2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the paint on the hood, roof and rear panels fading, chalking and peeling, and manual-transmission clutch or gear-shift troubles at relatively low mileage. A separate cluster of complaints covers sunroof glass shattering, fuel filler neck and fuel-line leaks, and electrical problems such as melted battery cables, window-switch wiring and inoperative airbag deployments. Many reports come from vehicles well past warranty, and owners frequently say the dealer declined coverage or called the behavior normal.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Paint fading, chalking and peeling off panels

   • 23 complaints (19%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 4.7 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • filed 2004–2015

   Owners describe white or grey blotches appearing on the hood, roof, trunk and quarter panels, with the finish later flaking away to expose primer or turning chalky and rough. Several report the change starting within two to three years of purchase and spreading quickly across the top surfaces. According to the complaints, dealers took photos or inspected the car but declined to repaint it once the vehicle was outside the paint warranty, and some owners say they were told their car was not covered by a paint campaign that applied to other vehicles. Reported across the range, most often on vehicles a few years old and anywhere from about 19,000 to 90,000 miles, especially on dark-colored cars.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect the hood, roof, trunk lid and upper quarter panels in good light for chalky patches, dulling or lifting clear coat, and ask whether any panel has been repainted.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I noticed recently that a section of the roof on my car was whitish in color. Quite apparent as my car is black in color. I have heard and read from many sources that this issue was prevalent in 2003 models and obviously mine is not exempt much to my disappointment. I hope that Mitsubishi steps up to the plate to correct this manufacturer defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #10231149, filed 2008-06, 60,000 miles

   “Purchased brand new 2003 Eclipse in 2004. I am experiencing paint delamination and it's spreading rapidly. Went to the Mitsubishi dealer after finding out many others are experiencing this problem. They took pictures and said they will contact Mitsubishi. I was notified the next day that my car has been declined any help due to expiration in warranty.”

   NHTSA complaint #10268621, filed 2009-05, 32,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Clutch slipping or failing early on manual cars

   • 16 complaints (13%)
   • median 23,000 mi at 1.7 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2013

   Owners of manual-transmission cars describe the clutch beginning to slip at low mileage, with the engine revving without the car pulling and gear changes becoming difficult. Some also report grinding or a whine from the transmission, hard downshifts into first and second, and the dealer calling the noise normal for the model. Complaints say clutch replacement was often treated as wear and not covered under warranty, even when owners report no abusive driving. Mostly reported under about 35,000 miles, with several failures described between roughly 10,000 and 25,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a manual car, test the clutch for slip on a steep grade or in a high gear at low speed, listen for grinding when shifting into second and third, and ask whether the clutch has already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I do have a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse and at 27,000 I had a clutch replaced and a price tag of $1,250.00 for the dealership the I purchased the car from I thought I would get a long time out of that repair that cost so much. I was only up set that the same problem arose again so called from the dealership. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10223460, filed 2008-04, 51,224 miles

   “My clutch had to be replaced at only 14,500 miles. Problems were evident at around 10,000 miles and became considerably worse in time. I have driven a manual transmission for 15 years and have never raced and did not ride the clutch. My last car's clutch lasted in excess of 100,000 miles without fault. The service manager at my dealership told me that it appears to be a factory defect. However, since the warranty on the clutch expires at 12,000 miles, I have to pay for the part. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10028522, filed 2003-07, 10,000 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell and leaks at filler neck or fuel lines

   • 8 complaints (6%)
   • median 70,250 mi at 8.4 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2006–2015

   Owners report a gasoline smell inside or around the car, difficulty fueling with the pump repeatedly clicking off, and check-engine lights traced to evaporative-emission leaks. Complaints describe rusted-through fuel filler necks and leaking fuel return or delivery lines, with dealers replacing the filler pipe or hose at the owner's cost. Several owners say they were told a fuel-pump or filler-neck recall did not apply to their vehicle by VIN. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 135,000 miles, often on older cars exposed to road salt and weather.

