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#BS-1997-MITECL-12CA

1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Based on reports from 185 owners and 12 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
185
Crashes
30
Fires
7
Recalls
12
TSBs
81
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 185 complaints, 30 crashes, 7 fires, and 12 recalls. Complaint rate is 8.4x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

bad engine

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

rough idle at start but smooths out

1 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX
3

serpentine belts broke

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasolineHIGH

17 owners reported engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline issues — failures commonly reported around 103K miles.

!Inspect the Engine And Engine Cooling:engineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

2
0–30K
3
30–60K
13
60–90K
8
90–120K
4
120–150K
14
150K+

Peak failure range: 150K+ miles (14 reports) • Median: 103K 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: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline (17 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

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline17 (9%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine15 (8%)
Air Bags:frontal12 (6%)
Wheels & Tires8 (4%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission6 (3%)
Structure:body:roof And Pillars6 (3%)
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint6 (3%)
Speed Control5 (3%)

1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 103,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 103K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Wheels & Tires Issues

Wheels & Tires complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to wheels & tires-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

20
00
30
01
20
02
7
03
24
04
10
05
2
06
4
07
2
08
1
10
2
16
1
17

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

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

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Recall History (12 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.

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.

06E044000Jul 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN J & A AUTO ACCESSORIES COMBINATION HEADLAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. 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.

+ 7 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

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.

1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse vs. Class Average (Minicompact Cars)

This vehicle

185

Class avg

22

8.4x 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. 185 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 12 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

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

Other Mitsubishi Eclipse Model Years

201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986
View all Mitsubishi Eclipse years →

1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse is related to the engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline, with 17 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse reliable?
The 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse has 185 complaints, 30 crash reports, and 7 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 8.4x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1997 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 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse have any recalls?
Yes, the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse has 12 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 44 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 103,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 150K+ mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
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 185 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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