2003 MITSUBISHI Eclipse

A component called a wave spring has failed and destroyed the transmission in my car.
This problem is well known to happen to 3rd generation Mitsubishi Eclipse model cars as well as others with this transmission in them.
This part failure is a major hazardous problem and should be recalled for replacement, as it can go out at any given time or speed causing a driver to be left in an unpredictable and potentially dangerous situation.

We purchased this vehicle on 04/02/2003. On 04/16/2003, the car was taken in to Ontario Mitsubishi, where it was purchased, due to a brake concern. The car was still in the shop and on 05/12/2003, they removed the drivers side door handle, repaired, and repainted it, due to a bubble in the paint on the outside door handle.On 06/17/2003, the car was still in the shop, very slow to start. Battery failed testing, underhood battery and engine loom were burnt along w/wire harness assy. Replaced battery w/new battery, charging system checks OK. Replaced wire harness assy. Parts used: battery, 60 mo., ignition coil, control harness, mini fuse. RR end trim clip and splash shield clip. We picked up our car on 07/11/2003 and on 07/15/2003, we took the vehicle back in. When you applied the brakes the front of the car and the steering wheel would shake bad. Once again, a brake concern. Also, the A/C was now blowing hot air. They fixed the brake problem, which was the rear brakes were out of adjustment, the front rotors were turned, and new brake lining was put on the front. The A/C was not fixed, they said it was not covered under warranty. According to them, a rock flew up and put a hole in the condenser so that was a road hazard and road hazards were not covered under warranty. Our A/C worked fine before the car went in to the shop. We don’t understand how we can pay so much money for a vehicle and something like this isn’t covered under warranty. Now we are having to drive around in a $21,000.00 car that has only been on the road for approx. 3 months, with no A/C. That is a lot of money to pay for a vehicle to have to go through all of this hassle and not have any A/C.

The paint on the top of my 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS is beginning to fade. It looks as though the clear coat is chipping away and the color is changing to a milky white. I purchased the car brand new from a dealership and have owned the car for 4.5 years. I have contacted the Mitsubishi headquarters and was told to contact my local dealer. I have done that without a return call to this point.

The clutch assembly burned out in 7 months. On brand new car.

THE CLEAR COAT ON THE CAR IS STARTING TO TURN WHITE AND CAUSE DISCOLORATION!!!!!! THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY PAINT REPAIRS!!! MANUFACTURE DEFECT.cd player does not eject cdsThe horn stopped working. just the horn itself. I replaced it myself. there was power to it and everything, just the horn stopped working.

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY IN SIDE IMPACT (T-BONE) ACCIDENT. NOT YET REPAIRED.

My complaint is about the

My clear coat is falling off, Mitsubishi is quoting $4400 to get it fixed. My website is mitsubishipaintproblems.com.

My black paint is fading to white. I\’ve wash it by hand so it\’s never been through a car wash. The paint problem started on the sunroof and is now spreading to the trunk.This is bad!

I was driving 40 miles per hour around 5:00 pm on March 15, 2007 when my sun roof which was partially open, was hit by a gust of wind and shattered, explosively and rained glass all over me and the car. I pulled over and the glass was everywhere, even down my clothing. The insurance company, American Family Insurance, would not cover the $500.00 for glass as it is a sun roof. The manufacturor would not cover it under warranty, and the dealership would not covery it under warranty. The mechanism that moves the sun roof open and closed is ruined due to glass in the tracts that cannot be vacumed out. There is still glass all over the car, even after having it cleaned. I paid the dealership $500 to replace the glass so the car no longer leaks, which was a week of driving in the rain. Now I cannot afford the other $900.00 for the mechanism. Dealerships and Manufacturors and Insurance companies need to warn people who purchase cars with sun roofs that there is no financial coverage for defective glass.

I purchased a used, black 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with approximately 40000 mi on it, in Sept of 2005. Unknown to me, Mitsubishi vehicles, 1999-2004 have widespread, defective primer, which cause the paint to flake off in large quantities. The paint was fine when I bought the car, but the paint started coming off around 44000 mi. It kept getting worse, and by mid-2006, the car looked terrible. I took the car to my local body shop and was told about the paint problem with these cars. I researched the wb and found out more at \"mymitsubishipaintproblem.com\" and learned Mitsubishi might paint my car under warranty. I returned the car to the dealer who sold the car when it was new. Without provocation, the service manager, who I was told to see was very rude. I filed a complaint with the company, but several months went by, and they failed to return my calls. Meanwhile, my son was driving the car to and from college in Pennsylvania, and the odometer was now around 70,000 mi. Finally, after several calls to Mitsubishi Motors, my case manager \"Dan\", told me they would not paint my car, because the 36000 mi warranty was expired when I purchased the car. Even though I had learned though my research on the web, they were painting some cars, with far more miles on them than mine, he refused to get my car painted. There needs to be a recall for these vehicles with defective paint or a class action suit filed, and manufacturer should be held responsible.

I own a black 2003 Mitsubushi Eclipse and about one year ago I noticed that the paint on the roof had started to discolor. The spot started small and has since grown in size and now covers most of the roof. These are white chicken pox like spots. In one area the paint has even deteriorated enough that rust has come through. I have contacted a mitubishi dealership and was told that the car was not covrered because it has more than 36,000 miles on it. What does mileage have to do with paint? I have done my research and learned that the issue was a defect in the primer used on the vehicles. This is a huge issue with all Mitsubishi vehicles around 2003. I would like Mitsubishi to admit to their problem and re-paint my car at no cost to me.

I own a BLACK 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS purchased new in Dec. 2002 from Sam Swope Mitsubishi in Louiville, KY. Begininng in August 2006 Blotchy white spots began to appear on the top of the car around the sunroof. Over the past 30 days the spots have became bigger and bigger and my shiny black paint is turning white. Again it is a 2003 model year vehicle that has been garage kept and the paint is changing colors all of a sudden.

The gas tank has been a problem from the beginning. The windows freeze shut when it is cold outside from the beginning, was told by dealership to bring the car in when the windows are not working, well that usually is early morning when I am leaving for the day and cannot at spur of moment stop at dealers. The big issue now is the paint, I went outside one day and noticed that the paint was faded all over the hood, roof, sides, trunk. Basically the car looks like a total mess and will probably loss a fortune if I try to sell it. Thanks mitsubishi for selling such an inferior car with an inferior paint job.

I have a mitsubishi eclipse 2003 gts. i purchased it in september 2002 and it only has 7,000 miles on it, so it is fairly new. there is a latch by the front seat to open the trunk. ever since i had the car, the trunk never opens on the first try. usually i have to pull the latch twice. reason being is the trunk is so heavy with the spoiler on it, it doesn't want to pop up. there is no handle or any way to open the trunk what so ever. so a couple of days ago as my friend was lifting up on the trunk with the spoiler, the spoiler literally came off!!! there is no reason why on a brand new car the spoiler should just come off. so i took my car to the mitsubishi dealership where i bought it and they said that i used excessive force. in order to pull a spoiler off you would think that one would literally have to stand on the bumper and yank for about 10 minutes. but my friend simply lifted up on it and it came off (considering there is no where else to lift up on the trunk). after my unsuccessful attempt at the mitsubishi dealership i phoned mitsubishi to file a compliant. after speaking to two people, the representative was not helpful what so ever and pretty much told me it was my fault because i should not use the spoiler as a handle. my friend barely even used any force! since the spoiler had to be completely taken off to drive it, now the trunk just pops up when the latch is pulled in the front by the seat. that just shows that the reason why it doesn't pop up with the spoiler is because it's too heavy! my compliant is now i have to pay $430.00 for something that should be covered under warranty and isn't because they said excessive force was used. that is not true. mitsubishi is not about making it right. it should be covered under warranty. there is no reason or excuse for a spoiler coming off that easy on a brand new car. that's basically telling me that a) it a piece of junk or b) it was not assembled right. i hope it's b and not a.*jb

Sears auto center in manassas, va performe an oil change on my vehicle on 5/16/2016. the engine failed on 5/24/2016 due to the oil plug falling out of the engine and all of the oil draining out. sears has accepted responsibility for this. however, i have also uncovered a long history of consumer complaints regarding sears auto centers defrauding consumers out of thousands of dollars for unnecessary repairs, charges for repairs not done, and faulty service overall. sears ws sued by nj on 46 counts of auto consumer fraud, and i have uncovered hundreds of complaints registered with the attorney generals' offices in many states.

