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1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Eclipse years

Owner complaints for the 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse are substantially higher than the model-year median of 49.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

35 reports with mileage · 85 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

10 crash reports3 fire reports4 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

8 reports
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70,000 miles · Jun 16, 2007
Electrical System

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 …

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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 SCARED TO DRIVE IT WITHOUT GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10193494

Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2005
Electrical System

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 S…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #10124875

70,000 miles · Mar 12, 2005
Electrical SystemPower Train

1ST INCIDENT: APRIL 2002: 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GS LOCKS UP (TRANSMISSION) CONSTANTLY JUMPS AND THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHUT OFF. THIS PROBLEM WAS CHECKED BY OFFICIAL MECHANICS OF MITSUBISHI AND SUPOSEDLY CORRECTED BY THEM AS WELL. *AK TODAY: MARCH 12, 2005: ON MY HOME, THE CAR LOCKS UP, JUMPS, BUT COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF, LUCKILY …

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1ST INCIDENT: APRIL 2002: 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GS LOCKS UP (TRANSMISSION) CONSTANTLY JUMPS AND THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHUT OFF. THIS PROBLEM WAS CHECKED BY OFFICIAL MECHANICS OF MITSUBISHI AND SUPOSEDLY CORRECTED BY THEM AS WELL. *AK TODAY: MARCH 12, 2005: ON MY HOME, THE CAR LOCKS UP, JUMPS, BUT COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF, LUCKILY I WAS ONLY A BLOCK AWAY FROM MY HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS I DID START THE CAR AGAIN BUT THE SPEDOMETER IS NOT RESPONDING AND WHEN SHIFTING FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE OR REVERSE THE CAR JUMPS. SAME PROBLEM ALL OVER AGAIN. MITSUBISHI SAID THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BACK IN APRIL OF 2002, PARTS WERE REPLACED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A CAR ACCIDENT OR INJURY IF I WERE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ODI #10113982

Mileage unknown · May 27, 2002
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. SHORTLY AFTER HIGHLIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THEN VEHICLES LIGHTS IN DASH TURN ON AND OFF, WIPERS TURN ON AND OFF, AND VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOSES POWER AT 75 MPH. BATTERY APPEARED TO HAVE EXPLODED. BATTERY ACID OVER ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WILL NOT START AFTER NEW BATTERY IS TRIED.

NHTSA ODI #762328

Mileage unknown · Sep 14, 2001
Electrical SystemUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

SINCE THE FIRST MONTH I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, THE CAR FREQUENTLY IDLES LOW (~500RPM) WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM. CAR HAS NO POWER AND WILL SOMETIMES STALL WHEN I REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE GAS. CAR HAS A 5SP MANUAL TRANSMISSION. HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER 14 TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE WITHOUT RESOLUTION. TYPICALLY, THEY RESET THE "CU…

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SINCE THE FIRST MONTH I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, THE CAR FREQUENTLY IDLES LOW (~500RPM) WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM. CAR HAS NO POWER AND WILL SOMETIMES STALL WHEN I REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE GAS. CAR HAS A 5SP MANUAL TRANSMISSION. HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER 14 TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE WITHOUT RESOLUTION. TYPICALLY, THEY RESET THE "CURB IDLE" WHICH RESULTS IN THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMING ON 15 MILES DOWN THE ROAD. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ALSO REPLACED THE IAC MOTOR AND THE MFI RELAY. LAST TIME, THEY ADJUSTED THE TPS SWITCH AND THE BASE IDLE. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #752200

Mileage unknown · May 21, 2001
Electrical SystemFire

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED, IT APPEARS THAT THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS LOCATED. NLM

NHTSA ODI #561286

Mileage unknown · Apr 15, 2001
Electrical SystemFire

CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE. THE DRIVER GOT OUT OF THE CAR WHEN IT SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHTON FIRE. TRUE CAUSE AND ORIGIN OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOW AS MITSUBISHI DOES NOT WISH TO SPEAK WITH US, OR EXAMINE THE CAR.*AK

NHTSA ODI #744080

Mileage unknown · Oct 16, 2000
Electrical System

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, CAUSING LOSS OF ALL POWER. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #873063

Official recalls

2

04V428000 · Equipment:other:labels

Sep 1, 2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH REMOVABLE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS AFFIXED TO THE DASH AND TO THE SUNVISOR DO NOT MEET THE SIZE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

Remedy: MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN WILL MAIL A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTER CONTAINING A WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND A GRAPHIC OF THE BI-LINGUAL DASHBOARD AIR BAG WARNING LABEL. IN ADDITION, ALL CURRENT 2000-2004 NATIVA OWNERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE REPLACEMENT AIR BAG ALERT LABELS FOR THE SUN VISORS. THIS RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH OR APRIL 2005. THE NOTIFICATION TO THE NATIVA OWNERS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL OR MAY 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN AT 1-787-251-8715.

00V421001 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

Dec 18, 2000

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE. ALSO, MMC HAS ADDED THE POTENTIAL OF LEAKING MOISTURE, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE BALL STUD TO CORRODE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT TO SEPARATE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. THIS CAMPAIGN SUPERCEDES MMC'S PREVIOUS SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN, SEE 99V-066.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT FOR WEAR. BALL JOINTS THAT EXHIBIT WEAR BEYOND THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY DESIGNED LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS. BALL JOINTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE CLEANED AND A SPECIAL SEALANT WILL BE APPLIED TO PREVENT INTRUSION OF MOISTURE.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.