2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Eclipse Spyder years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 27 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. That ranks 2nd out of 14 Eclipse Spyder model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (7 complaints, 26%), typically at around 84,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 3 fires, 4 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 27owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 7 | 26% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 15% | 135,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 15% | 133,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 15% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 7% | 92,177 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 7% | 13,813 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 4% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 4% | 60,280 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 4% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 4% | 136,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 4% | 106,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2000-2005 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 5, 1999, to December 17, 2004, 2001-2005 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured January 19, 2000, to March 18, 2005, 2001-2005 Chrysler Sebring vehicles manufactured April 17, 2000, to February 21, 2005, and 2001-2005 Dodge Stratus vehicles manufactured April 17, 2000, to February 22, 2005. In the affected vehicles, the passenger side sun visor may be folded down in such a position that, if the passenger frontal air bag deploys, the passenger side sun visor may detach.
Risk: If the passenger side sun visor detaches and is propelled rearward, there is an increased risk of occupant injury.
Fix: MMNA will notify their owners, and Chrysler will notify the Chrysler and Dodge owners. Dealers will install a tether strap to retain the passenger sun visor, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-15-005. Chrysler and Dodge owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R30.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the bilingual english/spanish removable air bag warning labels affixed to the dash and to the sunvisor do not meet the size requirements of the standard.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Mitsubishi caribbean will mail a customer notification letter containing a written description and a graphic of the bi-lingual dashboard air bag warning label. In addition, all current 2000-2004 nativa owners will also receive replacement air bag alert labels for the sun visors. This recall is expected to begin during march or april 2005. The notification to the nativa owners is expected to begin during april or may 2005. Owners should contact mitsubishi caribbean at 1-787-251-8715.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel return line hose fitting on the electric fuel pump may be restricted, causing excessive fuel pressure to build up in the fuel injection system. Excessive fuel pressure may result in a leak in the fuel return hose.
Risk: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the fuel pump pressure. Those vehicles exhibiting higher than normal fuel pump pressure will receive fuel pump modifications. The recall began december 3, 2003. Owners should contact mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037 or mitsubishi caribbean at 1-800-981-0452.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Takata airbag: my incident has already been reported. I am adding the police report. I am still requiring surgery and unable to use my left arm 10 months later.
Takata recall: my vehicle is involved in the nhtsa campaign number 15v338000.on october 29, 2016, i was driving towards my home. After being in the stopped position for the duration of the left turn signal at the intersection of fm 518 and fm 1128 in pearland, texas, the light turned green and i…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse spyder. While driving approximately 15 mph, the passenger side air bag deployed without warning or impact. When the air bag deployed, the visor on the vehicle detached. The vehicle's top was down at the time and caused the passenger side air bag to…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse spyder equipped with goodyear assurance tripletred tires, size p215/55r16. While driving 25 mph, the front passenger side tire blew out and caused the contact to drive over a curb. The contact inspected the tire and found that the tire tread was…
On november 28, 2015 my passenger front tire explosively failed coming out of a left turn at about 25 mph causing my car to drop and swerve, crashing into a tall street curb and storm sewer drain causing $2000 damage to my car. The outer sidewall separated circumferentially from the tread. This…
Other Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder years
← 2002 Eclipse Spyder · 2004 Eclipse Spyder →
See all Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?
Owners most often report structure, air bags, tires problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 7 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Eclipse Spyder model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.