Dashboard cracks in multiples of area's, which does effect the position of the airbag. the plastic is very brittle to the point when it cracks it's as sharp as a razor. i reviewed several web site and noted this is a common problem with several type of mitsubishi's. i have a 2003 eclipse that has a cracked dashboard so bad the passenger side of the dash board is sloping downward, the cracking started 8 years ago and continues to crack more and more everyday, causing structure support issues and razor sharp edges. i have cut myself several times on the sharp edges. there is obviously a issue with the type of plastic that was used to constructed these dashboards ... i would rate this as a need to review asap issue... if my air bag ever went off, sharp pieces of plastic would probably be flying everywhere like a knife...

Passenger airbag deployed caused me to veer off to the right for safety.passenger visor flew off hit my arm and flew out window. unable to see with airbag in my face i ended up half on and half off a culvert with cement pipe.car stopped and then my driver airbag shot fire and chemicals into my face.horrible still after a whole year noone cares noone helps no therapy follow up none only er when i can no longer tolerate the extreme pain.2 titanium rods n 38 screws hold it together. some screws are coming off and 3 bones are still shattered. some are even missing. please help

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. while rolling down the passenger side window, the contact noticed smoke and flames coming from the window switch area. the contact extinguished the fire and called the fire department. a fire report was not filed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that faulty wiring in the window caused the fire. the vehicle was repaired. a dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

The main issue seems to be a manufacturing defect in the wave/cushion spring located in the transmission. mitsubishi has designed the wave spring as a fragile two coil piece which has been known to repeatedly break causing catastrophic failure in the transmission. this in turn poses a threat on the driver and passengers. when this wave spring breaks, actual pieces of the wave spring make it through mitsubishi’s also faulty transmission filter and lodge themselves in the pump gear, causing the gear to actually break. after the pump gear has been broken inside the transmission, all forward and reverse gears immediately stop function and in most instances the vehicle shuts off. this could result in potential harm or even death of the driver and/or passenger as the vehicle loses all moving power which can cause an accident with other vehicles on the road. mitsubishi has recently created an updated version of the wave spring without issuing a recall, which now is a one piece instead of the coil setup and has a less chance of breaking. to many mitsubishi/dodge owners this update was discovered after they have had their vehicle in a transmission shop with a hefty bill to pay even though it was mitsubishi’s fault for engineering a faulty part in their transmission. all one person would need to find out about this issue is search the internet with the transmission code (f4a51) and this issue is well documented, even researched by transmission digest (a specialty magazine). not only is this a large inconvenience to most, it is also a hazard to ones life. mitsubishi should recall all vehicles which contain the f4a51 automatic transmission to perform the wave spring and filter update or reimburse those who have already had it done at their cost. this is an issue that needs to be addressed as if you own a vehicle with the f4a51

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. while veering to the left at approximately 25 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver without warning. as a result, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact's vehicle. a police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 170,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. the contact stated that while driving, there was an odor of fuel present. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact also indicated that water had leaked from the floor board causing the brake pedal to become slippery. in addition, the vehicle would not start. while checking the battery connection the contact discovered that the battery cable was smoking and had melted. the vehicle was taken an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the air conditioning hose that failed caused the water leak. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. the contact stated that the front driver side air bag failed to deploy when the contact rear ended another vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent body shop for further inspection. the contact did not suffer any injuries. a police report was filed. the approximate failure mileage was 180,845.

Received a safety recall from mitsubishi on the passenger sun visor requiring a tether strap. i called their toll free number to locate a dealer to install the tether strap as directed by the notice. mitsubishi does not have a dealer in tucson and informed me we needed to take the vehicle to a phoenix dealer, over a 100 miles away for the repair. the cost of gas and the travel time (off work or missing school) is higher than the parts and labor for .5 of an hour labor. they have not made arrangements with a local tucson car repair facility to perform this recall, nor did they offer to send me the parts for self installation. this seems to be a very poor response to a safety recall notice. can you assist as i know there are more of the same vehicle in tucson.

Fuel mileage is bad and when filling up if you can it keeps clicking and smelling like fuel inside car. no lighting in car at all. had to replace suspension as the bolts were worn. paint chipping all over car. cooling system keeps failing and somehow i have water keeps coming in on floor boards and the floor is soaked and stinks.

My vehicle has a bad paint job, needs to be repainted. the heater coil is leaking and needs to be replaced had estimate of $1030.44 with not guarantee that the dash will come out in one piece and can be put back into the car without breaking into several pieces. i feel that mitsubish put bad paint jobs on the cars and they should be the ones to repaint the car, and replace the heater coil so the i will have working defrosters. ma 10/29/2015 updated 12/06/2017*cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. the contact stated that the hatch back and sun roof had water leakage. in addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 109,000.

Driving on residential street (approx. 20 mph). car shifted slightly to right as i was rounding a curve. came to stop sign and rear right wheel fell off. the hub cracked and broke off at bearing.. it was a very clean cut as though there was a defect in the hub. car towed to repair shop. $300 repair bill. repairman said he has never seen this type of damage in the 40 years he has been repairing cars. could have been very serious had i been driving at a higher speed as on an open highway. *tr

I have a 2003 sterling silver metallic eclipse which i purchased new in 2002. i have noticed that the paint on my hood, roof and truck have started to delaminate and the primer is starting to show through. i only have 73,000 miles on this vehicle. i have noticed a lot of other 2003 eclipses with the same problem, in the same color as mine and also in black. i went to the dealer where i purchased my eclipse and was told that mitsubishi was having a paint issue for this model. i am hoping that mitsubishi will stand behind their name and make this right. i also purchased a 2003 chevy silverado in 2002 and that paint job looks like the day i drove it off the lot. i should have bought 2 of them. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. the contact stated that the vehicle would idle low, causing it to stall intermittently. the dealer advised the contact to replace the manifold. the manufacturer was aware of the failure, but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. no repairs were performed. the failure mileage ws 95,000 and the current mileage was 99,450.

This vehicle suddenly started stalling whether idling, accelerating, or coasting. it would then have trouble starting and run fine again. after taking it to the mitsubshi dealership on western blvd in jacksonville, nc, they could not diagnose it but found in their data base that there is a tiny part in the crank shaft that could cause this problem. after waiting a week for parts they realized they had the wrong tool. another week waiting for the tool and the new part did not fix the problem. another week of keeping my car they replaced the fuel injection regulator with a used part, this did not fix it. another week with a new fuel injector. now it does not stall but i cant get gas in the gas tank, the car smells like gas, there is still occasional stalling, and the new timing belt they put on screeches with the first start of the day everyday. the gas tank problem is found to be that the valve is stuck in the full and closed position and whole new gas tankis recommended. another two weeks and still waiting on the gas tank. my car has been in the shop since august 22nd and it is now october first and my car is still unsafe to drive and waiting for parts. how is it that mitsubishi can allow their service department to take this long, cost this much, and to return a vehicle to the customer in worse shape than it was given? i paid for all of these new parts and labor, and still have a vehicle that i cant use. also, as a side note, it is black which means the cheap factory clear coat is coming off, the ac leaks on the driverside floor, the trunk does not open when you pull the lever...these are all things that should not be expired on an 03 vehicle and are so common with this vehicle. this is not acceptable. *tr

