1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 6about this part
- Share
- 30%of 20 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 104,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, 30% of the 20 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 104,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder catastrophic failure of clutch. The line that runs from the slave cylinder to the master cylinder has what appears to be a cut in the line 1mm from the connection to the master cylinder. I have now replaced this line six (6) times in two years. Failure usually occurs after driving the car at highway speeds for 2 or more hours. Clutch goes to the floor due to loss of fluid. I have also replaced the master cylinder twice & the slave cylinder three times, the last time was 2 weeks ago.”
NHTSA complaint #10145844, filed 2005-12, 104,000 miles“My car is a 1997 Eclipse Spyder automatic tranny 2.4l . There was issues with the transmission it was on lean mode, locked on 2nd gear and it could only go up to 40 miles per hr other wise the RPM were very high...”
NHTSA complaint #10436766, filed 2011-11, 118,000 miles“The manual gear shifter locked up in the position of third gear, shifter has been a chronic problem since ownership, dealer claims failure resulted in the need for a complete transmission rebuild as the bottom section broke off and fell into the gear works. Recall (97v-069 and 97v-069001) are similar, dealer did not disclose recall related repairs.”
NHTSA complaint #784409, filed 2000-01“Speed control issue, gas pedal sticking, car consistently idles between 1500 to 3000 rpms engine revving up and down while at a stop and while in park. Manual shift very stiff.”
NHTSA complaint #10151247, filed 2006-02Related service bulletins
- 10170074Aug 28, 2015This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
- 10170071Jul 22, 2015This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
- 10170096Mar 5, 2013This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
- 10170100Feb 6, 2013This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
- 10170086Nov 1, 2012This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder
5 complaintsEngine cooling
4 complaintsTires
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaintsWheels
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology