2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the brake pedal sinking toward the floor and the car taking much longer to stop, frequently after a bump or in an emergency stop, with some reporting the pedal returning to normal afterward. Complaints also mention air bags that did not deploy in collisions, early clutch wear on manual-transmission cars, and sidewall separation on the tires fitted from new. Reports span a wide mileage range, from under 10,000 miles to well past 100,000.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Brake pedal sinks to floor / long stopping distance

   • 55 complaints (56%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 8.2 yrs old (37 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2025

   Complaints describe the brake pedal traveling to the floorboard, sometimes with little or no warning, and the car taking much longer to stop. Several owners say it happened after hitting a bump or during hard braking, and that the pedal sometimes firmed up again afterward, making it hard to reproduce at the dealer. Some mechanics diagnosed the master cylinder and replaced it, others found the ABS hydraulic unit or booster at fault, and some owners report the symptom returned after repairs. Many owners reference the ABS and master cylinder recalls but state their vehicle identification number was not included. Reported from about 5,000 to 164,000 miles, most commonly between roughly 60,000 and 100,000 miles, and often described as intermittent.

   Recall 15V337000Recall 05V299000Recall 05V2470003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the ABS recall work (15V337000) and any master cylinder or booster recall work has been completed, and request documentation. During a test drive, brake firmly from moderate speed on a safe empty road and check for a low or spongy pedal and any fluid seepage near the firewall.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was coming up to a red light and my brakes gave out they went all the way 2 the ground, no pressure nothing ,they would just go 2 the ground, and then my ABS and brake lights came on in my dash board ,on top of all of it I almost got hit by a plow,I could have died tonight because of my brakes in my 06 Eclipse.”

   NHTSA complaint #10215304, filed 2008-01, 22,000 miles

   “I was driving the car normally fine and there was a small pot hole on the ground that I went over. I had my foot on the brakes while running over the pot hole and the pressure on the brakes were completely lost. It was a spongy feeling as the brakes were to the floor. The brakes had very little power and when let go had a whistling sound coming back up. I had to drive home while down shifting to lower gears because the brakes did not work.”

   NHTSA complaint #10725336, filed 2015-06, 98,712 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bags did not deploy in a collision

   • 8 complaints (8%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 9.2 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2019

   Owners describe frontal impacts in which neither the driver nor passenger front air bag deployed, and in some cases seat belts did not restrain as expected. A few report that a specialist or dealer found failed front impact sensors, and one owner reports the lower dashboard above the passenger air bag area had split apart. Some complaints involve vehicles that had already been in a crash and were totaled. Reported from very low mileage (under 5,000 miles) up to about 127,000 miles, in crashes at various speeds.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Have the air bag system scanned for stored fault codes and confirm the air bag warning lamp behaves correctly at startup. Ask whether the vehicle has been in a prior collision and whether any air bag components or sensors were replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was involved in a head on collision with another vehicle where my airbags failed to deploy. Later upon calling in a airbag specialist, they ran diagnostics and found that both the front right and front left airbag sensors had malfunctioned. This was then backed up by the Mitsubishi dealership. I still suffer from my head injury to this day.”

   NHTSA complaint #10244131, filed 2008-10, 19,000 miles

   “The contact owned a 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25-30 MPH, the contact lost control of the vehicle, the vehicle exited the roadway, ran into a swamp and crashed into several trees before coming to an abrupt stop. The contact stated that neither the driver's nor passenger's side frontal air bags deployed. Additionally, the seat belts were also inoperable. The contact stated that her head struck the windshield. A police report was filed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11219280, filed 2019-06, 165,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Clutch wear and transmission noise on manual cars

   • 8 complaints (8%)
   • median 20,000 mi at 2.3 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2006–2015

   Owners of manual-transmission cars report the clutch wearing out at low mileage, sometimes within the first year, with revs rising without the car accelerating or difficulty selecting gears. One owner describes a noise in neutral that a dealer attributed to the clutch release bearing, and another reports a leaking slave cylinder that contaminated the clutch. Several owners say the dealer declined warranty coverage, describing the clutch as a wear item or attributing the wear to driving style. Mostly reported under about 35,000 miles, often within the first year or two of ownership.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a manual car, test the clutch for slipping and check the engagement point, and listen for noise with the transmission in neutral. Ask for service records showing whether the clutch or slave cylinder has been replaced and why.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Clutch wore off at 33000 miles and not even one year. I've been driving manual for ten years and never had to replace clutch on my 97 nissan truck. I still have the old car without ever having to replace the clutch and now a new 2006 Eclipse burn out after less than a year. Dealer said that it isn't covered by warranty because its wearable but I think it should be part of the powertrain warranty for 100000 or ten years.”

   NHTSA complaint #10178777, filed 2007-01, 33,600 miles

   “2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse spun 3 main bearings, has a worn clutch at 28,000 miles. I have never replaced the clutch in my '88 mazda, which currently has 190,000 miles on it or any of the previous manual transmission vehicles I have owned. Mitsubishi reps denied the warranty due to aftermarket part (cold air intake) the clutch being worn and from what they claim as spirited driving. I did not pay $30,000 for a car to take out and drive it like a maniac. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10222679, filed 2008-03, 28,529 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the brake hydraulic system, air bag fault codes and, on manual cars, the clutch is worthwhile on this model year, and it is worth confirming which recall campaigns have actually been completed on the specific vehicle.

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.