Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 | 3% | 160,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 3% | 124,000 miles |
| 2004 | 1 | 7% | 83,000 miles |
| 2003 | 13 | 10% | 33,000 miles |
| 2002 | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2001 | 16 | 8% | 70,000 miles |
| 2000 | 12 | 4% | 58,000 miles |
| 1999 | 18 | 15% | 66,000 miles |
| 1998 | 21 | 16% | 81,000 miles |
| 1997 | 41 | 30% | 97,000 miles |
| 1996 | 26 | 16% | 76,000 miles |
| 1995 | 60 | 20% | 112,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse spun 3 main bearings, has a worn clutch at 28,000 miles. I have never replaced the clutch in my '88 Mazda, which currently has 190,000 miles on it or any of the previous manual transmission vehicles I have owned. Mitsubishi reps denied the warranty due to aftermarket part (cold air intake) the clutch being worn and from what they claim as "spirited driving." I did not pay $30,000 for a car to take out and drive it like a maniac. This is a car that I take very good care of and change oil every 3,000 miles religiously, and have it serviced regularly. I had a dispute hearing on this matter and that was a joke, you better have someone to go with you that has in-depth knowledge of engines and cold air intakes. …
My v-6 (3.8) gt has approximately 80,000 miles on it. The code (po421) has come up on an obii which is the catalytic converter. In my state (washington) the recall on this part is not honored, due to the 80000 mile warranty. In many other states it is warrantied to 100,000 miles. Whether other states have stricter emission laws, or whatever the reason, this does not change the life expectancy, performance or makeup of the part that is expected to last 100000 miles. In short, I am hoping to get a standardized and equal treatment as others driving the same vehicle with a fair warranty.
Sears auto center in manassas, va performe an oil change on my vehicle on 5/16/2016. The engine failed on 5/24/2016 due to the oil plug falling out of the engine and all of the oil draining out. Sears has accepted responsibility for this. However, I have also uncovered a long history of consumer complaints regarding sears auto centers defrauding consumers out of thousands of dollars for unnecessary repairs, charges for repairs not done, and faulty service overall. Sears ws sued by nj on 46 counts of auto consumer fraud, and I have uncovered hundreds of complaints registered with the attorney generals' offices in many states.
I have a mitisubishi Eclipse 2003 100000 miles ( majority highway). In the spring of 08-the vehicle was making noise when accelerating, the vehicle was changing gears hard and was advise it was the transmission/motor mounds. The problem occurred intermittently while driving as much as 40mph. Took it back to mitisubishi dealer for service/diagnosis-told possible eventually trans, timing belt and possibly radiator, which was one of another consumers resolve. Well, they flush the radiator and it resolve the problem of driving but not the noise. Also June 2009-after driving 5 MPH I noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment, the consumer pulled over ( call for tow and later opened the hood to see all the insulation smolder). After being stranded for over an hour I was towed to my destination. …
I almost got into a accident because it's late sobits really hard to see because the headlights u cnt see any at all at night I can use a flash light out the window and see better like that but on top of that my car just decides to up and stall on me and not wanna start back and it had melted my crankshaft sensor wires and I guess it just decided to also mess up the wiring on my camshaft sensor I literally had to wire up the wires straight around the plug on both just to make it home it was cold out and all I really love my car but I'm spending more money than I've got just tryna keep it running and between that and the lights that's gonna get sum1 hurt or killed if not fixed I was on a backroad had no service to call anybody for help and I was right between 2 blind turns
Prolonged wiring harness contact with the heat shield causes the wiring insulation to wear & ground out causing the engine to die-out. Had an iccident few days ago where the engine died out and I was in the middle of an intersection and almost got hit by oncoming traffic . This is seriously not okay and a major safety concern. Please help me.
I had no problem out of car leading up to the point at hand. I started the car and turned on the heat. The car ran for about 30 to 35 minutes. Ar was warm inside, I had to turn the heat off. I left my friends house headed up north i81. My car had no signs of problems. The car shot flames out either side of the car and my engine had exploded. I coasted down the road to put the flames out pulled into the emegency lane. Jumped out told my girlfriend to get out and away from the car. The engine was on fire still at this point. Luckaily a friend of mine had been following me and had something to extinguish the rest of the fire. The car was sold to me with the remainer of the power train warrenty. A Mitsubishi rep read the computer codes. He said since the water temp read 64 degrees the car had been abused. Mitsubishi never contacted me to see if I had maintenance records. …
1) a common issue according to the forums and facebook groups, the strut towers rust through which presents a safety issue when considering that the suspension is connected to the steering which could put an individual or others on the road at risk 2) yet another common issue, the dash and associated bezels crack over time. There has been no solution or alternative to complete replacement from anyone, including (I'm sure) Mitsubishi.
Related recalls (1)
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mitsubishi Eclipse years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (60), 1997 (41), 1996 (26), 1998 (21) and 1999 (18) model years. Engine complaints make up 20% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Mitsubishi Eclipse engine problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 00V299001 (engine, Oct 2, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mitsubishi Eclipse engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles; 28% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine › gasoline (78 mentions), followed by the engine (78).
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.