Owners have filed 44 complaints
about the 1993 Mitsubishi Eclipse with NHTSA between 1995 and 2007.
The largest single group is the transmission & drivetrain.
Across this model's run it ranks 16 of 17 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 15
Against the median year of the Mitsubishi Eclipse. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 59
11.4% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
How 1993 compares with every other Mitsubishi Eclipse
NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a
system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and
knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.
Automatic Transmission
833.3%
Gasoline
520.8%
Column Shift
416.7%
Engine
28.3%
Foundation Components
28.3%
Transfer Case (4-WHEEL Drive)
14.2%
Hoses/Lines/Piping/Fittings
14.2%
Front
14.2%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jul 1995peak 8May 2007
NHTSA investigations into the 1993 Mitsubishi Eclipse
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
RQ98007Opened 11 May 1998Closed 28 Aug 1998POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSFER CASE LEAKAGE
THE TRANSFER CASE OF THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD), MITSUBISHI GALANT, ALLEGEDLY LEAKS OIL CAUSING ONE OR MORE WHEELS TO LOCKUP; OR THE INABILITY TO TRANSMIT ENGINE POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS.THE VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME TRANSFER CASE DESIGN AS THE ECLIPSE VEHICLES WHICH HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME ALLEGED DEFECT.
EA98002Opened 30 Jan 1998Closed 30 Apr 1998WHEELS
TRANSFER CASE LOCKUP
PE97040Opened 4 Sep 1997Closed 30 Jan 1998WHEELS
TRANSFER CASE LOCKUP
ALLEGED DRIVETRAIN FAILURE THAT CAN LEAD TO LOCK-UP OF THE REAR OR ALL WHEELS.
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
at 162,000 milesDenver, NCCrash1 injured
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
WHEN REAR ENDED AT A STOP DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN THE CONSUMER. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER'S HEAD TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10094962 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hedgesville, WVFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #837611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lafeyette, LACrash2 injured
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN DURING AN ACCIDENT. TT
NHTSA complaint #971748 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
at 112,000 milesMoultrie, GA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
LATELY THE 1993 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE 1.8L HAS BEEN NOT CRANKING UP AFTER IT GETS HOT . I HAVE CHANGED THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR AND THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR WITH NO LUCK ON EITHER OF THOSE . SO THE OTHER DAY AROUND 5/10/07 I WAS ABOUT THREE MILES FROM MY HOUSE HEADING INTO TOWN BY MYSELF AND I HEAR A TICK/SPARK COME FROM AROUND THE DASH AND THE CAR JUST SHUTS COMPLETELY OFF AND I HAD NOTHING . NO THROTTLE . NO POWER STEERING . NOTHING !!! I BARELY MADE IT OFF THE ROAD .
NHTSA complaint #10190806 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 162,000 milesDenver, NCCrash1 injured
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
WHEN REAR ENDED AT A STOP DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN THE CONSUMER. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER'S HEAD TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10094962 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
NEW Rochelle, NY
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT PROPERLY FROM THE FIRST GEAR TO THE SECOND GEAR, WON'T SHIFT, AND MAKES NOISE. DEALER NOTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #10042852 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chico, CA
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLES TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO ANOTHER GEAR. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NLM
NHTSA complaint #10015938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bronx, NY
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE HAS FAILED, CAUSING CONSUMER TO REPLACE ENGINE ONCE AND REPAIR IT TWICE.CONSUMER IS ADDING 2 -3 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 500 MILES. PERIODICALLY, VEHICLE RUNS ROUGH AND SLUGGISH. DEALER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, BUT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HAS BEEN SERVICING THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #8006644 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mesquite, TX
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
HOOD LATCH BROKE. THE HOOD FLEW UP, ALMOST CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THE HOOD CRACKED PART OF THE WINDSHIELD AND BEND THE TOP OF VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #9002626 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Poria Heights, IL
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE 55 MPH REAR TWO TIRES LOCKED UP. VEHICLE WAS MOVING UNCONTROLABLY. VEHICLE MOVED ABOUT 100 FEET UNTIL CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE, SKID MARKS OCCURRED ON STREET. PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #895712 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bristol, TN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #895268 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alexandria, VA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHEN DRIVNG AND UPON DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE A NORMAL STOP TIMING BELT BROKE OFF FROM ENGINE, CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO ENGINE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER NOTED ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #875737 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rockford, IL
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THE THRUST BEARING HAD FAILED CAUSING THE MOTOR TO SPIN 2 ROD BEARINGS. HE ALSO SIAD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE 93-99 CARS KNOWN AS "CRANKWALK" AND THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT RIGHT IS TO INSTALL A MOTOR FROM A 90-92 CAR. I HAVE RESHEARCHED THE "CRANKWALK" AND FOUND MANY OTHER OWNERS ARE TRYING TO GET MITSUBISHI TO RECALL THE CARS AFFECTED SINCE THIS IS A SAFTETY ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO ENGINE LOCKUP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.
