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#BS-1996-MITECL-12CA

1996 Mitsubishi EclipseProblems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 221 owners and 13 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 19, 2026

Complaints
221
Crashes
31
Fires
5
Recalls
13
TSBs
82
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 221 complaints, 31 crashes, 5 fires, and 13 recalls. Complaint rate is 7.2x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

broken serpentine belt

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX
2

loses power or stalls at idle engine light is on

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

sputters while accelerating

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
4

ball joint broke cv shaft also broke

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Air Bags:frontalHIGH

16 owners reported air bags:frontal issues — failures commonly reported around 89K miles.

!Inspect the Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball JointMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

2
0–30K
2
30–60K
11
60–90K
4
90–120K
7
120–150K
2
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (11 reports) • Median: 89K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Air Bags:frontal (16 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Air Bags:frontal16 (7%)
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint15 (7%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine14 (6%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor11 (5%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline8 (4%)
Wheels & Tires7 (3%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission6 (3%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip6 (3%)

1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 16 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 89,200 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 89K-mile mark.

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint Issues

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

30
00
26
01
15
02
8
03
16
04
7
05
2
06
4
07
2
08
2
10
3
11
1
17

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (13 recalls)

00V421001Apr 2001

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE. ALSO, MMC HAS ADDED THE POTENTIAL OF LEAKING MOISTURE, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE BALL STUD TO CORRODE.

00V421003May 2001

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE. ALSO, MMC HAS ADDED THE POTENTIAL OF LEAKING MOISTURE, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE BALL STUD TO CORRODE.

06E023000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

06E026000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06E049000Jul 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

+ 8 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

NHTSA Defect Investigations (4)

All closed. Investigations are how NHTSA decides whether a defect needs a recall.

EA98002ClosedOpened Jan 1998 · closed Apr 1998

TRANSFER CASE LOCKUP

WHEELS

PE97040ClosedOpened Sep 1997 · closed Jan 1998

TRANSFER CASE LOCKUP

WHEELS

RQ00015ClosedOpened Aug 2000 · closed Apr 2001

LOWER CONTRTOL ARM BALL JOINT

SUSPENSION

RQ98007ClosedOpened May 1998 · closed Aug 1998

TRANSFER CASE LEAKAGE

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

The worst model year for the Mitsubishi Eclipse is the 2001 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse vs. Class Average (Minicompact Cars)

This vehicle

221

Class avg

31

7.2x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical minicompact cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 221 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 13 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Last updated (checked October 21, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 19, 2026.

Other Mitsubishi Eclipse Model Years

2012200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989
View all Mitsubishi Eclipse years →

1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse is related to the air bags:frontal, with 16 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse reliable?
The 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse has 221 complaints, 31 crash reports, and 5 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 7.2x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse have any recalls?
Yes, the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse has 13 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Mitsubishi Eclipse problems start?
Based on 28 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 89,200 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 21, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 19, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 221 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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