1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Eclipse years
- More complaints than other years 6th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 129 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse. That ranks 6th out of 18 Eclipse model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (28 complaints, 22%), typically at around 68,000 miles. Complaints mention 22 crashes, 5 fires, 13 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 129owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 22complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 28 | 22% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 16% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 18 | 14% | 109,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 12 | 9% | 114,539 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 9% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 9 | 7% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 7% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 8 | 6% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 5% | 91,280 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 5% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 4% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 4% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 4% | 29,292 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 3% | 87,289 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 2% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 2% | 62,250 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
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.
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.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The dash panel pad can shift interferring with the throttle cable control.
Risk: The throttle cable control would not return to idle increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will remove a portion of the dash panel pad so it cannot interfere with the throttle cable control.
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.
"takata recall" i have replaced my control arms about 4 times now in the past 2 years. I have it fixed and then the squeaking always comes back, last about 6 months and then lower ball joint breaks. Last time it broke i was going about 40mph, it was very scary. The picture i sent was taken on…
"takata recall" i have replaced my control arms about 4 times now in the past 2 years. I have it fixed and then the squeaking always comes back lasts about 6 months then the lower ball joint breaks. Last time it broke i was going about 40 mph, it was very scary. The picture i sent was taken on…
Battery discharges overnight and electroautos cannot find any electrical leakage but they suspect the starter system device (an oblong device that needs to be presented to a red light to get the starter to function). The battery has been changed several times but leakage continues. Due to age, no…
Recently, relocated to florida with in 18 months i notice my passenger side air bag is protruding out from the heat and humidity in sw florida. Originally had car in new york and never had this problem. I am very concerned about it exploding while i am driving. Notice on recent recall concerning…
1998 mitsubishi eclipse, unit 1 was traveling east on the ohio turnpike near the 54 milepost. Unit 1 filled with smoke. Unit 1 pulled to the right shoulder and stopped. The driver of unit 1 exited and opened the hood and observed fire. The driver of unit 1 was charged with ovi. Bf (ohio traffic…
Other Mitsubishi Eclipse years
← 1997 Eclipse · 1999 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 | 129 | 4 |
| 1997 Eclipse | 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 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Owners most often report power train, engine and engine cooling, air bags problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 28 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 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 1998 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.