Your vehicle report
1999 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
- 120
- Received Jan 1999 to Mar 2019
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Rear door latch fails to open or close20 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Water leaks into cabin during rain7 complaints · 5.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips7 complaints · 5.8% 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: 10 crashes, 3 fires, 5 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 14 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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 19 |
| 2000 | 12 |
| 2001 | 18 |
| 2002 | 23 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 17 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 6 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 120 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 20 | 17% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 7 | 5.8% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 7 | 5.8% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 7 | 5.8% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 4.2% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 3.3% | – | |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 4 | 3.3% | – | NHTSA recall #00V421001 |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 3.3% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 4 | 3.3% | – | |
| Alloy wheel rims crack and lose air | 3 | 2.5% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 2.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 2.5% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 3 | 2.5% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 3 | 2.5% | – |
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.
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 1999 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