This vehicle suddenly started stalling whether idling, accelorating, or coasting. it would then have trouble starting and run fine again. after taking it to the mitsubshi dealership on western blvd in jacksonville, nc, they could not diagnose it but found in their data base that there is a tiny part in the crank shaft that could cause this problem. after waiting a week for parts they realized they had the wrong tool. another week waiting for the tool and the new part ddid not fix the problem. another week of keeping my car they replaced the fuel injection regulator with a used part, this did not fix it. another week with a new fuel injector. now it does not stall but i cant get gas in the gas tank, the car smells like gas, there is still occasional stalling, and the new timing belt they put on screeches with the first start of the day everyday. the gas tank problem is found to be that the valve is stuck in the full and closed position and whole new gas tankis recommended. another two weeks and still waiting on the gas tank. my car has been in the shop since august 22nd and it is now october first and my car is still unsafe to drive and waiting for parts. how is it that mitsubishi can allow their service department to take this long, cost this much, and to return a vehicle to the customer in worse shape than it was given? i paid for all of these new parts and labor, and still have a vehicle that i cant use. also, as a side note, it is black which means the cheap factory clear coat is coming off, the ac leaks on the driverside floor, the trunk does not open when you pull the lever...these are all things that should not be expired on an 03 vehicle and are so common with this vehicle. this is not acceptable.

The service engine light came on. the car has been inspected by two mechanics from different shops; both of which suspect the problem with my fuel system may be related to the fuel system recall for the 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. *tt i contacted the manufacturer to get more information. i was informed that my vehicle had not been serviced for the recall. however, i was also told that my vehicle was not included in the recall, even though it is the same make and model as the recalled vehicle and is having problems in the same category. i am concerned my vehicle may have problems related to the fuel system recall. if so, i would like this issue to be properly addressed.

2003 mitsubishi eclipse, was west bound on ohio turnpike, she heard a pop then saw her front tire come off the vehicle and she pulled off the road onto the right beam. *bf the left front tire sheared off. there was damage to the rotor and scrapes to the left side of the bumper. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0898-90) updated 02/15/11 *bf

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. the contact stated that the battery cable deposits burned off. periodically his vehicle would not start. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the battery harness needed to be replaced due to heat damage. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer also informed him there were no recalls or warranties related to the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 120,000.

I have a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse, the fuel filler pipe began leaking, when i took the car to the mitsubishi dealer they said it had to be replaced. i had it fixed for $453, i later found out many mitsubishi's have defective fuel filler necks and have been recalled.the recalls were for the same part i had replaced on my car but mitsubishi told me that my model has not been recalled even though fuel will leak out of tank because of this defect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. the contact stated the vehicle abnormally accelerated and the accelerator pedal independently extended into the floorboard. the contact shifted into neutral, turned off the ignition and coasted to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was advised that a bolt detached from the throttle control unit and was sucked into the engine. in addition, the failure also destroyed the engine. the manufacturer would not assist with any repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 90,000.

I have had the car since 2003 or 04, and kept the car covered when i didn't drive it much, but for weekends i used the car for errands. last year i started to drive the car more often and did not cover the car as much, but continued to wash and wax the car when needed. i started to notice fading spots on the hood on the black paint, but did not do anything about it, but continued to wash and wax the car as usual. this year, around march, i noticed the color started to get more white and it was spreading half way on the hood near the windshield side. now the paint is also chipping within the white spots exposing the undercoating. the fading on the paint is also noticeable on the trunk and side panels on the top. *tr

Purchased 2003 silver eclipse gs with 5000 miles in june 2003. with in 12 months, paint was showing signs of wear and flaking off exposing primer coat. this deterioration progressed quickly and after 5 years hood, roof and rear quarter panels are almost completely down to primer. i am filing now to hopefully raise the number of complaints to the point where somebody realizes this is not an isolated incident but a systemic defect for which mitsubishi should be held accountable. *tr

When i run my ac it leaks on the floor of the drivers side. it leaks so much it runs to the back seat floorboard too. *tr

I have a mitisubishi eclipse 2003 100000 miles ( majority highway). in the spring of 08-the vehicle was making noise when accelerating, the vehicle was changing gears hard and was advise it was the transmission/motor mounds. the problem occurred intermittently while driving as much as 40mph. took it back to mitisubishi dealer for service/diagnosis-told possible eventually trans, timing belt and possibly radiator, which was one of another consumers resolve. well, they flush the radiator and it resolve the problem of driving but not the noise. also june 2009-after driving 5 mph i noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment, the consumer pulled over ( call for tow and later opened the hood to see all the insulation smolder). after being stranded for over an hour i was towed to my destination. the car was later towed to contractor advise possible distributor, realized it was not the distributor and suggest car is towed to mitsubish for official computer service diagnosis ( due to car starting but not turning over). advise, by the mitisubishi service tech all of the electrical wires were melted... computer failure/extreme electrical system damage, harness melted etc; i ask the dealer service manager @ the dealership, what would cause this and had this happen before? he stated ?not sure of cause?and was really shocked to the damage "possible fuse, ignition wires something" not sure. diagnostic testing cost $112.00 repair estimate $5400. help!!!i the manufacture needs to be made aware of this hazard of a problem; if not already. with recall/replacement and/or reimburse good faith and loyal mitsubishi consumers. i won't began to explain the numerous brake/rotors & tires replaced/repaired within 5 years of purchased in september 2002. *tr

Carpet on driver side front and back completed soaked with water everytime it rains .car always smells moldy. have had it checked but noone can figure it out. *tr

Purchased brand new 2003 eclipse in 2004. i am experiencing paint delamination and it's spreading rapidly. went to the mitsubishi dealer after finding out many others are experiencing this problem. they took pictures and said they will contact mitsubishi. i was notified the next day that my car has been declined any help due to expiration in warranty. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. when the contact bought the vehicle, she noticed that the paint was fading from gray to white. through online research, she found a few complaints about the same defect on her vehicle. the dealer stated that there was a recall for the vehicle's paint, but her vehicle was excluded since it was purchased in 2006. the vehicle is currently at the insurance company, but would have to be repaired at the owner's expense. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 69,000.

I own a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse, black. when i purchased the car, the paint appeared perfect, but in less than one year very bad 'sunbleached' or oxidized spots have appeared on the roof and trunk and appear to be getting worse in a hurry. the car has been washed and waxed regularly since i purchased it. since these spots have shown up, i have been looking at other eclipses around my area, and literally every single black eclipse i see - probably upwards of 30 cars (2000-2003) - has the same problem, not to mention the thousands of online posts i have seen mentioning this same problem. i would like to know if there is any way to have the dealership pay for a new paintjob with current black paint (i do not want the same 2003 paint put on, only to have the same problem occur in 4 years) thank you very much! *tr

This is the second time this happened. the first time this occurred was about 6 mos prior to this recent incident though i couldn't recall exactly when. i was on stop on an intersection trying to turn right. i had my foot on the brake pedal. just as i slowly released my foot the car accelerated and moved towards the right lane of where i wanted to go however there was still incoming traffic. i was able to steer myself towards the middle lane and avoided the incoming car. second incident happened today: on my way home and entering my garage, i have slowly released my foot off the brake pedal; the car simply accelerated forward at a maximum speed. i hit our garage wall. the wall happened to be a common wall to our family room. this bore a 3' x 4' hole in our family room; the couch which was placed against the wall moved right in the middle of the room -which shows the extent of the speed pick-up as well as the damage. i am glad to share photos of this incident. *tr

