The Mitsubishi Eclipse has 40 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1990–2009. On average a defect was admitted 7.15 years after the car was built, the slowest took 19 years. The most recalled system is Exterior Lighting (10 campaigns). Owners also filed 1,735 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Mitsubishi Eclipse
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Exterior Lighting 10 Read
What's wrong. Certain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment
Risk. Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning
Fix. Pro-a motors will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. The recall began on april 3, 2006. Owners may contact pro-a motors at 323-838-2988
What's wrong. Certain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment
Risk. Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning
Fix. Pro-a motors will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. The recall began on april 3, 2006. Owners may contact pro-a motors at 323-838-2988
What's wrong. Certain aai motorsports combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above list passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Risk. Lack of amber side reflectors in the lamps will decrease lighting visibility to other drivers and may possibly result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Aai motorsports will notify owners and replace the lamps free of charge. The recall began on august 1, 2006. Owners may contact aai motorsports at 909-923-9188
Fuel System, Gasoline 7 Read
What's wrong. Mitsubishi is recalling 45,988 my 2005-2007 endeavor, galant, eclipse coupe, and my 2007 eclipse spyder vehicles. The bracket that is the attachment point for the left rear fuel tank mounting strap may have been improperly formed during a metal stamping process. The process may have caused the metal to have a split in the area where the bolt that holds one of the two fuel tank straps to the underside of the vehicle is located. In the event the fuel tank is full and the vehicle is subject to a severe collision, the bracket may break and allow the fuel tank to drop down, possibly causing a fuel leak
Risk. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect to see if the left rear fuel tank strap mounting bracket has splitting beyond a specific limit. Vehicles with moderate to severe splitting will be repaired using a reinforcement cap, a special structural adhesive, and a rivet to reinforce the fuel tank mounting bracket. The recall began on…
What's wrong. Mitsubishi is recalling 45,988 my 2005-2007 endeavor, galant, eclipse coupe, and my 2007 eclipse spyder vehicles. The bracket that is the attachment point for the left rear fuel tank mounting strap may have been improperly formed during a metal stamping process. The process may have caused the metal to have a split in the area where the bolt that holds one of the two fuel tank straps to the underside of the vehicle is located. In the event the fuel tank is full and the vehicle is subject to a severe collision, the bracket may break and allow the fuel tank to drop down, possibly causing a fuel leak
Risk. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect to see if the left rear fuel tank strap mounting bracket has splitting beyond a specific limit. Vehicles with moderate to severe splitting will be repaired using a reinforcement cap, a special structural adhesive, and a rivet to reinforce the fuel tank mounting bracket. The recall began on…
What's wrong. Mitsubishi is recalling 45,988 my 2005-2007 endeavor, galant, eclipse coupe, and my 2007 eclipse spyder vehicles. The bracket that is the attachment point for the left rear fuel tank mounting strap may have been improperly formed during a metal stamping process. The process may have caused the metal to have a split in the area where the bolt that holds one of the two fuel tank straps to the underside of the vehicle is located. In the event the fuel tank is full and the vehicle is subject to a severe collision, the bracket may break and allow the fuel tank to drop down, possibly causing a fuel leak
Risk. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect to see if the left rear fuel tank strap mounting bracket has splitting beyond a specific limit. Vehicles with moderate to severe splitting will be repaired using a reinforcement cap, a special structural adhesive, and a rivet to reinforce the fuel tank mounting bracket. The recall began on…
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 4 Read
What's wrong. Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 20, 2005, to February 13, 2009, and 2007-2009 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured December 23, 2005, to February 13, 2009. Due to corrosion inside the antil-lock brake system (ABS) unit, one or more of the internal valves may seize. In a braking event that uses the ABS, a seized valve would increase brake pedal travel and reduce braking ability
Risk. A sudden reduction of braking performance may increase the risk of a crash
Fix. MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, flush and clean the ABS hydraulic unit using high grade brake fluid, free of charge. If the inspection shows that the valves may seize, the ABS unit will be replaced. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's…
What's wrong. Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 20, 2005, to February 13, 2009, and 2007-2009 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured December 23, 2005, to February 13, 2009. Due to corrosion inside the antil-lock brake system (ABS) unit, one or more of the internal valves may seize. In a braking event that uses the ABS, a seized valve would increase brake pedal travel and reduce braking ability
Risk. A sudden reduction of braking performance may increase the risk of a crash
Fix. MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, flush and clean the ABS hydraulic unit using high grade brake fluid, free of charge. If the inspection shows that the valves may seize, the ABS unit will be replaced. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's…
What's wrong. Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 20, 2005, to February 13, 2009, and 2007-2009 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured December 23, 2005, to February 13, 2009. Due to corrosion inside the antil-lock brake system (ABS) unit, one or more of the internal valves may seize. In a braking event that uses the ABS, a seized valve would increase brake pedal travel and reduce braking ability
Risk. A sudden reduction of braking performance may increase the risk of a crash
Fix. MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, flush and clean the ABS hydraulic unit using high grade brake fluid, free of charge. If the inspection shows that the valves may seize, the ABS unit will be replaced. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's…
Power Train 3 Read
What's wrong. On certain vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, the key lock cable was improperly manufactured and may not allow the cable end to lock into the floor shifter mechanism. This can result in the interlock system to become inoperative and allow the ignition key to be removed without the gearshift mechanism being placed in the park position
Risk. If the driver does not shift to park before removing the key and fails to engage the parking brake, the vehicle could roll and a crash could occur
