1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report exterior door handles breaking off, water leaking into the cabin and trunk, and front suspension ball joints or control arms coming apart, the last of these addressed by a recall that some owners say did not prevent a repeat failure. Transmission complaints describe gears dropping out or sticking, and engine complaints range from cutting out without warning to sudden internal failure. Reported mileage spans the 30,000s to over 200,000 miles.

1. 1
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Exterior door handles break off

   • 17 complaints (14%)
   • median 66,899 mi at 5.7 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2001–2007

   Owners describe the outside door handles snapping or coming off in their hand during normal use, usually on the driver's door first and later on the passenger side, and sometimes leaving them unable to open the door from outside. Several complaints say a handle felt loose or failed to catch for a while before it broke. According to the complaints, dealers quoted parts and labor for each replacement and said it was not warranty work, and some parts counters were reported to be out of stock because of demand for the handles. Mostly reported between about 42,000 and 100,000 miles, with a few reports above 150,000; some owners mention very hot weather.

   What to check: Open both doors from the outside several times and check that each handle feels firm, engages smoothly and springs back. Ask whether either handle has already been replaced and whether the door panels have been off.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Both door handles of my mistsubishi eclips 1999 have broken off and the passenger side was the first to go and I did not use that door 1/20 as much as the driver's side. Ihave replaced one... The driver's side, but I am very warey as it may break at any time and hence I will be locked out of my car. Hopefully not far from home.”

   NHTSA complaint #10102123, filed 2004-12, 100,000 miles

   “Both door handles fell off during normal operation. I can not get in my car. The dealership informed me the parts are 73.55 each and the labor would be 250 dollars. The cheap plastic fell off and they want me to buy more of it! This is not covered under warranty. I feel ripped off by Mitsubishi and will never buy another one. Oh and by the way my car doors dripped the same black tar substance other consumers have complained about. The dealership in charlotte nc did correct this problem w/ no charge.”

   NHTSA complaint #10093391, filed 2004-09, 66,899 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Front ball joint / control arm separation

   • 12 complaints (10%)
   • median 200,000 mi at 10.9 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2001–2019

   Complaints describe a loud bang from the front end followed by loss of steering control, with the lower control arm or ball joint found detached and the wheel sitting at an angle against the body. Several owners say the front ball joint recall work had already been done on their car and the joint came apart again later, and some report the car pulling to one side after the recall repair because no alignment was performed. Vehicles were towed and repaired at independent shops, according to the complaints. Reported from about 60,000 miles upward, including several reports at or near 200,000 miles.

   Recall 00V421001

   What to check: Ask for proof that recall 00V421001 was completed and whether a four-wheel alignment was done afterwards. Have a shop check the lower ball joints and control arm play, and note any pull to one side on the test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “April 2010 while driving my vehicle a 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse rs hatchback at approximately 20 miles per hour, the 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse rs hatchback suddenly loss control and crashed onto the roadway. I heard a loud noise and the car instantly loss use of control in steering and the car proceeded to leave the road onto a grassy median to my left side. I discovered the front control arm was lying on the roadway detached from the axel and tire. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10473317, filed 2012-09, 200,000 miles

   “There was a recall on the front ball joints which I'm convinced lead to the uneven wear of the front tires. After the replacement nnoone in the service dept. Revealed to me about the fact that the cords were showing through on the front tires and sent me on my way. I'm also convinced that the ball joint defect resulted in the replacement of the front brake pads. Both the tire replacement and the brake pad replacement was an out of pocket expense to me because the dealership would not take responsiblity. (DOT number: m6d2 tiresize: 205-55r16)”

   NHTSA complaint #756169, filed 2001-12
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Water leaks and melting door sealant

   • 21 complaints (18%)
   • median 83,449 mi at 5.8 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2000–2007

   Owners report water collecting in the trunk, footwells and under the front seats, leaving damp carpets, mold and a musty smell after rain; some say they only noticed it after moving to a wetter, more humid climate. A related complaint is a black, tar-like sealant inside the doors that melts in summer heat and runs down the door bottoms onto the interior. According to the complaints, dealers resealed or recoated doors, or declined the repair as out of warranty. Mileage is often not listed; where given, reports fall between roughly 35,000 and 67,000 miles, and problems are tied to rain, humidity or hot weather.