I own a black 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. on or about june 1, 2007 i noticed a mysterious white spot forming on the roof of my car. within the next month or so, the white spot turned into several white spots and now currently on august 5, 2008 the entire roof is covered in white and one has even turned to rust. i contacted a mitsubishi dealership and was told that the car is not covered after 36,000 miles. my question is, what does mileage have to do with paint? i then did some research online and found out that this is a very common problem with mitsubishi vehicles produced around 2003 and that the issue is due to a defect in the primer used by the company. so why doesn't mitsubishi fess up to their problem and fix the mess? there are thousands if not millions of dissatisfied customers with newer vehicles that look horrible. in my case, i own a fairly new vehicle that i am still making payments on that looks absolutely worthless. i am ashamed to own this vehicle, it looks like i don't take care of my car. when it all actuality, this is not my fault. i would appreciate any help with this matter. i would like mitsubishi to repaint my car at no cost to me. *tr

I own a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse gts and i have noticed on the top of my roof that my black paint is turning white! it is very noticeable . i have done a lot of research online and found out that i am one of hundreds with this same problem. i have also found that company does not take responsibility and blames it on the road, salt, and birds. a car that is this new should not be having paint problems! i am extremely disappointed with mitsubishi and will not be a continuing customer if the problem is not fixed. i am hoping mitsubishi takes full responsibility in fitting the paint. *tr

I noticed recently that a section of the roof on my car was whitish in color. quite apparent as my car is black in color. i have heard and read from many sources that this issue was prevalent in 2003 models and obviously mine is not exempt much to my disappointment. i hope that mitsubishi steps up to the plate to correct this manufacturer defect. *tr

I own a 2003 black mitsubishi eclipse gts that has a horrible oxidizing paint problem. the hood, trunk and top of my car are nearly all gray at this point. the problem first appeared about two years ago when the car was only three years old. the dealership refused to repaint the car stating that it was past warranty. *tr

Service engine soon light came on; took car to dealership. discoverd that filler neck has rusted out requiring replacement. this was reported to me by the dealership to be common with this model. the vehicle is a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse gs. the filler neck has completely rusted out. the filler neck is located directly behind the rear passenger side tire. this car is only 5 years old. "pipes" should not be rusting after 5 years of use. there is no cover over the filler neck to protect it from road conditions and weather. also appears there was no protective coating on the metal. a ccv test showed a strong odor from the filler neck. all other tests on the car passed. more tests to be run once filler neck replaced.

I purchased a black 2003 mitsubishi eclipse and the entire car looks terrible because of peeling paint and white spots all over it. i was told by an auto body specialist that it because of a clear coat failure. i have taken really good care of the car and it is garaged in the winter. mitsubishi needs to take responsibility and repaint my car. *tr

I bought new tires for my daughter last fall and she has been away at college and her car has not been driven much at all. when she came home from school we noticed 2 huge buldges and another buldge in both her front tires. they are not worn at all but we were told not to drive on them cause they could blow at anytime. they are bridgestone 250/r17. *tr

I will have had my car 5years in mid-june. last year in november i noticed that my black car was turning a whitish grey but only on the hood and trunk. in the spring i took it to the dealer where i purchased it brand new, he took pictures and showed it to the regional manager,and they both agreed that it was a defect in the paint ,and that the paint was a problem that year ( 2003 ).they painted it but only the hood and trunk. then in march of this year i noticed that the rest of the car is doing the same thing. so i took it back to the dealer and they said that it was considered an old car and out of warranty,but if the paint was bad last year do to a defect in the paint it's still the same car with the same defective paint and they refuse to have any thing to do with it. my car only has 37,000 miles on it .can some one please help me? i love my car never any problems with it,runs great but looks like ?!@#$%. *tr

I do have a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse and at 27,000 i had a clutch replaced and a price tag of $1,250.00 for the dealership the i purchased the car from i thought i would get a long time out of that repair that cost so much. i was only up set that the same problem arose again so called from the dealership. i called independent shop the diagnostic the complete problem the dealership stated was not wrong, i was told by an independent garage that the leaking was caused by the sled and that i needed the lines need to be replaced and possible a new clutch again. because of the leakage problem. i find that the dealership failed and the manufacture failed to make the public aware of these problems. i seems the dealership wanted $1,6759.95 for the repair of a clutch not addressing the leak problems. *tr

Bad paint on 2003 mitsubishi. dealer will not do anything about it. mitsubishi knows they are responsible for the bad paint and needs to fix all complaints. *tr

I was in a car accident. we were hit on the front corner of the drivers side. we were going 35mph and the other driver was going about that speed. he was turning from the opposite direction and turned right into us. i'm not sure if you would describe it as head on because it was at an angle. the whole front of our car was crushed in. the battery and radiator were pushed up near the dash. i was the passenger. my seat belt didn't lock up and my air bag didn't go off. i hit the rear view mirror and my knees slammed into the dash. i also twisted a vertebrae in my back and bruised or cracked a rib. it's been over 6 months and i still have trouble walking because i have tendinitis in my left knee and i have fluid on my knee from the impact. my fianceÉ was driving. his knees hit the dash and one of them still bothers him. he has injuries to the tendons in his shoulder and he has a 2.8 mm cut in his thoracic spinal chord. his air bag did not go off either. both of us had horrible bruising from the force of the crash. i believe our airbags should have gone off. the guy who hit us had very minor damage done to his vehicle and his air bags went off. *tr

Check engine light illuminated-dealer scanned code po455 - gross evap. leak. tech. removed and re-installed gas cap, cleared code, ran evap. test, drove car to set readiness test. cost $120.00 because pei failed and they had to remove and re-install gas cap. no other parts or fixes offered. engine light illuminated again 3 months after inspection and so called fix. concerned since this had been happening for approx. 2 yrs. on and off. when first happened dealership said not to worry most likely will correct itself. went looking and found campaign 03v442000 - same problem. called dealer was told my v.i.n. # not included in campaign, but still have problem. tried to change form to mitubishi-keeps coming up mitsubishi caribbean???? *tr

I purchased a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse gts brand new in august of 2003. since that time the paint on the top of the vehicle has faded and the clear coat is chipping away. the color is now a milky white and looks terrible only after 4.5 years and 38,000 miles of owning the vehicle. something is not right here. *tr

I am experiencing problems with the corrosion of my paint on my 2003 mitsubishi eclipse; i began experiencing problems in early 2005 (just a little over a year of owning the brand new vehicle.) while my complaint does not involve a safety issue, it does involve false representation of the product and expectations. several websites contain hundreds of other individuals complaining about the same situation. i have addressed this issue with my mitsubishi dealer and was turned away since i had exceeded the mileage according to my warranty. i do know that i would not have purchased this vehicle if i knew the paint was so cheaply done or manufactured. i would like to know if there are any recalls on the paint or if there are any class action suits against mitsubishi. while such items as paint and tires are considered "normal wear and tear", one would not expect their tires to blow out just days after leaving a dealership just as the paint should last until i at least complete the financing period. again, the expectations of the overall vehicle have not been met, even with normal upkeep of the vehicle. please let me know of any information that can be offered. *tr

We have a 2003 black mitsubishi eclipse. the paint is going bad on all the top areas of the car. the clear coat peeling and it is turning white. i have seen many other black mitsubishi's like this and have seen other web sites that speak of this. it is unbelievable that in two or three years that a factory paint job from a major car company can go bad this soon and in so many cars. i will not let anyone i know buy another mitsubishi unless this problem is resolved in a satisfactory manner. *tr

2003 mitsubishi eclipse paint defect. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. the bolt on the driver's seat has failed. the dealer stated that the repair is not easy. the manufacturer refuses to acknowledge that it is a defect that can cause a crash. the current mileage is 43,000 and failure mileage was 27,000.

