Problems · NHTSA complaints

1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems

Owners filed 168 complaints about the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse with NHTSA between Jan 1996 and May 2017. The most-cited component is suspension (27).

Complaints
168
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
27
Reported by owners
Fires
6
Reported by owners
Injuries
12
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Suspension27
  2. Engine and engine cooling25
  3. Service brakes, hydraulic24
  4. Air bags18
  5. Power train16
  6. Structure12
  7. Electrical system10
  8. Steering9
  9. Tires6
  10. Wheels6
  11. Seats5
  12. Fuel system, gasoline5
  13. Vehicle speed control5
  14. Visibility5

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199619
199727
199810
199916
200024
200122
200213
20038
200413
20055
20062
20072
20081
20091
20102
20112
20120
20130
20140
20150
20160
20171

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Suspension

27 reports5 crashes2 related recalls
“10/26/01 L FRONT LWR CONTROL ARM BROKE, THE CAR BOUNCED DOWN THE ROAD WHEN SUSP CAME APART. GVILLE MITZ REPLACED THE PARTS AT THE COST OF THE MANF. THE VEHICLE HAD 104000 MI AT THAT TIME. ITEMS LISTED ON REPAIR INVOICE: ARM ASSY (FR SUSP), SHAFT ASSY (FR AXL), SHIELD KIT SPLASH, AIR DAM SIDE FR LH, END ASSY, TIE ROD, FENDER FR LH 12/8/07 SUSP BROKE AGAIN. WHILE DRIVING I THOUGHT THE DRV SIDE FRONT TIRE HAD POPPED. I LET OFF THE GAS/ TRIED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER. I WAS IN THE L LANE NEAR AN INTERSTATE ENTRANCE. WHEN I WAS NEAR THE BARRIER THE VEHICLE JUMPED LEFT. IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE CONCRETE WALL, I PULLED THE WHEEL BACK TOWARDS THE RIGHT. WHEN I DID THIS THE BROKEN LEFT FRONT SUSP/TIRE WENT BENEATH THE CAR. THE AUTO WAS CATAPULTED ONTO THE CONCRETE BARRIER ON IT'S NOSE. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY AIRBORNE AT THIS TIME (FOR APPX 150-200 FT) PART OF THE CAR HIT THE CONCRETE PILLAR OF THE UNDERPASS AND FLUNG MY CAR BACK TO THE GROUND. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME DOWN. EVEN WITH MY RESTRAINT ON MY BODY SLID UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN THE CAR CATAPULTED ON THE CONCRETE LEDGE. WHEN THE DRIVERSIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED THE GOT THE LEFT SIDE OF MY HEAD…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 6, 2008Suspension, EquipmentCrash reportedODI 10220327

Engine and engine cooling

25 reports1 fire
“(1) BOUGHT CAR USED, IT HAD A BAD REAR MAIN SEAL. (2) CAR PASSES GEORGIA EMISSION INSPECTION (3) REPLACE REAR MAIN SEAL (4) NOW VEHICLE BLOWS SMOKE WHILE STANDING STILL IN TRAFFIC. (5) REPAIR OF LEAKING VALVE COVER GASKET (6) STILL SMOKING WHILE IN GEAR (7) INFORMED OF VALVE SEALS BEING BAD.. (8) NEVER BUY MISTUBISHI AGAIN. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 3, 2005Engine and engine coolingODI 10131390

Service brakes, hydraulic

24 reports4 crashes
“CONSTANT PULSATING OF BRAKES WHEN APPLYING THEM. TOOK CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THE 1ST TIME AND HAD THE ROTORS REPLACED. MITSUBISHI PAID FOR 1/2 OF THE COST AND I PAID THE REST. THIS WAS IN 1998. THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE THE ROTORS REPLACED, THE VIBRATING OF THE BRAKE PEDAL CAME BACK WITHIN 2 WEEKS. SINCE THEN, I HAVE REPLACED AND/OR TURNED DOWN MY ROTORS ON MY FRONT WHEELS OVER 7 TIMES. I DO NOT RIDE MY BRAKES EITHER. I'VE HAD MY ROTORS REPLACED BY NUMEROUS GARAGES. THE ROTORS IMPROVED TWICE DUE TO THE RECALL OF BALL JOINTS. WHEN I HAD MY CAR IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS RECALL AND I DROVE THE CAR HOME, THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT PULSATE FOR ABOUT 3 TO 4 WEEKS AFTER THE RECALL WAS MADE GOOD. I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY ON HAVING THE ROTORS REPLACED. IT'S GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE I CANNOT KEEP SPENDING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON ROTORS. I JUST DEAL WITH THE VIBRATING BRAKES AT THIS TIMES. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 25, 2004Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10082624

Air bags

18 reports14 crashes
“WHILE SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION ANOTHER DRIVER ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET RAN A RED LIGHT AND HIT THE VEHICLE HEAD ON. THE VEHICLE'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. *MR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 6, 2004Air bagsODI 10066686

Power train

16 reports2 crashes1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE REAR WHEELS SEIZED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,200.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 4, 2017Power trainODI 10983556

Structure

12 reports1 crash
“BOUGHT CAR IN NOV 1996. ABOUT 5 MONTHS OR SO AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR, THE DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR CAN DETACHED FROM THE CEILING. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS NOT A COVERED WARRANTY SERVICE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE THREADS NEEDED TO BE REDONE AND THAT THEY WERE STRIPPED. MY CAR ONLY HAD 16,000 MILES ON IT AT THIS TIME. SO THE DEALER APPARENTLY FIXED IT. BUT THEY DIDN'T. WHEN I PUT MY SUN VISOR DOWN THE VISOR SLIPS OUT OF THE PLASTIC HOLDER AND FLIES FORWARD. SOMETIMES THIS HAS ALMOST COST ME MANY ACCIDENTS. SO I LEAVE THE VISOR FORWARD UNTIL I CAN GRAB IT AND TRY TO PUT IT BACK IN PLACE AND HOPE IT STAYS. THE UNIT IS NOT FULLY SECURE. YOU CAN TELL BY LOOKING AT IT, THAT THE VISOR HOLDER WAS REINSTALLED, POORLY. THE VISOR DOES NOT STAY LOCKED IN PLACE WHEN IN USE OR NOT IN USE.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 26, 2004StructureODI 10082630
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.