2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the alloy wheels, which they describe bending and losing air during ordinary driving, and about headlight wiring connectors that overheat and melt. Some complaints describe the dashboard cracking and the paint failing on upper surfaces. Power train, fuel-system and airbag concerns appear in smaller numbers, mostly on higher-mileage cars.

1. 1
   Wheels

   Alloy wheels bending and losing air

   • 65 complaints (31%)
   • median 18,250 mi at 2.2 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $350 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2001–2007

   Owners describe the rims bending during what they call normal driving, and sometimes after low-speed contact with a pothole or speed bump. Bent rims let air escape, so tires go flat or wear unevenly, and some owners report repeated replacements of rims and tires. Dealers generally did not cover the rims, and several owners said they paid for replacements themselves. Mostly reported under about 40,000 miles, often after potholes or rough road surfaces.

   What to check: Inspect all four rims closely for dents or runout, and check tire pressures and wear patterns. Ask whether any rims have been replaced and keep in mind that this wheel design is described as easily bent.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have 17 inch alluminum wheels on a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse gt. Under normal driving rims bend and tires loose air resulting in weaken tires and bloww out under norma driving conditions. Not safe. Must check tire pressure daily. Metal used is soft and allows space between ties and rims. Tires fail. One tire blew on highway due to sidewall failure potential safety problem to me and public. Rims are too soft.”

   NHTSA complaint #10003298, filed 2003-01, 20,000 miles

   “I was driving my 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse equipped with 17 inch alloy wheels, going about 30 miles per hour, when I heard a loud bang from the right front area. It was after dark and the car seemed to handle okay so I proceeded on but after a short distance I heard a similar bang. I pulled over and found that the right front wheel rim was greatly deformed and the tire knocked off the bead. I changed the tire and proceeded home without further incident. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10005219, filed 2003-02, 38,000 miles
2. 2
   Exterior lighting

   Headlight wiring connector melting / lights going out

   • 20 complaints (10%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2022

   Complaints describe headlights that dim, flicker or stop working entirely, sometimes with a burning smell. Owners who looked found the socket or connector at the back of the lamp melted or the harness damaged; several said the dealer replaced sockets or harnesses at their cost. A few owners were told by dealers that this is seen often on this model. Reported from roughly 16,000 to 90,000 miles, and often noted as progressing over months.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: With the lights on, check both headlamps for full brightness and look at the connectors behind each lamp for browning, brittleness or melted plastic. Ask whether harnesses or sockets have already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “There was a burning smell in my car and the headlights went out, but they would come back on after awhile. Eventually they both went out, and would not come back on. I am getting this repaired at a Mitsubishi dealership. They told me that this happens very often with eclipses, and that they would have to replace the sockets.”

   NHTSA complaint #10100087, filed 2004-11, 33,500 miles

   “I have a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse rs 2.4 engine I bought it off my husband's uncle four months ago and ever since I got the car I noticed the light adjusters don't work at all and at night the headlights are so dim that sometimes I can't even see the road at all this is a safety concern that needs to be taken care of”

   NHTSA complaint #11337053, filed 2020-07, 164,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission failure (including wave spring breakage)

   • 10 complaints (5%)
   • median 82,000 mi at 15.5 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2002–2019

   Owners describe losing drive power without warning while the engine keeps running, or a loud thump and no movement at a stoplight. Manual-transmission owners report difficulty selecting first, second or reverse with grinding. Complaints mention dealers replacing or rebuilding the transmission, and in some cases a broken wave spring was identified as the internal failure. Reported from about 40,000 miles upward, with several cases past 100,000 miles.

   Recall 01V0110014 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car through all gears when warm and listen for thumps, slipping or delayed engagement; for a manual, check for grinding into reverse. Ask whether the transmission or its fluid cooler lines have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2001 Eclipse gt (v6) and I have had to change the transmission twice already. I live in minot nd were it snows. The first time my transmission jacked on me I was stopped at a light. Their was snow on the ground so when the light changed to green my tires slid a like and the grab the payment as that happened I heard a big thump. My car felt like an axle mess up or the clutch. The car behind me almost hit me do to the lack of movement from my vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10152924, filed 2006-03, 82,000 miles

   “Was driving home from work and came to a stop. Tried to shift into 1st and could not do so. Had to turn off my car to shift into gear to avoid grinding. Had a hard time going from 1st to 2nd as well. Once arriving home could not shift into reverse. Seems like the gears were trying to strip and a horrible grinding was occurring. I have been driving a stick shift for almost 30 years and this is the first time I have ever had this problem. Had to turn off my car to shift into reverse to get into my driveway to park. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11173039, filed 2019-01, 177,908 miles
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Dashboard cracking

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the dashboard becoming brittle and cracking, sometimes splitting across the top, which owners link to sunlight and heat exposure. In one report the cracking left the passenger-side airbag cover misaligned. Owners say the manufacturer declined to repair it. Reported from about 50,000 to 88,000 miles on cars that spend time parked outdoors.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Look along the top of the dash and around the passenger airbag cover for cracks or lifted edges, and check that the cover sits flush.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Not only do I have the aggrevation of bent rims and flat tires, and financial hardship on this, my left side of the car doesn't align to the right. Water leeks in on the left side. Sometimes the heater blows out cool air. The sunroof shakes when opening. I already had a manufacuters defect in my strut on the left side. I have sctraches on the left side fom the car scrapping the ground when I make a right hand turn. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10118406, filed 2005-04, 30 miles

   “Dashboard becomes brittle, and cracks result--causing airbag on passenger side to be misaligned--this is on a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse rs, 2.4l-----the company refuses to fix it, I would like a new dashboard.”

   NHTSA complaint #10171012, filed 2006-10, 50,000 miles
5. 5
   Wheels

   Fuel filler neck rusting through / fuel smell

   • 6 complaints (3%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 9.5 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2006–2016

   Owners report a gasoline smell around the car or an evaporative-emissions code that repeated service visits did not resolve, traced to a rusted fuel filler tube or a leak at a hose clamp. Some describe cracks in the fuel tank allowing fumes into a closed garage. Repairs were generally done at the owner's expense. Most often reported between about 60,000 and 93,000 miles, including after long periods of storage.

   Recall 01V069000Recall 00V320001

   What to check: Inspect the filler neck and the hose from the filler to the tank for rust, and check whether the car has had the fuel-tank and fuel-hose recalls performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Sitting in garage over winter, car developed leak/crack in the fuel tank that allowed fumes from tank to fill garage. Car not being driven at the time. Fuel did not leak onto floor of garage. Recalls had previously been done on fuel system for this model. Apparently cracks in the fuel tank of this model are a common occurrence. Definite safety hazard especially if car is or would be around or near to any spark source or open flame. I am currently trying to get car repaired at my own cost.”

   NHTSA complaint #10608938, filed 2014-07, 68,800 miles

   “The service engine light was on and the codes show an evaporative emissions leak. Several service visits did not resolve the problem. Finally it was found that the fuel filler tube was totally rusted out and close to falling off. Apparently this is a fairly common problem with the 2001 Eclipse and was causing fule leakage as well as vapor leakage. This could have caused a fire or resulted in the vehicle being disabled. The mechanic said he had never seen a fuel filler tube in such bad shape. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10382803, filed 2011-02, 80,000 miles

Buying note. Check the wheels, headlight connectors and transmission condition carefully on a used example, and confirm which open recalls have been completed. Rust in the fuel filler area and dashboard cracks are worth inspecting directly, since complaints suggest both are common 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.