There was no incident, crash or injury. i purchased a black 2003 mitsubishi eclipse, in 2005, which had 40000 mi on nit. the paint was ok at time of purchase. unknown to me, mitsubishi vehicles from 1999-2004 have defective primer which causes the paint to flake off in large quantities. i had the vehicle less than a year when the paint starting coming off. the manufacturers aware of the problem, but only fixes some of the vehicles. my claim was denied. i believe these vehicles should be recalled due to defective paint.*ak

Paint on car is flaking off. many people have had the same problem with mistsubishi models. *tr

I purchased the 2003 mitsubishi eclipse new off the lot in april 2003. i have taken care of the car with regular washes and attempts to keep it clean. last year started noticing light grey spots developing on the top of the car behind the sun roof. now ,just a year later, the spots increased and are now located all over the car. every day they appear to be getting wide r and larger in size. i have had many paint chips knocked off the front of the car in just normal driving conditions and those spots are now also starting to rust. i am very upset about this as i spent good money on this car thinking it would be a reputable company. i have never had a car this new start experiencing such paint problems. there is no excuse for this. i have completed research online about the paint problems with mitsubishi, and it appeared i wa s not alone. there have been many owners of mitsubishi cars that have complained of a paint problem, (especially with the black paint, in the year my car was manufactured. i would never purchase another mitsubishi after this experience and would never recommend anyone purchase one as mitsubishi is not being cooperative in fixing or admitting there is even a problem when obviously there is. there was no way without a new paint job that i could even sell my vehicle and make my money off of it. i am so extremely disappointed with mitsubishi and their product. *ak

Front right brake rotor keeps warping. replaced with new one once while car still under warranty; same one (area) warped again with in 1 yr of 1st time, had resurfaced, now within less than three months it is warped again. it is not the way i drive, i have been driving for 25 years & i have never had a warped rotor on any car i have owned & i had a camaro for 6 years & had 140,000, & no warped rotor! why is it the same one every time? i have taken it to the dealer & even they can't find out why the same one gets warped. it has been suggested by a very experienced brake specialist that the rotor was defective in manufacturing, which the metal was cast with imputrities causing thin & think places that with any heat wear unevenly, causing warpage. makes sense. my car is out of warranty nor but i only have 41,000 on it, and i only go to and from work which is only 8 miles from home with only two stops signs. there is not much useage of my brakes, not enough to continue to replace the same rotor! there are numerous websites about mitsubishi cars & problems that sound exactly like mine, so i know i am not the only one, but mitsubishi wants to blame the drivers for making bad or sudden stops or riding breaks, instead of addressing this problem. if i had this problem with any of the 8 cars i have owned in my lieftime, then yes maybe it might be my driving, but never till this car have i had a rotor issue. *nm

3 months after purchasing a 2003 mitsubishi esclipse gs, i noticed rust appearing on the rotors and calipers. the dealership sprayed something on them when we had it in for warranty service. this rust has gotten increasingly worse. there are only 40,000 miles on this car. i am worried that this rust will lead to a failure in these parts in the future and cause an accident.

We have a 2003 black mitsubishi eclipse. the paint is going bad on all the top areas of the car. the clear coat peeling and it is turning white. i have seen many other black mitsubishi's like this and have seen other web sites that speak of this. it is unbelievable that in two or three years that a factory paint job from a major car company can go bad this soon and in so many cars. what is worse is that they are not acknowledging the problem exists. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminated as the vehicle was traveling 40 mph. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer, where computer diagnostics reported a major fuel leak that could not be identified. when the manufacturer was notified, the contact was informed that there was a nhtsa recall, #(03v442000) on the vehicle regarding the fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump, but the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin.

2003 black mitsubishi eclipse gts - paint is fading (turning white) on top of car around moonroof area. *nm

I was struck head on in my 2003 mitsubishi eclipse by a bmw suv who was traveling in the wrong direction on a posted one way street. i was pushed up the block and spun 90 degrees on to a side street. my airbags did not deploy. the front of my car was crushed i was diagnosed with a cervical sprain. my eclipse was declared "a total loss" by my insurance company. i am very concerned since my other car that my wife drives with my 2 young children is also a mitsubishi. when i called mitsubishi for a name and address of someone that i could correspond with, i was transferred to 3 different people and was told to send my letter to their general customer service po box. i have read through my owners manual carefully and it says that the bags should have deployed. the language in the manual is very vague. *jb

I am experiencing problems with the corrosion of my paint on my 2003 mitsubishi eclipse; i began experiencing problems in early 2005 (just a little over a year of owning the brand new vehicle.) while my complaint does not involve a safety issue, it does involve false representation of the product and expectations. several websites contain hundreds of other individuals complaining about the same situation. i have addressed this issue with my mitsubishi dealer and was turned away since i had exceeded the mileage according to my warranty. i do know that i would not have purchased this vehicle if i knew the paint was so cheaply done or manufactured. i would like to know if there are any recalls on the paint or if there are any class action suits against mitsubishi. while such items as paint and tires are considered "normal wear and tear", one would not expect their tires to blow out just days after leaving a dealership just as the paint should last until i at least complete the financing period. again, the expectations of the overall vehicle have not been met, even with normal upkeep of the vehicle. please let me know of any information that can be offered. *jb

After my purchase of a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse gts, at ira nissan in tewksbury mass. i took the car to a mechanic. i was told that there were numerous problems with it including a transmission problem. i possessed the car for a day and a half and it has been in the shop now ever since. it has been about twelve days now. i have been going back and fourth between ira and a mitsubishi dealer which they are affiliated with. they told me that the noise in the front of the car is where the transmission is. the noise which sounds like rocks flying around in the front. the dealer said this noise is normal. the ira general manager also told me that it is normal for my car to go up to the h on the hot and cold gauge. he said his does it all the time. ira said that this issue was fixed. i have not seen nor driven the car yet since i brought it back so i do not know what is fixed and what is not fixed. i called the mitsubishi motors headquarters in texas, and gave then my vin number and they said there are absolutely no recall on the transmission of this specific car, nor should this noise be occurring. i also went on safercar.gov and they too said the only recall on this car is about lights. i also called ira 3 days ago and they told me that they lost my title and i can't register my car either. now i need some information on my options and where to go from here. *jb

Service technician was unable to pop hood for scheduled oil change. apparently the hood release cable broke or came loose from the hood latch release mechanism. technician suggested to take to dealership where they may be more familiar with this problem. dealership was unable to release hood and stated that front bumper probably would need to be removed by cutting it off to access the stuck hood latch. this would be a $400 minimum repair, not including the oil change, which the owner would be responsible for. *nm

Air conditioning refrigerant pipe needs to be replaced. it is almost sitting on top of the radiator bracket and moves onto the bracket with normal vibrations of the car. the air has been slowly getting warmer until it finally quit altogether; i was told that anyone could have moved the pipe over and caused it to be on the bracket. *jb

I was driving down the highway at a speed of 40 mph and let up on the gas pedal before i was going to brake. the car started to accelerate and wouldn't stop. coming to a red light i started to press firmly on my brakes and while it managed to slow the car down some it wouldn't come to a complete stop. i slowed down just enough ways back from the light that when the light turned green i was able to let up on the brake with out going into traffic. it then accelerated very quickly again. the car sounded as if it shifted and stop accelerating. luckily i was able to slow down a ways in front of the light i didn't hit anyone while their light was green. i had cars on the right side of me that i wasn't able to get over. *jb

Sun roof exploded and shattered while driving 65 mph on a two lane highway on a clear night, no rocks on the road way, and one vehicle traveling approximately half a mile ahead when my glass shattered. when the closed sun roof exploded and shattered it sounded like a something fell from the sky on the roof of my vehicle, i pulled over to check what had happened, but there was only the shattered glass all over the roof and trunk of my car. i inspected the shattered glass laying on the roof, interior slide and trunk of my vehicle for anything that might have caused the sun roof shatter, yet there was nothing that could have caused this damage. fortunately the interior roof slide was closed, stopping the exploding shattered glass from injuring my daughter and i sitting in the driver and passenger seats below the sun roof. this is a severe safety defect which could cause serious injury and/or death if the interior roof slide is not closed. *jb

I was driving the car and went to make a right hand turn but the steering wheel locked up. the steering wheel was very tight and hard to turn. was able to make turn. brought car back to dealer that day. they could not find anything wrong with it but decided to replace the power steering power. *nm

At approximately 36,500 miles or so noticed the car not wanting to "grip" on take off. seemed to want to rev higher randomly.. over a period of 2 days went from no big deal to not being able to drive. i have had previous experience with manual transmissions (2 other personal vehicles ). i contacted dealership and warranty provider to find out this is normal and considered wear and tear. have been priced upwards of 1000 usd if not more to replace this clutch. and i just got this car. *jb

I have a 2003 mitubishi eclipse with 23,000 miles on it and the clutch needs to be replaced already, in the morning the front wheels jump and shifting into 1st and 2nd gear is a nightmare ! *nm

Dt: the contact stated while driving the tire on the left rear side blew out. she experienced a blow out with the same type of tire twice. these were the original tires when the vehicle was purchased. she did not have tire information available at this time. she contacted the dealership and the manufacturer. they have a history report on the vehicle.