NHTSA complaint #736257 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
E. Patchogue, NY
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
CAR SURGES CONTINUALLY...WHILE DRIVING AT SLOWER SPEEDS AND ALSO WHEN IN GEAR. VEHICLE SCAN INDICATED OXYGEN SENSOR. OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED...PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. 3 AUTO REPAIR SHOPS COULD NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, CAR STALLS WHEN PUT INTO GEAR AND ALSO WHEN DRIVING.
NHTSA complaint #733938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vancouver, WA
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THIS CAR STILL HAS REPEATED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY WHEN SHIFTING. I HAVE PLANS TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURE BECAUSE I AM OUTRAGED.
NHTSA complaint #733350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Austin, TX
SEAT BELTS
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER RESTRAINT ON DRIVERS SIDE HAS GONE OUT AND ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY.
NHTSA complaint #727883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Loxahatchee, FL
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #721211 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Eastham, MA
CHILD SEAT
IS THERE A CORRECT WAY OF INSTALLING A FORWARD FACING CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN THE REAR OF MY 93 ECLIPSE. WE ARE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THIS OURSELVES, AND DO NOT KNOW WHICH RESOURCES TO CONTACT.
NHTSA complaint #715668 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Watauga, TX
STRUCTURE:BODY
MY CAR WAS BOUGHT FROM AN INDIVIDUAL THAT I KNOW, AND IT WAS GARAGE KEPT.I DO THE SAME,.BUT THE TOP OF THE CAR IS FADING SO BADLY...BAD PAINT JOB...AND THE REAR IS THE SAME..IS THERE A RECALL ON THE PAINT JOBS ON MY CAR? I NEED TO HAVE IT PAINTED...BUT CANT REALLY AFFORD IT...BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE FADING LIKE IT IS...AND CHIPPING....I TOOK IT TO A BODY SHOP AND THEY SAID NO WAY IT SHOULD BE LIKE THAT....SO CAN YOU HELP ME?
NHTSA complaint #714644 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hays, KS
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
TIMING BELT BROKE AND LOCKED ENGINE, POSSIBLE VALVE BENT
NHTSA complaint #712528 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lafayette, IN
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHEN PULLING OUT, VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. *AK
NHTSA complaint #843540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hedgesville, WVFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #837611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mahopac, NY
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
DOOR LOCKS FAILED ON BOTH SIDES. CANNOT OPEN WITH KEYS. CAN OPEN OKAY FROM WITHIN. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE A YOUNG, OLD, OR DISABLED PASSENGER COULD BE TRAPPED INSIDE. THIS MAY BE A COMMON MITSUBISHI/DODGE/DSM PROBLEM BECAUSE MY 1993 DODGE STEALTH SUFFERS THE SAME PROBLEM. SEE WEB SITE: HTTP://WWW.3SI.ORG/WWWBOARD/INDEX.HTM FOR POSTED MESSAGED BY OTHER OWNERS!
NHTSA complaint #703588 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Olympia, WA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE/OIL PUMP FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #540749 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Raleigh, NC
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
RECALLS 98V-069.001/98V-069.000. YOKE SNAPPED IN HALF AND THE DRIVESHAFT GOT DISCONNECTED AFTER THE TRANSFER CASE RECALL REPAIR WORK WAS PERFORMED. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM DUE TO MODIFICATIONS ON VEHICLE. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #833004 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
South Lyon, MI
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING THE DOWEL PINS BLEW OUT, CRACKING THE TRANSMISSION . THE TRANSMISSION WENT THROUGH THE CLUTCH, BLOWING THE THRUST PLATE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #825723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Long Beach, NY
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, GEAR WOULD POP OUT OF REVERSE. TRIED SHIFTING INTO ANOTHER GEAR & IT WOULD NOT MOVE. HAD PREVIOUSLY LOCKED UP IN ANY GEAR. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC SAID CLUTCH NEEDED ADJUSTING. THE PROBLEM HAD REOCCURRED.
NHTSA complaint #822103 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Concord, CA
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
TRASFER CASE FAILED/REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY.
NHTSA complaint #534617 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.