1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Eclipse years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 136 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse. That ranks 5th out of 18 Eclipse model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (41 complaints, 30%), typically at around 97,000 miles. Complaints mention 22 crashes, 6 fires, 16 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 136owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 22complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 41 | 30% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 22 | 16% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 16 | 12% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 14 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 7% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 7% | 158,065 | — | — |
| Wheels | 8 | 6% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 5% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 5% | 121,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 3% | 154,770 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. If the rubber boots on the lower lateral arm ball joints of the front suspension were damaged during assembly, dirt and water can intrude. Also, mmc has added the potential of leaking moisture, which can cause the ball stud to corrode.
Risk: This condition could cause the lower lateral arm ball joint to separate, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. This campaign supercedes mmc's previous safety recall campaign, see 99v-066.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the lower lateral arm ball joint for wear. Ball joints that exhibit wear beyond the established tolerance will be replaced with newly designed lateral arm ball joints. Ball joints that are within the established tolerance will be cleaned and a special sealant will be applied to prevent intrusion of moisture.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Lockup of the transfer case can occur due to insufficient lubrication.
Risk: This condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the vehicles for adequacy of the transfer case oil volume, transfer case oil leakage, and operational degradation of the transfer case mechanism. If oil volume is insufficient, the appropriate amount of oil will be added. If there is transfer case oil leakage, affected components will be replaced. If the transfer case shows operational degradation, the transfer case will be replaced.
Seats:front assembly:head restraint
Problem: The headrest guide bracket was improperly welded to the seat back frame on the passenger side seat back assemblies only.
Risk: The headrest support bracket can break, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger seat back assembly with a new assembly.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Transfer case leakage (RQ98007) — opened May 11, 1998, closed Aug 28, 1998, led to recall 98V168001.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
This vehicle has a recall for the lower ball joint. After calling to set up an appointment to fix this issue the vehicle shows up as already serviced, which may have only been as little as an inspection that was done. The ball joint in this vehicle is currently failing and is extremely noticeable…
I never received a recall alert from the dealer. Right now the dealer was sold to a new owner. I went to the dealer to buy a fender and my vin number does not appear in the mitsubishi computer system here in puerto rico either in usa. So i would like an advise. What i have to do. I have all the…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mitsubishi eclipse. While driving at any speed, the front end of the vehicle vibrated and veered to the right. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired under a recall in 2010, but was not repaired again. The vin was invalid. The approximate failure mileage…
Son driving a eclipse ran off the road and hit a tree going 55 mph and the air bags never came out resulting in the death of only child. *tr
Tl*the contact owns 1997 mitsubishi eclipse. Since purchasing the vehicle in 1997, the vehicle's speed has not exceeded 35mph. On three occasions, a mechanic adjusted the transmission timing; however, the failure continued to occur. The insurance company stated that it was best to crash the vehicle…
Other Mitsubishi Eclipse years
← 1996 Eclipse · 1998 Eclipse →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Eclipse | 8 | 0 |
| 2011 Eclipse | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 Eclipse | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 Eclipse | 42 | 1 |
| 2008 Eclipse | 71 | 1 |
| 2007 Eclipse | 107 | 4 |
| 2006 Eclipse | 99 | 4 |
| 2005 Eclipse | 6 | 3 |
| 2004 Eclipse | 14 | 4 |
| 2003 Eclipse | 124 | 3 |
| 2002 Eclipse | 73 | 2 |
| 2001 Eclipse | 209 | 7 |
| 2000 Eclipse | 308 | 7 |
| 1999 Eclipse | 120 | 2 |
| 1998 Eclipse | 129 | 4 |
| 1997 | 136 | 3 |
| 1996 Eclipse | 159 | 4 |
| 1995 Eclipse | 307 | 5 |
See all Mitsubishi Eclipse problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
Similar Mitsubishi models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, power train, suspension problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 41 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Eclipse model years, the 1997 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.