I bought my car in october of 2003 and immediately i noticed a grinding coming from the transmission. i took it into lancaster mitsubishi in pennsylvania and they told me it was a common trans noise. a couple of weeks passed by and the noise kept getting louder and now my clutch is slipping. i have never beat or raced my car. it is one of the best cars i have ever owned and the one of the most reliable. i don't have much choice to keep driving it the way it is and it is getting worse. pretty soon i will be out of a car. *nm

I have a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse gts. it has about 75,000 miles on it now. i have now bent 4 wheels on this model. they keep blaming it on me, saying its my driving, but after the fourth time, i know it is not me. i should not be regularly bending wheels on a car, especially when the vast majority of my driving is highway driving. *jb

Dt: the caller said that his vehicle is making a noise. when accelerating the vehicle changes gears hard and he did not know if it was the transmission or the motor mounts. the problem occurs intermittently while driving between 35 to 40 mph. right after having the transmission fluid changed. he had the motor mounts changed 8 times. the dealer did not remove the battery to get to the motor mount, but they said that they did. an independent mechanic told the contact that the problem might be the transmission. the manufacturer has not been contacted yet. *ak *mr

Dt: the vehicle shifted into reverse then accelerated on its own. the vehicle was taken to the dealer., they confirmed that clutch collapsed that controls the clutch hydraulics. this happened on august 11, 2005. this is based on a police report because she actually saw that the clutch was down. *ak

I got in my car to go somewhere, shut the door, and the sunroof completely shatters. i went to the dealership (an actual mitsubishi dealership as opposed to the dealership where i purchased my vehicle which was a chevy dealership) where the manager said he had never heard of this and that it shouldn't be covered by warranty because if it were faulty glass then it would have happened much sooner. i responded by asking if that is true, then all other warranty issues happen right away and not over time? if so, then why have warranties that last for years? he seemed upset that i would question him about it and said that even if i called customer service that it would not be replaced by the company under warranty. i also brought to his attention the liability issued associated with shattering sunroofs that could be something along the lines of bridgestone/ford. i have researched this issue and find several others have had the same issues dating back to the early 90's with the 3000gt. how can i get the company to replace this? *nm

2003 eclipse emits rattle from the clutch/transaxle since about 30000 miles. *jb

I bought my 2003 eclipse gt in march of 2004. at approximately 30,000 miles two bulges suddenlyappeared on left side front and rear tires (one bulge on each). when the car was taken to the goodyear retailer i was told it was the result of running over pot holes. however, the position of the bulges doesn't suggest so. the tires are goodyear rsas which came stock on the car. the tire size is p215/vr17.

Dt: it is a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. air conditioning system is not working, causing the car to quit in the middle of the road. car stalled in the middle of the road.*ak

The consumer heard a knocking in the engine. this is the second time he has taken it to the mitsubishi dealer approx. 4 months ago and they were suppose to have replaced the engine.

While driving at any speed vehicle stalled. without warning. driver was not able to restart vehicle, and it was towed to a dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that the radiator cap needed to be replaced. *ak

This complaint involves our 2003 mitsubishi eclipse. the vehicle was idling in park in front of a building. when the brake was applied to shift into drive, the vehicle rpms increased to the maximum level, the tires began to spin and the car accelerated forward at a high rate of speed into a brick support pole. the brakes failed to stop the vehicle and both airbags deployed. *ak

While driving left front tire experienced tread separation. the tread which separated wrapped around the axle. vehicle vibrated in the rear. currently, the right rear tire was experiencing thread separation. consumer replaced the two front tires. tires: response, rst touring 2000, dot 3dt2 1, lbw 3500-a14r-31138, 021 1803, e4, 89t p205/55r16, m + s, mountd only on 16" rims. *ak

I am filing a complaint regarding the steering mechanism in my 2003 mitsubishi eclipse gt - on monday, december 27, 2004 - i was going home from work and my steering suddenly became stiff and i was almost unable to steer the car enough to get to my home. the problem seems to be intermittent. the car is still under the factory warranty and i called mitsubishi who had the vehicle towed to dealership for repair. i have not gotten my car back and it is still in the shop; however, i find this issue to be a huge safety issue in terms of consumers of this product. i did research previous complaints on your site and see the same issue was noted under the components of steering wheel and handle bar for the 2003 eclipse product. *nm

While driving 65 mph front passenger's side tire exploded. as a result, vehicle went into a spin and crashed into a guard rail. *ak the consumer stated that the vehicle is no longer in his possession. *tc

Have a 2003 eclipse and many many problems since purchasing. after regular scheduled tire balance and rotation, took the car back because of shaking at 50-60 mph, the dealership told me the rims were bent, and they would have to be replaced, and they did (right after balance and rotating? would they balance if the rims were bent?) had my car in numerous times for moisture in my windows when putting them down and back up, a lot of moisture and bad visibility, replaced strips which helped mold smell, but can't fix the moisture. b/c of the bad visibility i am extra careful, but my car should not have this problem. recently the molding on the windshield was coming loose, the dealership fixed it (sent it to a window place) and since then i have a film on my windshield which makes it very difficult to see...i have cleaned the glass numerous times, my wipers were fairly new, mitsbushi wouldn't look at it when i took it in for another rim replacement. my car still shakes, my windows and windshield have bad visibility problems, and now my sunroof button has popped out and will not open unless i hold it in first. *jb

Paint peeling off bumper. clear coat peeling off drivers side rocker panel. *ak

I would like to file a complaint regarding my mitsubishi eclipse gts 2003. the product has not performed well because during the six months that i have had my brand new car, i had to bring it for several repairs. first, the car went to the shop at mitsubishi bosak chicago for a loose bolt, second the car had a leak on the coolant system, third the wheel was no longer aligned, and fourth the rear defroster does not defrost properly. i am very disappointed of that matter because one of the reason i invested my money in buying a brand new car and choosing mitsubishi so i don't have to spend more time in the shop for repair and spend more cash. the car was only six months old and already experiencing a lot of problems, now the car has been a year and i brought the car back to mitsubishi bosak dealer to have the rear light fixed because water was going inside and still waiting to have the sunroof to be fix because it does not operate properly and the axle of the car needs to be replace. they wouldn't replace it right away because the mechanic stated that we have to wait for the item to be delivered. what if during that time of wait something happen to the car? (may god forbid) i have before try to complain with the mitsubishi headquarter in california, but the person wouldn't do anything. i feel very unsafe of my car. i think that the company should check their entire product before selling it to the public. driving my eclipse is something that i fear because i never know something might happen because of the car's defect.*ak

