Mitsubishi Eclipse Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2000 draws 4.23 complaints per run and the 2002 1.49, a 2.8-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age, so 44.5% land after the 5-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Service Brakes, with 309 complaints, typically at 5.7 years.

Mitsubishi Eclipse years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Mitsubishi Eclipse — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2012	1.14	8	7	yes
2008	2.33	63	27	yes
2007	2.94	97	33	yes
2006	4.3	86	20	yes
2005	1.67	5	3	yes
2004	1.09	12	11	yes
2003	1.9	112	59	yes
2002	1.49	70	47	yes
2001	2.59	210	81	yes
2000	4.23	224	53	yes
1999	1.92	98	51	yes
1998	1.96	110	56	yes
1997	1.71	116	68	yes
1996	2.08	129	62	yes
1995	3.11	224	72	yes
1994	1.33	32	24	yes
1993	1.25	25	20	yes
1992	1.41	38	27	yes
1991	1.3	39	30	yes
1990	1.57	36	23	yes

ROWS 20·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 10 Mitsubishi Eclipse years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2000, 1995, 2007; the three worth hunting are 2002, 1997, 2003.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Mitsubishi Eclipse — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	227	15.7%	covered
1 year	152	26.2%	covered
2 years	131	35.3%	covered
3 years	147	45.4%	covered
4 years	145	55.5%	covered
5 years	117	63.6%	you pay
6 years	119	71.8%	you pay
7 years	103	78.9%	you pay
8 years	112	86.7%	you pay
9 years	80	92.2%	you pay
10 years	23	93.8%	you pay
11 years	18	95%	you pay
12 years	21	96.5%	you pay
13 years	25	98.2%	you pay
14 years	12	99%	you pay
15 years	14	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 5 years / 60,000 miles. Only 55.5% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 44.5% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (10 years / 100,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 25% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Mitsubishi Eclipse, the early trouble is Wheels and Engine And Engine Cooling — reported at around 2.2 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Service Brakes at 5.7 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Mitsubishi Eclipse — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Service Brakes	309	5.7 yrs	38	—
Power Train	247	5 yrs	15	5
Wheels	220	2.2 yrs	8	1
Engine And Engine Cooling	179	4 yrs	4	8
Structure	172	4.4 yrs	4	4
Hydraulic	135	2.8 yrs	19	—
Air Bags	130	4.2 yrs	95	6
Electrical System	124	4.8 yrs	2	21

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Eclipse's vehicle class. Per production run, the Honda Civic draws 2.82 and the Ford Mustang 3.87, against 2.29 for the Eclipse. That is the fewest complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Mitsubishi Eclipse — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Eclipse	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Honda Civic	15,962	413	1981–2026
Ford Mustang	10,680	315	1981–2026
Nissan GT-R	33	9	2009–2026
Chevrolet Camaro	3,457	204	1981–2026
Toyota Supra	109	35	1981–2026
Nissan Sentra	6,185	158	1982–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

Upgrade to Pro

Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.

Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
No ads, on every page
No ads, no tracking — and much more

See plans → Start free →

Free plan available — no credit card needed

Everything on the Mitsubishi Eclipse

Recalls136 campaigns Fuel economy24 mpg best Common problems2,525 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space19 cu ft Used prices333 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car1990–2012

Frequently asked questions

Is the Mitsubishi Eclipse reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 2.29 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 2 class rivals we compared.

Which Eclipse years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2000, 1995, 2007. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2002, 1997, 2003. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Eclipse problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age. The most reported system is Service Brakes, typically at 5.7 years, followed by Power Train.

Will the warranty cover Eclipse problems?

Mostly yes: basic cover is 5 years / 60,000 miles, and 55.5% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 25% of the complaints here.

Is the Eclipse more reliable than the Honda Civic?

Yes: 2.29 complaints per production run for the Eclipse against 2.82 for the Honda Civic.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

Found this useful?

Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.

Prefer ForCar →