2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 20, 2021 · 14 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Eclipse years
Far fewer complaints than other years 14th of 18 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse. That ranks 14th out of 18 Eclipse model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (5 complaints, 36%), typically at around 36,000 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.

Mitsubishi Eclipse
Mitsubishi Eclipse PS in Stuttgart-Vaihingen. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Structure5 · ~36,000 mi
Air Bags3 · ~83,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion System2 · ~98,000 mi
Service Brakes2 · ~104,500 mi
Steering2 · ~10,000 mi
Electrical System1
Engine1 · ~83,000 mi
Service Brakes, Air1 · ~7,600 mi
Unknown or Other1
Wheels1 · ~83,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Structure536%36,000——
Air Bags321%83,000——
Fuel/propulsion System214%98,000——
Service Brakes214%104,500——
Steering214%10,000——
Electrical System17%———
Engine17%83,000——
Service Brakes, Air17%7,600——
Unknown or Other17%———
Wheels17%83,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2005, with 3 complaints
2004: 1200412005: 3200532006: 1200612009: 3200932012: 1201212013: 1201312015: 1201512016: 2201622021: 120211

n = 14 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleJun 2, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V338000 · 443,442 vehicles

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:labelsSep 1, 2004 · NHTSA campaign 04V428000 · 100,432 vehicles

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:hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsJun 29, 2004 · NHTSA campaign 04V312000 · 834 vehicles

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel return line hose fitting on the electric fuel pump may be improperly molded.

Risk: Breakage could result in a leakage of fuel and in the presence of an ignition source, it could result a fire.

Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump. The recall began on july 26, 2004. Owners should contact mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.

Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pumpNov 4, 2003 · NHTSA campaign 03V442000 · 17,087 vehicles

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.

Electrical cable for Fuel Pump caught fire. My daughter was able to park and exit the car safely before it combusted but it took 8 minutes for the car to basically explode. I think this is very dangerous for a family with kids or someone that wouldn't be as fast as my kid to get out of the car. We…

Electrical System · received Sep 20, 2021 · NHTSA complaint 11433597

Brakes will intermittedly not respond to the brake pedal being depressed. Car has now been involved in two rear end collisions in 3 months. Repair shop cannot duplicate the problem described. Car was going 25 mph both times in two cities when the car failed to brake.

Service Brakes · received Sep 14, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10906428

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mitsubishi eclipse. The contact stated while driving at 65 mph, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle on the driver side that led to the vehicle rolling over three times. The air bags failed to deploy. There was one injury reported that required medical attention. The…

Air Bags · received May 10, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10864166

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mitsubishi eclipse. While driving approximately 35 mph, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated to stop. The failure recurred multiple times. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 15v337000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however…

Service Brakes · received Oct 6, 2015 · NHTSA complaint 10780005

Roommate driving my vehicle with myself in passenger seat. Struck a dear monday morning at approximately 60mph. Vehicle was put into a ditch and rolled at least 1 time into a marsh on left side of the road. Vehicle received major: front, both side, rear and roof damage. Not one air bag was…

Structure · received Jul 2, 2013 · NHTSA complaint 10522952

Other Mitsubishi Eclipse years

← 2003 Eclipse · 2005 Eclipse →

See all Mitsubishi Eclipse 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 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse?

Owners most often report structure, air bags, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 5 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2004 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 2004 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.