Problems · by component
2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse wheels problems
37 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse cite wheels, 36% of all 104 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
37
36% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the wheels
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“2002 ECLIPSE COUPE, OK THIS IS A MAJOR PROMBLEM, HOPE SOMEONE WILL LISTEN THE WHEELS (RIMS) CRACK ON THESE CARS "CHEAP" BOTH FRONT WHEELS AND DRIVERS SIDE BACK WHEEL. IF YOU HIT A POTHOLE YOUR GONNA PURCHASE NEW WHEELS. I AM A SINGLE MOM MY KIDS RIDE IN THIS CAR. MANY OTHERS HAVE "COMPLAINED" DO SOMETHING BEFORE YOU ARE SCRAPPING CHILDREN OFF THE EXPRESSWAY.....THESE WHEELS ON THE 2002 ECLIPSE ARE DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE TO KEEP REPLACING I CAN NOT AFFORD IT,, *TR”
“UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, TIRE BEGAN LOSING AIR. TOOK TO THE TIRE DEALER AND NO TIRE PROBLEM WAS FOUND. TWO WEEKS LATER TIRE WOULD HOLD NO AIR, RETURNED TO THE TIRE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THAT THE WHEEL WAS CRACKED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE TIRE TO HOLD AIR. I HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW WHEEL AND A NEW TIRE SINCE RIDING ON LOW / NO AIR DAMAGED THE TIRE. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RIMS WERE BENDING ABNORMALLY AND CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE EXCESSIVELY. THE RIMS WERE REPLACED FOUR TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE MANUFACTURER BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 05/03/11*LJ”
“FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WAS CRACKED. MY TIRE WOULD SLOWLY DEFLATE SO I PURCHASED A NEW TIRE THINKING THIS WAS THE PROBLEM. THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, MY TIRE CONTINUED TO LOOSE AIR. SO I WENT BACK TO TIRE COMPANY AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT IS WAS NOT THE TIRE BUT A CRACK IN THE RIM. SO I PURCHASED A NEW WHEEL AND NOW AFTER A FEW MONTHS I HAVE A BENT RIM. THESE WHEELS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO CONTINUE PURCHASING NEW WHEELS IF THIS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. I WOULD JUST PURCHASED A WHOLE NEW DIFFERENT SET OF WHEELS IF I HAD THE FUNDS AVAILABLE, WHICH I DO NOT. *TR”
“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. *TR”
“THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT I'VE HAD TO REPLACE MY RIM DUE TO THE LIP BENDING BACK CAUSING THE TIRE TO DEFLATE. BOTH TIMES IT WAS ON THE FRONT TIRE. LOOKING AT ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT WITH THE MITSUBISHI RIMS WHICH RESULTS IN DECREASED STEERING CONTROL AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. *TR”
Showing 6 of 37 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.