   What to check: Check the carpets, the spare-tire well and the door bottoms for dampness, staining, musty odor or sticky black residue, ideally after rain. Ask whether the doors have ever been resealed or the interior water-damaged.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse leaks water inside my car on the driver and passenger sides. I now have mildew in my car and because of that I have headaches. When I bought my car I lived in california and it doesn't really rain there so I never noticed it until I moved to mo it rains here all the time and during the summer its very humid and muggy which makes the mold and the smell worse. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10130009, filed 2005-07, 35,000 miles

   “Mitsubishi said both doors need to be torn down and all the glue/insulation removed and recoated and it would take at least a week and expensive. My car can't be the only one this is happening to. I have to keep duct tape on the bottom of both doors to keep it from running into the car and outside of the car. I'm extemely upset. Dt”

   NHTSA complaint #768853, filed 2002-10
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission gear loss and sticking

   • 19 complaints (16%)
   • median 76,750 mi at 5.4 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1999–2019

   Complaints describe automatic cars losing a gear or sticking in second or third, harsh jumping when shifting between park, neutral, drive and reverse, and the speedometer dropping out at the same time. Manual-gearbox owners report the car popping out of fifth and then fourth before the transmission failed outright. Some owners say a replacement transmission also failed, dealers reportedly replaced speed sensors and solenoids without resolving it, and one complaint describes a transfer case locking up. Mostly reported between about 42,000 and 106,000 miles, often during ordinary driving rather than hard use.

   What to check: Drive long enough to reach every gear, check for hesitation, flaring or jerking on upshifts, and watch that the speedometer reads steadily. On a manual car, confirm it holds fifth and reverse under load, and ask for transmission service records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 99 Eclipse has now 84,000 miles. On november 8 2002 my automatic transmission lost third gear, I had it replaced and now the second transmission went out. The first transmission had the input and output speed sensors replaced twice along with the ignition box. The transmission I have now the dealer states, the code reads faulty over-drive solenoid but my technician believes it is internal. I have had all the maintenance completed in compliance with the owners manual and still have problems with my vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10000572, filed 2003-01, 83,500 miles

   “1st incident: april 2002: 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse gs locks up (transmission) constantly jumps and the speedometer will shut off. This problem was checked by official mechanics of Mitsubishi and suposedly corrected by them as well. Today: march 12, 2005: on my home, the car locks up, jumps, but completely shuts off, luckily I was only a block away from my home when this happened. After several attempts I did start the car again but the spedometer is not responding and when shifting from neutral to drive or reverse the car jumps. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10113982, filed 2005-03, 70,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine cooling

   Engine cuts out or fails suddenly

   • 12 complaints (10%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2007

   Owners report the engine shutting off without warning while driving, sometimes in traffic, and then being difficult to restart; in some cases the speedometer and other gauges stop responding at the same time. Other complaints describe a loud knock followed by a piston or rod coming through the block, in one case with a small fire in the engine bay. Several owners say dealers found no stored fault codes or blamed other parts, and that repairs were not covered. Where mileage is given, reports fall between roughly 66,000 and 72,000 miles; several early complaints do not list mileage.

   What to check: Ask directly whether the car has ever stalled or cut out while driving, and have a scan tool read stored and pending codes before a longer test drive. Listen for bottom-end knocks at idle and check for oil leaks or a recent engine replacement.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After pulling off from a red light, shifting into second we heard a loud bang (like glass breaking). We pulled off the road. A mechanic happened to be traveling right behind us and stopped. The car had a trail of oil a foot wide and parts strewn all over the road. The mechanic looked under the car and said that it threw a pisten through the engine block and into the transmission. There were parts of the block, pisten, gears...........etc. That we picked-up off the road. I have them in a bag. The car is five years old (just paid for). …”

   NHTSA complaint #10080649, filed 2004-07, 72,000 miles

   “I had changed the oil in my Mitsubishi on 12/20/98 and on 1/7/99 while driving, with cruise control on, my car sounded a knock and completely stopped. I had the car towed to freehold Mitsubishi, and the service manager has told me that he visually detected that I had used an oil filter that was for the turbo model of the Eclipse. He told me that because I had used the wrong filter which has the wrong threading for my car. Mitsubishi is not covering this under warranty. …”

   NHTSA complaint #702201, filed 1999-01

Buying note. Prioritise the body and front suspension: check the door handles, carpets and trunk for water, and confirm the ball joint recall was done and followed by an alignment. A pre-purchase inspection covering the lower control arms, transmission shift quality and stored engine codes is worth the cost on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.