2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 158 complaints
158
Total Complaints
38,973mi
Median Mileage
STRUCTURE
Top Issue
18
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

11,705 25th Percentile
38,973 Median Mileage
91,250 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

STRUCTURE
14
STRUCTURE:BODY
14
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
8
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
8
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
6
TIRES
6
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
5
AIR BAGS
4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
4

Severity Assessment

18
Crashes
8
Fires
15
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AROUND A CURVED ROAD AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLES STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME STIFF. CONSUMER HIT A WALL AS A RESULT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. MR"
"CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 40MPH HAD A FRONT END COLLISION AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. TS"
"I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW, AND WHAT A MISTAKE IT WAS. I HAVE BEGUN THE PROCESS OF DECLARING THE LEMON LAW. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE INTO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS 8 TIMES IN 4 MONTHS. THE DRIVE SHAFT HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE BOOT SPLIT AND LEAKED GREASE. THE FOG LIGHTS FILL WITH MOISTURE..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28