1996 Mitsubishi ECLIPSE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
98 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
89,200 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1996 model year. Data snapshot: . 21 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint is the most frequently named component, appearing in 14 of 98 complaints (14.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 13 | 13.3% |
| Transmission and shifting | 6 | 6.1% |
| Steering behavior | 5 | 5.1% |
| Engine operation | 4 | 4.1% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 1.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint | 14 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 13 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 6 |
| Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Upper Ball Joint | 5 |
| Unknown Or Other | 5 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 4 |
| Tires | 4 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 |
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint: 14; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 13; Air Bags:Frontal: 6; Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Upper Ball Joint: 5; Unknown Or Other: 5; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 4; Tires: 4; Vehicle Speed Control: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 3 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 6 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 8 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 3; 75,000 to 99,999: 6; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 1
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (8). 77 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 9 |
| 2000 | 22 |
| 2001 | 21 |
| 2002 | 12 |
| 2003 | 8 |
| 2004 | 12 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
1996: 9; 2000: 22; 2001: 21; 2002: 12; 2003: 8; 2004: 12; 2005: 5; 2006: 2; 2007: 2; 2008: 1; 2010: 2; 2011: 1; 2017: 1
Pattern summary
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 13 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 6 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10082624 · 2004-07-25 (July 25, 2004)
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…
Owner-reported narrative. 19,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10082624 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10082632 · 2004-07-26 (July 26, 2004)
CAR WAS IDLING AT A VERY LOW RPM. I HAD THE CAR SERVICED AND WAS STILL IDLING VERY LOW. WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE CAR WANTED TO STALL. MEANING THE RPMS DROPPED TO ZERO AND THEN THE IDLE JUMPED EXTREMELY HIGH FOR A FEW SECONDS. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR STARTED TO STALL WHEN STOPPING OR GOING AROUND TURNS AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM HOOK THE CAR UP TO A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. NOTHING REGISTERED ON THE MACHINE. CAR DID NOT STALL FOR THE DEALER, BUT DID STALL FOR ME EVERY TIME AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP …
Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10082632 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10212547 · 2007-12-22 (December 22, 2007)
I WAS GOING ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR ON THE FREEWAY, WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD REVVING NOISE AND BEGAN TO DOWN SHIFT AT AN ACCELERATED RATE. THE ECLIPSE NOW HAS A SHIFTING PROBLEM TO WHERE THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE THE DRIVE TO MOVE FORWARDS NOR BACKWARDS. I WAS TOLD BY A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AND CLOSE FRIEND, THAT ALL MY GEARS WERE ALL WIPED OUT ALL AT THE SAME TIME AND THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS EITHER LOOSE OR BROKEN. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE FOUND IN THE TRANSFER CASE, OF THE TRANSMISSION, SHAVINGS OR LITTLE PIECES OF MET…
Owner-reported narrative. 71,250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10212547 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10334018 · 2010-06-01 (June 1, 2010)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT AN ABNORMAL VIBRATION AND IT MADE AN UNUSUAL NOISE. THE CONTACT DROVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, FOUND THAT THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT HAD FRACTURED FROM THE TRANSFER CASE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE DRIVE SHAFT YOKE AND REAR TRANSFER HOUSING WERE REPLACED AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE RECU…
Owner-reported narrative. 122,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10334018 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10039602 · 2003-09-26 (September 26, 2003)
MY 1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE WAS IN FOR SERVICING THE TIMING BELT. THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME TO ASK IF I WOULD APPROVE AN UPGRADE FOR AN IDLER PULLEY FOR THE AC/POWER STEERING BELT. SINCE THE COST WAS ABOUT $190, I SAID "NO." AFTER PICKING THE CAR UP AND DRIVING HOME, THE AC/POWER STEERING BELT CAME OFF AND I LOST THE POWER STEERING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THE $190 UPGRADE DONE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL PART IS DEFECTIVE, AND MITSUBISHI KNOWS T…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10039602 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10220327 · 2008-03-06 (March 6, 2008)
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 BAR…
Owner-reported narrative. 261,362 miles reported. Look up ODI 10220327 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10372505 · 2010-12-27 (December 27, 2010)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE TRANSFER CASE SUDDENLY STALLED AND LOCKED ALL FOUR WHEELS; HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE TRANSFER CASE AND THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST WITH REPAIR EXPENSES AS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 98V069001 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000. THE VIN WAS UN…
Owner-reported narrative. 110,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10372505 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 981138 · 1996-03-25 (March 25, 1996)
WHEN FILLING UP THE GAS TANK THE GAS CAME GUSHING OUT OF THE BOTTOM NEAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 981138 at NHTSA ↗