2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Eclipse years
- Fewer complaints than other years 11th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 73 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse. That ranks 11th out of 18 Eclipse model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is wheels (29 complaints, 40%), typically at around 32,147 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 4 fires, 7 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 73owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 29 | 40% | 32,147 | — | — |
| Structure | 15 | 21% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 8% | 26,493 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 5 | 7% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 5% | 99,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 4% | 76,936 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 4% | 111,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 3% | 64,176 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 3% | 114,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 3% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 58,900 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 185,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | 18,046 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | 172,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse recalls (2)
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.
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
- Aluminum alloy wheel denting (EA02007) — opened May 31, 2002, closed May 1, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mitsubishi eclipse. The contact stated that upon refueling the vehicle, fuel leaked out through the fuel neck due to rust. The contact also stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mitsubishi eclipse. While in park, the contact noticed that there were multiple fractures across the dashboard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Caught fire over night while parked in my drive way. Woke up the following morning to find the dash board melted, windows smoked out, front windshield cracked and driver side door burnt. *tr
The dashboard on my 2002 mitsubishi eclipse cracked several years ago. I had no idea what had happened, as i was not involved in an accident. I had assumed that it possibly got too hot from the sun one day. I was appalled to hear that this is a common problem. Parts of a car should not break in two…
Tl* the contact owns a baby trend child restraint seat, model number: tj94128 (na), and manufactured july 7, 2012. The child seat was being used in a 2002 mitsubishi eclipse. The contact stated that the child seat lower latch connector failed to lock during the installation of the base. The…
Other Mitsubishi Eclipse years
← 2001 Eclipse · 2003 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 | 73 | 2 |
| 2001 Eclipse | 209 | 7 |
| 2000 Eclipse | 308 | 7 |
| 1999 Eclipse | 120 | 2 |
| 1998 Eclipse | 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 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Owners most often report wheels, structure, tires problems. The top one, wheels, accounts for 29 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 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 2002 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.