I have only had the car for a little over a year. i have absolutely loved the car besides having to take it in within like 3 months to replace a deffective transmission. i have am a person that have been in many close accident calls throughout my life so i am not a person who takes the car to the limit whatsoever. i have had defective cars all my life. my first car i was in a near death call in my first accident when a man in a rush decided to try to pass me while i was doing a u-turn. my second i bought for $4000 and put over 2k in it trying to get it fixed and running. my third car i bought was a toyota camry. it was a great car but also had to put $1,500 into a car i bought for only lik 5k, when the manufacturer told me that they couldnt fix the problem and i had wasted every dime i had on this car. my last and present car is my 2003 mitsubishi eclipse gt. my mother didn't like all the problems i was having with all of my previous cars, so when i received an academic scholarship to any school in florida she went out and bought me the eclipse. to get back to the problem at hand, at 10,000 miles i started having problems with my clutch. the car will severely jerk when switching gears every time i start the car. i took the car into my local mitsubishi dealer and they told me it was not under warranty which didn't make sense. the car was under 12k miles and i thought there was a warranty up till then. anyways, i am not the person to argue so i said "ok" and went on my way. well, it has gotten worse and i believe could have played a large part in my only other accident. but the bad thing is that now i am at 14, 438 miles, which either way is over the 12k mile warranty if there was one. i have all original receipts to prove that i started having clutch problems before i hit 12k miles and i am not sure if i can do anything. i got a quote of over $1,000 to buy the clutch and install it. what can i do?*ak

My 2003 eclipse gts has been serviced for about 10 different things in a matter of 8 months. 4 seperate times i had brought it in for a jerking automatic transmission 3 times they told me nothing was the matter and it was fine. finally the check engine light came on and they then informed me that the transmision needed to be reprogrammed. it worked for about 4 months. also 20 days after buying the car my check engine light came on and the fuel pump and sensor needed to be replaced. 4 times i have also brought the car in becuase when the sunroof opens it jerks really bad. every time i went there all they did was grease it and it still doesn't work properly. at 17,000 the power mirror on the driver side door stopped functioning and that was replaced. today 8/23/04 at 20,000 i just dropped it off for the sunroof (again) and informed them my wheel shook while braking and was just notified that my rotors were bad and needed to be replaced and the cost to me was $200.00 for a car with 20,000 miles and 1 year old. mitsubishi states they have the best backed cars but when it comes down to it they do not back thier cars up when it matters.*ak

Water leaks in from vent when going through a car wash, never repaired. *jb

While driving at any speed consumer smelled strong chemical fumes inside the passenger compartment. dealer inspected the vehicle, and could not duplicate or correct the problem. *ak

I just bought this car and yesterday i noticed a grinding sound when i let out the clutch to start the car. i took it into the shop and was told that it was the clutch disk that was gone and thefore probably my flywheel too. they also told me this wasn't covered under warranty as it was considered normal wear and tear. *ak

Bulge on front tire of 2003 mitsubishi eclipse gts. tire is a goodyear rsa p215/50 r17. less than 10,000 miles on tire when bulge appeared. both mitsubishi and goodyear blamed defect on me and offered no compensation. also have two bent original rims on car. the rims and tires on the eclipse have a poor history and safety rating. *ak

While traveling 60 mph on the expressway on a clear day, no construction, no trucks in sight, not going under an overpass - my sunroof suddenly explodes! the sunroof had only been partially open, and the interior slide was only opened just slightly. this was lucky, otherwise i would have been showered with glass. even though it scared the heck out of me, i was able to keep my vehicle under control. i have researched window explosions on eclipses and found that i am not the only one this has happened to. what can i do and can i get the dealership to repair due to defect?*ak

The clutch failed after only 12,000 miles. the dealer said that the vehicle was hot rodded but the driver stated that she was an experienced manual transmission driver. they also said that the clutch was slipping. provide further details. *nm

We bought a 2003 eclipse from sun coast mis. right away we complained about the smell of mold. finally we took the car in on a rainy day and my wife got out of the back seat totally wet. they repaired the problem, but we were back again with the same problem. this last time we took the car in we could smell mold again. they found another leak at the fire wall on the pass. side. we live 66 miles away from the dealership and they have had our car for repairs over 30 days. we have had other problems with the car like paint chips on the hood, side mirrow had to be replaced, the radio cd had to be fixed and other things.

I pruchased a 2003 eclipse in may 2002 and now the coating on my headlights is cracking. *ak

When the driver's side window is in the full upward position, the door is hard to open/close; the glass gets stuck in the window molding. took to dealer, who replaced window molding, but really didn't work. will take back to dealer. seems to be a design problem. *ak

After driving 65 mph the consumer noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. the consumer pulled over and opened the hood to see all the insulation smoldering. all of the electrical wires were also melted. the dealer is examining the vehicle at this time. the manufacturer is aware of the problem. *nm

Consumer's vehicle was rear ended by another vehicle, causing consumer's vehicle to rear end the vehicle in front. upon impact, neither driver driver's side nor passenger's side airbags deployed. as a result the driver impacted the steering wheel.*ak

When the consumer drove the vehicle, it was hard to see out of the rear window. the vehicle was designed with the back setting to high up. the manufacturer and the dealer were aware of the problem. *jb *mr

Vehicle involved in a head on collision and air bags did not deploy.*mr . while driving 60 mph the consumers daughter lost control of the car and hit a cement guardrail head on. the air bags did not deploy. the consumer attempted to contact mitsubishi so they could check out the air bag defect but was unsuccessful, the consumer even filed a complaint with them and was given a file# and was sent a pamphlet on the safety of air bags. after the car was completely repaired the airbag light came on which allowed the repair shop to get mitsubishi involved to check the system. in their inspection report they found a connector unplugged, the sensor cut and the engine harness and wiring harness was hanging down in the l/f. in this report it was also stated that the most likely reason the air bags did not deploy was because the car was not in a head on collision it was and end accident. the consumer has provided files and pictures of the vehicle. *cb *jb

Hi, i bought my eclipse in september 2003 and a month later one of my external fog lights broke without any reason, i went to the dealer and told me that must be a rock hitting the fog light and that was not included in the new car warranty, also told me the price for replacement was $160.00 which it seems to me a ridiculous price for a fog light so i went back thinking was my bad luck it happen to me, now here i am a year and half after the incident with my fog light still broken since i have had not the money to replace it. but now i am seeing a lot owners with the same exact problem that mine and i think those fog lights are defective and should be replaced at not cost to the owner. *cb

Two out of four tires had bulges coming out of the sidewalls after less than 14,000 miles. took them to goodyear and they blamed it on me. they said the plys delaminated because i was running into too many potholes (which i wasn't). i've never had a tire do this before. i think the rsa's are an accident waiting to happen and a serious investigation needs to be initiated on these tires, especially the low-profile version. my tire size is p215/50vr17 , and came stock on my 2003 mitsubishi eclipse gts. *ak

My clutch on my 2003 mitsubishi eclipse spyder started to show signs of slipping at around 11,000 miles. i thought it was covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty and did not get it fixed right away as my dealership is about an hour away. it finally became so bad that it was unsafe to drive at 19500 miles. the dealership had to replace the clutch and would not cover it under warranty. i have driven stick shifts all my life and never had one fail, even after 85,000 miles. the car was never raced or driven abusively. now, the second clutch is at 11,000 miles and the problem is beginning again. i have read on an internet forum for eclipse owners, reports of many others having problems with the clutches on the 2003 eclipse gts models. this appears to be a factory defect and should be rectified. i cannot spend $1000 every 6 - 12 months to keep replacing clutches in this car. *la

I had the car, about for 5 to 6 months, and one day i was heading out to a friends when i realized that my fog light was busted. i knew i never hit anything of that sort or had anything hit it. i took it to the mitsubishi dealership and they said a rock might have hit it. i went online to www.neweclipse.org, that is the car club for eclipse owners and you go under promblem reports and you see that many peoples fog lights have just busted. even if a rock would have hit it, then it should have with stood it. and most of the complaints say that the mitsubishi team states that a rock must have hit it. if you could please check on this, thanks. *ak

