Your vehicle report
1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 129
- Received Feb 1998 to Feb 2016
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes15 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Rear door latch fails to open or close9 complaints · 7.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips6 complaints · 4.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V428000Certain 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.
- Recall #00V421001Vehicle 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 22 crashes, 5 fires, 13 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 16 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 11 |
| 1999 | 24 |
| 2000 | 13 |
| 2001 | 16 |
| 2002 | 14 |
| 2003 | 15 |
| 2004 | 8 |
| 2005 | 13 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 129 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 15 | 12% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 9 | 7.0% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 6 | 4.7% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 6 | 4.7% | – | |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 5 | 3.9% | – | NHTSA recall #00V421001 |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 3.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 3.1% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 4 | 3.1% | – | |
| Transfer case shifts into 4-wheel drive unexpectedly | 4 | 3.1% | – | NHTSA recall #98V069001 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 3.1% | – | |
| Alloy wheel rims crack and lose air | 4 | 3.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 3.1% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 3.1% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 4 | 3.1% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 3 | 2.3% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 2.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V428000September 1, 2004100,432 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #00V421001December 18, 2000567,432 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #98V069001March 26, 199824,275 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Lockup of the transfer case Can occur due to insufficient lubrication.
This condition Can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the vehicles for adequacy of the transfer case oil volume, transfer case oil leakage, and operational degradation of the transfer case mechanism. If oil volume is insufficient, the appropriate amount of oil will be added. If there is transfer case oil leakage, affected components will be replaced. If the transfer case shows operational degradation, the transfer case will be replaced.
NHTSA recall #98V045001March 3, 199820,974 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The dash panel pad Can shift interferring with the throttle cable control.
The throttle cable control would not return to idle increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will remove a portion of the dash panel pad so it cannot interfere with the throttle cable control.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN