1999 Mitsubishi ECLIPSE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
101 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
70,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1999 model year. Data snapshot: . 35 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Structure:Body:Door is the most frequently named component, appearing in 14 of 101 complaints (13.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 17 | 16.8% |
| Steering behavior | 12 | 11.9% |
| Engine operation | 5 | 5.0% |
| Braking behavior | 4 | 4.0% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 4 | 4.0% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Structure:Body:Door | 14 |
| Steering | 9 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 8 |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 6 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch | 5 |
| Suspension | 5 |
| Wheels:Rim | 5 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 4 |
Structure:Body:Door: 14; Steering: 9; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 8; Power Train:Manual Transmission: 6; Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch: 5; Suspension: 5; Wheels:Rim: 5; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 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 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 8 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 12 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 5 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 3 |
| 150,000 and above | 6 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 8; 50,000 to 74,999: 12; 75,000 to 99,999: 5; 100,000 to 149,999: 3; 150,000 and above: 6
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (12). 66 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 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 12 |
| 2001 | 18 |
| 2002 | 23 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 17 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 6 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 |
2000: 12; 2001: 18; 2002: 23; 2003: 5; 2004: 17; 2005: 8; 2006: 5; 2007: 6; 2008: 2; 2009: 1; 2012: 2; 2019: 2
Pattern summary
Structure:Body:Door leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 17 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 12 complaint narratives. Engine operation 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 10000572 · 2003-01-07 (January 7, 2003)
MY 99 ECLIPSE HAS NOW 84,000 MILES. ON NOVEMBER 8 2002 MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LOST THIRD GEAR, I HAD IT REPLACED AND NOW THE SECOND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION HAD THE INPUT AND OUTPUT SPEED SENSORS REPLACED TWICE ALONG WITH THE IGNITION BOX. THE TRANSMISSION I HAVE NOW THE DEALER STATES,"THE CODE READS FAULTY OVER-DRIVE SOLENOID BUT MY TECHNICIAN BELIEVES IT IS INTERNAL." I HAVE HAD ALL THE MAINTENANCE COMPLETED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OWNERS MANUAL AND STILL HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE.
Owner-reported narrative. 83,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000572 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10029320 · 2003-07-27 (July 27, 2003)
MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. STICK SHIFT WOULD POP OUT OF 5TH GEAR ON OCCASSION AND THEN STARTED TO POP OUT OF GEAR IN 4TH THEN COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CAR HAS LESS THAN 43000 MILES ON IT. I'VE HEARD OF SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. ALSO DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE FELL OFF, AGAIN HEARD SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 42,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10029320 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10057790 · 2004-02-10 (February 10, 2004)
WHILE TRAVELING 20 MPH CONSUMER TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL AND VEHICLE KEPT STRAIGHT. AS A RESULT CONSUMER HIT A TREE. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10057790 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10057909 · 2004-02-11 (February 11, 2004)
WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH DRIVER TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO MAKE A TURN, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. AS A RESULT, DRIVER LOST CONTROL, VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE AND LANDED IN A NEIGHBOR'S YARD. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10057909 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10124875 · 2005-06-10 (June 10, 2005)
RECENTLY PURCHASED USED VEHICLE FOR COLLEGE STUDENT, WITH EXCELLENT SERVICE RECORD. HAS STALLED WITH NO WARNING WHILE OPERATING UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS THREE TIMES IN THE PAST 30 DAYS (5/15/05-6/10/05). MY SON STATES HE WAS TAKEN TOTALLY BY SURPRISE BY SUDDEN FAILURE. HE WAS MAKING A TURN AND REALIZED THAT HIS POWER STEERING WAS NOT OPERATING, ONLY TO NOTICE THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT ON. HE NEARLY LOST CONTROL, BUT WAS ABLE TO "MUSCLE" THE CAR THROUGH THE TURN. DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE CAR, NO PROBLEMS FOUND.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10124875 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10193494 · 2007-06-16 (June 16, 2007)
CAR WILL COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. WILL HAVE TO TRY TO RESTART THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. , .SEVERAL MECHANICS AND EVEN THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP HAD HOOKED IT UP TO THE COMPUTER, AND THEY WILL NOT GET ANY READINGS FOR THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF BUILD UP IN THE EXHAUST, AND THEY CLEANED IT OUT, AND NOT EVEN 5 MILES DOWN THE ROAD IT STALLED AGAIN. REPLACED BELTS,GASKETS,SPARK PLUGS AND HOSES. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. WELL IF THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT I WOULDN'T BE SC…
Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10193494 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 729594 · 2000-08-30 (August 30, 2000)
CAR IS AN AUTOMATIC; PARKED IN AN "OUTPOUCHING" OF DRIVEWAY; IN PARK WITH PARKING BRAKE ON; CAR WAS NOT ON!!! I WAS IN PASSENGER SIDE REACHING UNDER SEAT; CAR DRIFTED ACROSS DRIVEWAY,CRASHED INTO WOODEN SHED, WAS STILL IN PARK WITH PARKING BRAKE ON AND NOT TURNED ON; MY RIGHT LEG WAS DRAGGED, FOR IT WAS OUT OF PASSENGER DOOR, RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR WAS DRAGGED AGAINST ROCK WALL AS WAS MY LEG; CAR IS TO HAVE SAFETY FEATURE THAT IT MUST BE TURNED ON, STEPON BRAKE PEDAL & DISENGAGE BUTTON ON GEAR SHIFT TO MOVE CAR...CAR WAS NOT ON AND I WAS IN PASS…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 729594 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 756169 · 2001-12-29 (December 29, 2001)
THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FRONT BALL JOINTS WHICH I'M CONVINCED LEAD TO THE UNEVEN WEAR OF THE FRONT TIRES. AFTER THE REPLACEMENT NNOONE IN THE SERVICE DEPT. REVEALED TO ME ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE CORDS WERE SHOWING THROUGH ON THE FRONT TIRES AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. I'M ALSO CONVINCED THAT THE BALL JOINT DEFECT RESULTED IN THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT BRAKE PADS. BOTH THE TIRE REPLACEMENT AND THE BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENT WAS AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE TO ME BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBLITY. (DOT NUMBER: M6D2 TIRESIZE: 205-55R16)
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 756169 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10141170 · 2005-10-28 (October 28, 2005)
TOOK CAR TO DMV AND IT WON'T PASS OBD-II TEST. I HAVE TRIED THREE TIMES. FOUND OUT THAT A TSB-03-13-005 WAS SENT OUT. WHICH STATES HOW TO RESET SO YOU CAN PASS THE EMISSION TEST. IF YOU DISCONNECT YOUR BATTERY YOU COMPUTER WON'T RESET TILL YOU TAKE IT TO THE DEALER WHO CHARGES YOU HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO RESET A PROBLEM THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT BUT REFUSE TO CORRECT. SO EVERY TIME I NEED TO GO TO THE DMV I FIRST NEED TO VISIT THE DEALER SO THAT HE CAN RIP ME OFF, AND BYPASS THE EMISSION SYSTEM. AGAIN THEY KNOW OF THE ISSUE THEY POSTED THE TSB 03-13-…
Owner-reported narrative. 78,864 miles reported. Look up ODI 10141170 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 717722 · 2000-01-22 (January 22, 2000)
THE CAR LEAKS WATER THROUGH THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. TRUNK FILLED WITH WATER, SPILLED OVER DIVIDER BETWEEN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND HATCH, TRAVELS UP TO DRIVERS SEAT. WATER PRESENT MOLDED SEATS AND FLOOR. RUSTED WIRING. ICE FORMED AND SEPERATED COMPONENTS.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 717722 at NHTSA ↗