Fix. Dealers will inspect the ignition interlock cable and replace it if necessary. The recall began on november 20, 2006. Owners may contact mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. A hose was mis-manufactured and could weaken over time, which could result in leakage of the automatic transmission fluid
Risk. Fluid leakage from the cooler hoses can cause transaxle driveability problems and smoke if the oil contacts the front exhaust pipe
Fix. Dealers will replace the hose assembly for the automatic transmission oil cooler. Owner notification mailing will be phased over a five-month period starting march 26, through july 23, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. A hose was mis-manufactured and could weaken over time, which could result in leakage of the automatic transmission fluid
Risk. Fluid leakage from the cooler hoses can cause transaxle driveability problems and smoke if the oil contacts the front exhaust pipe
Fix. Dealers will replace the hose assembly for the automatic transmission oil cooler. Owner notification mailing will be phased over a five-month period starting march 26, through july 23, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…
Seats 2 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A number of incorrect driver side seat mounting bolts were installed into vehicles
Risk. The rear anchor bolts securing the driver's seat may not properly secure the seat and could increase the risk of driver injury in an accident
Fix. Dealers will inspect the seat mounting bolts and then replace the bolts if necessary. Owner notification began february 15, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037
What's wrong. The headrest guide bracket was improperly welded to the seat back frame on the passenger side seat back assemblies only
Risk. The headrest support bracket can break, increasing the risk of personal injury
Fix. Dealers will replace the passenger seat back assembly with a new assembly
Steering 2 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A nut in the steering gear assembly was not properly tightened, resulting in symptoms ranging from steering wheel vibration to stiff steering, and in the worst case, no ability to turn left
Risk. A loss of steering control could increase the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the steering gear assembly if a loose nut connection is found
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built with v6 engines to federal emission standards. The power steering fluid feed tube can come in contact with an exhaust manifold mounted heat shield causing a hole to be worn through the power steering pipe allowing fluid leakage
Risk. Leaking power steering fluid can result in a fire and continued loss of fluid will result in a loss of power assist, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the power steering tube with one having a new routing. Owner notification began november 26, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact mitsubishi america at 1-800-222-0037
Electrical System 2 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with v6 engines and federal emission equipment. The battery cable harness can become heat damaged by the front exhaust manifold which could cause grounded circuits
Risk. This circuit failure could cause any of the following to occur: (1) the engine will not start because the main fuse will blow if the power lead is grounded; (2) the low oil pressure warning lamp will illuminate if the signal wire is grounded; (3) the airconditioning system will become inoperative if the lead to the…
Fix. Dealers will remove and discard a metal manifold bracket (from galant models only - eclipse has no such bracket). Dealers will also inspect the harness. If the harness wires show no damage, the dealer will install a heat insulator along with heat resistant harness clips. If the harness wires do show damage, the…
What's wrong. Wiring harness for the headlamps may break due to the stress created by the headlamp pop up devices
Risk. Breakage of the wiring harness causes loss ofheadlamp illumination which could have a potential for an accident
Fix. Headlamp wiring harness routing will be modified and damaged wires repaired
Suspension 2 Read
What's wrong. 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
Risk. 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
Fix. 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…
What's wrong. 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
Risk. 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
Fix. 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…
What's wrong. 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
Risk. 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
Fix. 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…
Visibility 2 Read
What's wrong. Diluted primer may have been used on the windshield opening flanges prior to windshield glass installation which would not provide the retention required by fmvss 212
Risk. Windshields would not prevent ejection of vehicleoccupants during a vehicle crash, which causes serious injuries and fatalities
Fix. Replace windshields, associated parts, and primer
What's wrong. Operation of sunroof in "non-standard" manner may cause male hinge disengagement from the roof hinge receiver
Risk. The sunroof glass could detach from the roof and result in injury to occupants or persons in the vicinity, especially if this occurs while the vehicle is in motion
Fix. Replace male hinge with a modified version to increase roof hinge receiver retention ability
Structure 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the metal forming part of the front crossmember may have been improperly stamped resulting in the metal becoming thinner in the cross-section than specified. This could, over time, result in breakage of the crossmember
Risk. Breakage of the crossmember may allow separation of the passenger side lower control arm, which may result in the loss of steering control increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the crossmember free of charge. The recall began on september 21, 2006. Owners may contact mitsubishi at 888-648-7820
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 7.15 years |
| Slowest campaign | 19 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 65.8% |
| Campaigns on record | 40 |
Which Eclipse years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2008 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2007 | Structure | |
| 2006 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2005 | Equipment | |
| 2004 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2003 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2002 | Equipment | |
| 2001 | Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2000 | Steering | |
| 1999 | Suspension | |
| 1998 | Suspension | |
| 1997 | Suspension | |
| 1996 | Suspension | |
| 1995 | Suspension | |
| 1994 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1993 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1992 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1991 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1990 | Exterior Lighting |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Mitsubishi Eclipse have?
40 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1990–2009. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Eclipse still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 7.15 years, and the slowest campaign came 19 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.