   Recall 03V442000

   What to check: Smell for fuel around the filler door and under the rear of the car, look for rust on the filler neck behind the rear tire, and ask whether any fuel-line or fuel-pump recall work was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Fuel mileage is bad and when filling up if you can it keeps clicking and smelling like fuel inside car. No lighting in car at all. Had to replace suspension as the bolts were worn. Paint chipping all over car. Cooling system keeps failing and somehow I have water keeps coming in on floor boards and the floor is soaked and stinks.”

   NHTSA complaint #10736178, filed 2015-07, 132,000 miles

   “Check engine light illuminated-dealer scanned code po455 - gross evap. Leak. Tech. Removed and re-installed gas cap, cleared code, ran evap. Test, drove car to set readiness test. Cost $120.00 because pei failed and they had to remove and re-install gas cap. No other parts or fixes offered. Engine light illuminated again 3 months after inspection and so called fix. Concerned since this had been happening for approx. 2 yrs. On and off. When first happened dealership said not to worry most likely will correct itself. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10216303, filed 2008-01, 20,057 miles
4. 4
   Other or unknown

   Electrical faults: melted cables, window-switch fire

   • 6 complaints (5%)
   • median 107,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2017

   Complaints describe no-start conditions traced to heat-damaged battery cables and harnesses, a broken ignition-switch connector, and smoke or flames from the driver's window switch area while operating the window. Owners also report engine-compartment insulation and wiring smoldering after highway driving, and intermittent stalling that dealers struggled to diagnose. Repairs were generally done at the owner's expense or at independent shops. Scattered from a few thousand miles to well over 100,000 miles, with the wiring and cable reports mostly on higher-mileage cars.

   What to check: Check the battery terminals and cable ends for corrosion or heat damage, test every power window switch and listen for crackling, and confirm the car starts reliably from cold and after sitting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After driving 65 MPH the consumer noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The consumer pulled over and opened the hood to see all the insulation smoldering. All of the electrical wires were also melted. The dealer is examining the vehicle at this time. The manufacturer is aware of the problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10057338, filed 2004-02, 24,460 miles

   “The vehicle would not start because the connector to the ignition switch had a broken lock tab and was being pulled by the harness when the steering wheel was tiled.”

   NHTSA complaint #10014967, filed 2003-04, 4,887 miles
5. 5
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Sunroof glass shattering while driving or closing door

   • 9 complaints (7%)
   • median 67,000 mi at 3.6 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2004–2015

   Owners describe the closed sunroof glass breaking suddenly, sometimes with a loud bang while driving at highway speed and sometimes right after shutting the door, leaving glass across the roof and interior. Complaints say the break happened with no visible impact, and that the dealer declined warranty coverage on the grounds that a faulty panel would have failed sooner. Some owners also mention water leaking past the sunroof and hatch into the cabin. Reported from very low mileage up to around 110,000 miles, on both early-life and older cars.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect the sunroof panel and surround for chips, stress marks or prior replacement, check the headliner and carpets for water stains, and confirm the sunroof opens and closes smoothly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Sun roof exploded and shattered while driving 65 MPH on a two lane highway on a clear night, no rocks on the road way, and one vehicle traveling approximately half a mile ahead when my glass shattered. When the closed sun roof exploded and shattered it sounded like a something fell from the sky on the roof of my vehicle, I pulled over to check what had happened, but there was only the shattered glass all over the roof and trunk of my car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10158108, filed 2006-05, 77,992 miles

   “My 2003 Eclipse gts has been serviced for about 10 different things in a matter of 8 months. 4 seperate times I had brought it in for a jerking automatic transmission 3 times they told me nothing was the matter and it was fine. Finally the check engine light came on and they then informed me that the transmision needed to be reprogrammed. It worked for about 4 months. Also 20 days after buying the car my check engine light came on and the fuel pump and sensor needed to be replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10088460, filed 2004-08, 2,000 miles

Buying note. Inspect the paint and sunroof closely, and on a manual car budget for a clutch if it has not been replaced. Have a shop check the fuel filler neck, fuel lines and battery wiring before purchase, and ask for records of completed recall work.

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.