2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report brake problems far more than anything else — most often a brake pedal that sinks to the floor or feels soft and spongy after a hard stop, together with ABS warning lights. Many of these complaints reference the ABS corrosion recall, and several describe dealers not having the replacement part when the vehicle was brought in. Other less frequent reports involve the passenger-side dashboard separating over the airbag, tires losing tread, and airbags not deploying in a crash.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Brake pedal goes to the floor / spongy brakes after hard

   • 33 complaints (31%)
   • median 90,200 mi at 8.1 yrs old (27 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2025

   Owners describe the brake pedal dropping to the floorboard, sometimes with little or no stopping effect, often after a hard or panic stop or after the ABS engages; several say pumping the pedal restores braking for a while. Complaints frequently mention a soft or spongy feel, a whistle or odd noise when the pedal is released, and repeated master cylinder or brake pad and rotor replacements that did not stop the problem. Some owners say dealers flushed and bled the brake system or replaced the master cylinder without lasting change, and others report the ABS modulator or pump being identified as the item needing replacement. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand to about 150,000 miles, with most complaints in the 60,000 to 120,000 mile range; several note it happening after hard braking, on wet or bumpy roads, or in cold weather.

   Recall 15V337000

   What to check: Ask for documentation of the ABS recall repair, including whether the ABS unit was inspected and the fluid flushed, and test the pedal feel after several firm stops at low speed. Check for a spongy pedal, a drop to the floor, a whistle on release, and any brake or ABS warning light.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had to brake hard to avoid an accident and now my brakes are very soft and spongy and make a whistling noise. I have had the entire brakes and drums replaced twice and master cylinder replace and the issue is still there. I went online to see if anyone else had experienced it and there is a huge group of Eclipse owners who have experienced this problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10563878, filed 2014-02, 70,000 miles

   “While driving to work one morning in january around 7:00, my brake pedal went to the floor when I attempted to stop for traffic. I had to steer out of my lane to avoid hitting the stopped car in front of me. I quickly pumped the pedal and it came back up to stop my car. I took the car to a nearby firestone service center but they could not locate any problem, as the car was stopping okay at that time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10745458, filed 2015-07, 101,062 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   ABS recall parts unavailable / recall not yet done

   • 58 complaints (54%)
   • median 95,000 mi at 8.8 yrs old (27 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2025

   Many owners describe receiving the ABS recall notice but being told by dealers that the replacement part was not yet available, sometimes for months, with no date given. Complaints mention repeat calls to the dealer, vehicles held for days without a loaner, and being told other repairs such as the master cylinder or brake booster had to be done first before the recall work could proceed. Some owners filed these complaints before ever experiencing a failure, simply because the repair could not be scheduled. Most of these reports were filed between mid-2015 and 2018, typically on vehicles between roughly 50,000 and 120,000 miles.

   Recall 15V337000

   What to check: Ask the seller for the recall completion paperwork or have a dealer run the VIN to confirm campaign 15V337000 has been performed, and check whether the ABS unit was replaced rather than only cleaned.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 15v337000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however, the parts needed were not available. The dealer confirmed that the parts were not available and were not able to provide a time frame. The manufacturer was made aware of the delay. The contact had not experienced a”

   NHTSA complaint #10816337, filed 2015-12, 119,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v337000 (service brakes, hydraulic). When the vehicle was brought to the dealer for repair, the contact was informed that the master cylinder and brake booster needed to be repaired before the recall repair could be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10837241, filed 2016-02, 78,000 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Dashboard cover lifting or cracking over passenger airbag

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the top of the passenger-side dashboard lifting, peeling or cracking and exposing part of the airbag area, sometimes with the covering coming unglued. Several say dealers had seen the same problem on other vehicles of this model and that the fix is a full dashboard replacement, quoted at a significant cost; some were told it was not covered by warranty. Mostly reported between about 52,000 and 160,000 miles; one complaint notes the condition had been present for many months before being filed.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect the passenger-side dash top for lifting, cracking or a raised edge around the airbag cover, and ask whether any repair or replacement has been attempted.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The front of my dashboard (the airbag sits behind it) is coming off of my vehicle. It is on the passenger's side. I contacted the Mitsubishi dealer in charleston, sc and he informed me that he had seen numerous vehicles with the same problem (Mitsubishi). I consider this to be a safety hazard because once this piece of material falls off there will be nothing to protect the passenger from the airbag at any time. I was informed it would cost $1,200 to fix. The entire dashboard needs to be replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10860166, filed 2016-04, 92,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The contact stated that the dashboard became fractured near the passenger's side air bag area, exposing a portion of the air bag. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 52,500.”

   NHTSA complaint #10509122, filed 2013-04, 52,500 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying in a collision

   • 9 complaints (8%)
   • median 126,479 mi at 9.2 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2019

   A few owners describe collisions — including front or side impacts at speed and a rollover — after which the airbags did not deploy, in some cases with occupants injured. Complaints ask for the deployment thresholds to be looked into rather than identifying a specific part that failed. Reported from low mileage (around 13,000) up to about 120,000 miles, in crashes at various speeds.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Confirm the SRS warning light comes on with the ignition and goes out after the self-test, and ask whether the vehicle has been in a prior collision or had airbag or SRS work done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Me and my wife where recently in a car accident our rolled into a ditch and the airbags on the drivers side and the passengers side did not deploy..I felt like our lives where in danger because of this malfunction.”

   NHTSA complaint #10221064, filed 2008-03, 13,000 miles

   “My car was hit by a driver who ran a red light while I was making a left hand turn. The point of impact was the passenger side front. The other driver hit me at approximately 60 MPH. None of the airbags deployed. Thank god my seat belts worked properly and I escaped the accident with very minor injuries. It is quite a concern the airbags failed. The accident happened yesterday and my insurance company feels it is a total loss. This severe of an accident should have triggered the air bags. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10542198, filed 2013-09, 68,000 miles

Buying note. Brake-system complaints dominate this model year and many reference the ABS corrosion recall, so paperwork showing campaign 15V337000 is complete is the single most useful thing to ask for. A thorough test drive with several firm stops, plus a look at the passenger-side dash top and the tire date codes, covers most of what owners describe.

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.