 46,000 miles; 51% 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.