Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My clutch had to be replaced at only 14,500 miles. Problems were evident at around 10,000 miles and became considerably worse in time. I have driven a manual transmission for 15 years and have never raced and did not ride the clutch. My last car's clutch lasted in excess of 100,000 miles without fault. The service manager at my dealership told me that it appears to be a factory defect. However, since the warranty on the clutch expires at 12,000 miles, I have to pay for the part. The problem became obvious when my transmission spun as I tried to go from a stop up a hill. My car basically became stuck in traffic on a dangerous section of roadway and it was luck that I was not involved in a side-impact collision. If this had happened on a railroad track or a drawbridge, I see this problem as potentially life-threatening. …
I have only had the car for a little over a year. I have absolutely loved the car besides having to take it in within like 3 months to replace a deffective transmission. I have am a person that have been in many close accident calls throughout my life so I am not a person who takes the car to the limit whatsoever. I have had defective cars all my life. My first car I was in a near death call in my first accident when a man in a rush decided to try to pass me while I was doing a u-turn. My second I bought for $4000 and put over 2K in it trying to get it fixed and running. My third car I bought was a Toyota camry. It was a great car but also had to put $1,500 into a car I bought for only lik 5K, when the manufacturer told me that they couldnt fix the problem and I had wasted every dime I had on this car. My last and present car is my 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse gt. …
My 2003 Eclipse gts has been serviced for about 10 different things in a matter of 8 months. 4 seperate times I had brought it in for a jerking automatic transmission 3 times they told me nothing was the matter and it was fine. Finally the check engine light came on and they then informed me that the transmision needed to be reprogrammed. It worked for about 4 months. Also 20 days after buying the car my check engine light came on and the fuel pump and sensor needed to be replaced. 4 times I have also brought the car in becuase when the sunroof opens it jerks really bad. Every time I went there all they did was grease it and it still doesn't work properly. At 17,000 the power mirror on the driver side door stopped functioning and that was replaced. …
My clutch on my 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse spyder started to show signs of slipping at around 11,000 miles. I thought it was covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty and did not get it fixed right away as my dealership is about an hour away. It finally became so bad that it was unsafe to drive at 19500 miles. The dealership had to replace the clutch and would not cover it under warranty. I have driven stick shifts all my life and never had one fail, even after 85,000 miles. The car was never raced or driven abusively. Now, the second clutch is at 11,000 miles and the problem is beginning again. I have read on an internet forum for Eclipse owners, reports of many others having problems with the clutches on the 2003 Eclipse gts models. This appears to be a factory defect and should be rectified. I cannot spend $1000 every 6 - 12 months to keep replacing clutches in this car.
I do have a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse and at 27,000 I had a clutch replaced and a price tag of $1,250.00 for the dealership the I purchased the car from I thought I would get a long time out of that repair that cost so much. I was only up set that the same problem arose again so called from the dealership. I called independent shop the diagnostic the complete problem the dealership stated was not wrong, I was told by an independent garage that the leaking was caused by the sled and that I needed the lines need to be replaced and possible a new clutch again. Because of the leakage problem. I find that the dealership failed and the manufacture failed to make the public aware of these problems. I seems the dealership wanted $1,6759.95 for the repair of a clutch not addressing the leak problems.
Manual transmission - car seize when shifting into 5th gear. Dealer stated that someone that serviced the car must have drained the gear lube oil down to 1 pint. I had the car towed to a transmission shop. They discovered that is was not the gear lube oil but the rod that pushes out when shifting from to gear was to long and had been chipping away at the transmission. After 2 months of fighting with the dealer and Mitsubishi directly - they still refuse to pay. This was a factory defect. Would like to know if anyone else has had a similar experience. If I had let the dealer replace the transmission I would never had known the real cause.
Dt: the caller said that his vehicle is making a noise. When accelerating the vehicle changes gears hard and he did not know if it was the transmission or the motor mounts. The problem occurs intermittently while driving between 35 to 40 MPH. Right after having the transmission fluid changed. He had the motor mounts changed 8 times. The dealer did not remove the battery to get to the motor mount, but they said that they did. An independent mechanic told the contact that the problem might be the transmission. The manufacturer has not been contacted yet.
I bought my car in October of 2003 and immediately I noticed a grinding coming from the transmission. I took it into lancaster Mitsubishi in pennsylvania and they told me it was a common trans noise. A couple of weeks passed by and the noise kept getting louder and now my clutch is slipping. I have never beat or raced my car. It is one of the best cars I have ever owned and the one of the most reliable. I don't have much choice to keep driving it the way it is and it is getting worse. Pretty soon I will be out of a car.
At approximately 36,500 miles or so noticed the car not wanting to "grip" on take off. Seemed to want to rev higher randomly.. Over a period of 2 days went from no big deal to not being able to drive. I have had previous experience with manual transmissions (2 other personal vehicles ). I contacted dealership and warranty provider to find out this is normal and considered wear and tear. Have been priced upwards of 1000 usd if not more to replace this clutch. And I just got this car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The contact stated that the vehicle would idle low, causing it to stall intermittently. The dealer advised the contact to replace the manifold. The manufacturer was aware of the failure, but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. No repairs were performed. The failure mileage ws 95,000 and the current mileage was 99,450.
Transmission complaints in other Eclipse years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, 16% of the model year's 124 complaints. The component named most often is clutch assembly (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, though it has 3 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 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 19,000 miles, and 65% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.