I have a 2003 ecipse that i have had in the shpo twice because my car is leaking oil. i have had continous run around at the garage waiting for parts etc. i am very dissatisfied with the fact that my garagf floor continues to have wet oil on it.i also am without a vehicle that i am paying for.my car has been returned on three occassions to gurley-leep, where it currently is,for the saame problem of leaking oil.. *ak

Lost control of vehicle on highway at about 60-70 mph in the rain, hit a guardrail several times and air bag did not deploy. front of vehicle was so damaged that car could not be repaired. *la

My daughter was driving approximately 65 mph in her 2003 mitsubishi eclipse when she was in a head on collision hitting a cement guardrail when the air bags did not deploy, front or side. car had in excess of $4,000 damage to the front end, engine, frame, etc. and had to be rebuilt. all my efforts to contact mitsubishi for someone to check out the air bag default were not successful. i even filed a complaint with them and was given a file number and sent a pamphlet on the safety of air bags. after the car was completely repaired the air bag light went on which allowed the collision repair shop to get mitsubishi involved to check the system. in their inspection report they found a connector unplugged at srs ecu and also 11783 harness at outside temp. sensor cut, needs engine harness and a part of wiring harness that is hanging down in the l/f, advise where it is suppose to go. in this report it was also stated that the most likely reason the air bags did not deploy was the car was not in a head on collision it was a front end accident. this is totally incorrect. fortunately, her injuries were not life threatening as she suffered a severe body wipe lashe. after doctor's visits mri, pain medication and massage therapy, she is still in pain. medical bills are in excess of $10,000. and i am still seeking a treatment to help her pain. i don't want the car - i want mitsubishi to take the car back. also, compensate me for their lack of responsibility and involvement when clearly this cars safety failure has proven to have put my daughter life in danger. i am very certain that if anyone else was in the car - major injuries would not have spared everyone. this is mitsubishi and the manufacturers error one to this point they have chosen to ignore as i have not gotten any indication they are willing to cooperate. the car has not been driven since its' repairs. i have a file and pictures that unquestionable show this vehicle was in a head on collision. *la

Manual transmission - car seize when shifting into 5th gear. dealer stated that someone that serviced the car must have drained the gear lube oil down to 1 pint. i had the car towed to a transmission shop. they discovered that is was not the gear lube oil but the rod that pushes out when shifting from to gear was to long and had been chipping away at the transmission. after 2 months of fighting with the dealer and mitsubishi directly - they still refuse to pay. this was a factory defect. would like to know if anyone else has had a similar experience. if i had let the dealer replace the transmission i would never had known the real cause. *la

Oil leak from engine at only 2k miles, dealer is making repair. cause cracked oil pump housing. *la

Selecting the second gear of my car often causes undesirable "grinding" and under no circumstances can that gear by used. this is a safety issue because i do not have power on demand and could cause an accident if the gear does not go in properly. *la

While driving about 3 mph and making a turn onto a side street, the vehicle hit a curb which caused a dent on the left side of the vehicle. the consumer stated while sitting in an enclosed body shop, the rear window exploded. *ak. the consumer had two experts look at the window and in their opinion stated it was a defect, that a window should not exploded from hitting a curb at such low speed, but the mitsubishi expert stated when the vehicle hit the curb, it twisted the entire vehicle and was part of a fender bender. *jb *jb

The day after the vehicle was purchased driver applied pressure to brake pedal and the vehicle fishtailed across the road. vehicle went airborne, and flipped over into a ditch. vehicle was totaled. the air bags also did not deploy. *ak

While driving under foggy weather conditions, the defroster had been running about 15 minutes, then the driver turned off the defroster and turned on the air conditioner for about 20 minutes. the driver suddenly heard a loud bang near the rear window, the consumer pulled over and saw two holes in the rear window near the defroster vent hose which caused the rear window to crack. *ak *jb

My clutch had to be replaced at only 14,500 miles. problems were evident at around 10,000 miles and became considerably worse in time. i have driven a manual transmission for 15 years and have never raced and did not ride the clutch. my last car's clutch lasted in excess of 100,000 miles without fault. the service manager at my dealership told me that it appears to be a factory defect. however, since the warranty on the clutch expires at 12,000 miles, i have to pay for the part. the problem became obvious when my transmission spun as i tried to go from a stop up a hill. my car basically became stuck in traffic on a dangerous section of roadway and it was luck that i was not involved in a side-impact collision. if this had happened on a railroad track or a drawbridge, i see this problem as potentially life-threatening. it is my understanding that many people have reported this problem to mitsubishi motors and that they are working on a possible replacement clutch. their efforts are too late for me. i urge the nhtsa to require that mitsubishi motors replace defective clutches free of charge or reimburse those (such as myself) who had to pay out of pocket to repair what is obviously a factory defect.*ak

When taking an exit off the freeway, the engine shut down which caused loss of power steering. *ph

Power steering hose leak..went to dealer 3 times cannot fix leak. have to replenish fluid from time to time.*jb

The vehicle would not start because the connector to the ignition switch had a broken lock tab and was being pulled by the harness when the steering wheel was tiled. *jb *nlm

My 2003 eclipse gt is hard to down shift into 2nd and 1st. the dealer says this is normal for these cars. my car also grinds going into 3rd gear sometimes.

I have a mitsubishi eclipse 2003 gts. i purchased it in september 2002 and it only has 7,000 miles on it, so it is fairly new. there is a latch by the front seat to open the trunk. ever since i had the car, the trunk never opens on the first try. usually i have to pull the latch twice. reason being is the trunk is so heavy with the spoiler on it, it doesn't want to pop up. there is no handle or any way to open the trunk what so ever. so a couple of days ago as my friend was lifting up on the trunk with the spoiler, the spoiler literally came off!!! there is no reason why on a brand new car the spoiler should just come off. so i took my car to the mitsubishi dealership where i bought it and they said that i used excessive force. in order to pull a spoiler off you would think that one would literally have to stand on the bumper and yank for about 10 minutes. but my friend simply lifted up on it and it came off (considering there is no where else to lift up on the trunk). after my unsuccessful attempt at the mitsubishi dealership i phoned mitsubishi to file a compliant. after speaking to two people, the representative was not helpful what so ever and pretty much told me it was my fault because i should not use the spoiler as a handle. my friend barely even used any force! since the spoiler had to be completely taken off to drive it, now the trunk just pops up when the latch is pulled in the front by the seat. that just shows that the reason why it doesn't pop up with the spoiler is because it's too heavy! my compliant is now i have to pay $430.00 for something that should be covered under warranty and isn't because they said excessive force was used. that is not true. mitsubishi is not about making it right. it should be covered under warranty. there is no reason or excuse for a spoiler coming off that easy on a brand new car. that's basically telling me that a) it a piece of junk or b) it was not assembled right. i hope it's b and not a.*jb

The passenger side door was equipped with automatic locks which did not function unless supplied with electricity. the drivers' side door unlocked/opened by pulling the handle. *jb

Consumer stated while driving at highway speed, the engine shut down which caused loss of power steering . please provide any additional information.*jb

Consumer states while driving 40mph had a front end collision and air bag did not deploy. ts

Consumer states that while driving around a curved road at 50 mph, the vehicles steering wheel suddenly became stiff. consumer hit a wall as a result. please provide any further information. mr

I purchased this vehicle brand new, and what a mistake it was. i have begun the process of declaring the lemon law. i have had the vehicle into the shop for repairs 8 times in 4 months. the drive shaft had to be replaced because the boot split and leaked grease. the fog lights fill with moisture and condensation due too inadequate venting. the windows don't seal too the body on the convertible causing water leaks, and the seals located on the quarter glass rub the door window which allows the rubber to wear prematurely and create additional leaks. i have had to have the rear quarter glass replaced 5 times in 4,000 miles. the car vibrates while driving because the tires are bad. i had to have the front two replaced because the tread was seperating internally on the tires. mitsubishi needs to take responsibility for all the cars on the road with defects. please help dt