U.S. public vehicle records

1997 Mitsubishi ECLIPSE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

87 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

97,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1997 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 23 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 13 of 87 complaints (14.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	6	6.9%
Braking behavior	4	4.6%
Steering behavior	4	4.6%
Fuel system concerns	4	4.6%
Engine operation	3	3.4%
Electrical and battery issues	2	2.3%

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint

Suspension

Engine And Engine Cooling

Wheels

Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	13
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	11
Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars	6
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint	6
Suspension	5
Engine And Engine Cooling	4
Wheels	4
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System	3

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 13; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 11; Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars: 6; Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint: 6; Suspension: 5; Engine And Engine Cooling: 4; Wheels: 4; Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System: 3

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 7; 100,000 to 149,999: 7; 150,000 and above: 4

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (7). 64 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.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2010

2016

2017

2000: 19; 2001: 19; 2002: 17; 2003: 5; 2004: 12; 2005: 4; 2006: 2; 2007: 3; 2008: 2; 2010: 1; 2016: 2; 2017: 1

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 6 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 4 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 10034212 · 2003-08-19 (August 19, 2003)

TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE WARNINGS AT THIS TIME. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10034212 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10058781 · 2004-02-23 (February 23, 2004)

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT OF GEAR I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PASSING A LONG LINE OF TRUCKS AND HAD TO PULL OFF INTO THE LEFT SIDE BREAKDOWN LANE AND WAS NEARLY HIT BY NUMEROUS CARS DUE TO SENSORS IN THE CAR SHUTTING THE TRANSMISSION OFF DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAVE REPLACED 4 TRANSMISSIONS IN THE LAST 2 YEARS AND AM GETTING RID OF THIS CAR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ITS A VERY RELIABLE CAR EXCEPT FOR THE TRANSMISSIONS, THEY ARE TOTAL JUNK AND MITSUBISHI SHOULD RECALL ALL OF THEM. THEY DEFINATELY ARE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10058781 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10067286 · 2004-04-16 (April 16, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND VEHICLE MOVED IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10067286 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10070747 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)

ON AUGUST 8, 2003, MY SON PURCHASED A 1997 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE, 97037 MILES, FROM [XXX]-OWNER, SOUTH BAY AUTO-[XXX]. WE PURCHASED THE CAR FOR $8,849.21. ON AUGUST 11, 2003, THE ENGINE BLOW BECAUSE THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE CAR, AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED AND IT WAS IN GOOD MECHANICAL CONDITION. JUST THIS WEEK THE WARRANTY INVESTIGATOR SAID THAT THE OIL LEAK WAS THERE BEFORE WE PURCHASED THE CAR, AND THAT THEY WILL NOT BE REPLACING THE ENGINE, AND THAT THE CAR IS THE DEALERS PROBLEMS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE DEALER DOES NOT…

Owner-reported narrative. 97,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10070747 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10033868 · 2003-08-13 (August 13, 2003)

STEERING ROD BROKE WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TO "POP" OUT, RESULTING IN A COLLISION.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 134,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10033868 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10064888 · 2004-03-25 (March 25, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE VEHICLE'S STEERING MALFUNCTION. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. NO REPORT OF IMPACT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10064888 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10072842 · 2004-05-19 (May 19, 2004)

OCTOBER 20, 2003 I PURCHASED A 1997 ECLIPSE GST FROM CITY LIMIT AUTO IN JOHNSTON, RI. MARCH 14, 2004 I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN A SMALL CLICK FORMED IN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR AFTER REACHING 3,500 RPMS. WITH-IN MINUTES THE CLICK DEVELOPED INTO WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A SMALL HOLE IN THE EXHAUST, PROBABLY THE CAT. NOT WANTING TO RISK IT I PULLED OFF THE NEXT EXIT TO BRING THE CAR TO MY FRIEND'S HOUSE AND HAVE IT TOWED. A STREET AWAY FROM HIS HOUSE (DOING 10MPH IN 1ST GEAR), THE NOISE GREW INTO A LOUD CONSTANT ELECTRICAL BUZZING OR CLICKING NOISE, NO HIGH OIL PR…

Owner-reported narrative. 83,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10072842 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 874225 · 2000-10-31 (October 31, 2000)

WHILE DRIVING AXLE BROKE, CAUSING A FUEL LEAK WHICH COUILD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 874225 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 562956 · 2001-09-06 (September 6, 2001)

VEHCILE STALLS WHEN DRIVING OR CHANGING GEARS, AND LOOSES ALL POWER STEERING, WHEN POWER STEERING WAS LOST CONSUMER RAN INTO A CURB.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 562956 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 564116 · 2002-01-18 (January 18, 2002)

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED TWO ENGINE FAILURES WITHIN SIX MONTHS. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE THRUST BEARING WHICH HOLDS THE CAMSHAFT IN THE ENGINE. THIS BEARING HAS A TENDENCY TO FAIL CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING, THE ENGINE HAS STALLED WHILE DRIVING. *YH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 564116 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10090522 · 2004-09-07 (September 7, 2004)

I HAVE OWNED MY CARE FOR 3 YEARS. IN THAT TIME I HAVE HAD A LEAKING SUNROOF, BROKEN PASSENGER REAR VIEW MIRROR, BROKEN PASSENGER WINDOW "WONT ROLL UP", NUMEROUS TIRE CHANGES, BAD VIBRATION, HORRIBLE NOISES WHEN TURNING WHEEL, HAVE REPLACED 2 TRANSMISSIONS, BOTH TIE ROD ENDS, 1 LOWER BALL JOINT AND CONTROL ARM SUSPENSION BAR"MORE INFO ON THIS BELOW", ALTERNATOR, BOTH HEADLIGHTS, 4 DIFFERANT SEATS OF BREAKS, 2 SEATS CONSTINTLY RUNNING LOW ON OIL, REPLACED THE FUEL FILTER, SEAT BELTS DON'T STOP, BATTERY CABLES KEEP CARODING, REPLACE SPARK PLUGS AT…

Owner-reported narrative. 158,065 miles reported. Look up ODI 10090522 at NHTSA ↗