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#BS-2002-MITECL-12C92002 Mitsubishi Eclipse
Based on reports from 84 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Think Twice
Based on 84 complaints, 6 crashes, 4 fires, and 4 recalls. Complaint rate is 1.8x the class average.
Top reported problems
ac compressor stopped working
1 complaints • Severity 8/10
fuel filler neck rusted
1 complaints • Severity 6/10
transmission failure
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
Preview: What's in your full report
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
20 owners reported wheels:rim issues — failures commonly reported around 51K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (16 reports) • Median: 51K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Wheels:rim (20 reports).
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
Where the complaints fall
2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Wheels:rim Issues
Wheels:rim complaints account for 24% of all reports filed for the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 51,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 51K-mile mark.
Wheels & Tires Issues
Wheels & Tires complaints account for 17% of all reports filed for the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to wheels & tires-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Structure Issues
Structure complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 9 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 3 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-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
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Recent trend: stable.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (4 recalls)
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH REMOVABLE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS AFFIXED TO THE DASH AND TO THE SUNVISOR DO NOT MEET THE SIZE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
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.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CERTAIN AAI MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LIST PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2000-2005 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 5, 1999, to December 17, 2004, 2001-2005 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured January 19, 2000, to March 18, 2005, 2001-2005 Chrysler Sebring vehicles manufactured April 17, 2000, to February 21, 2005, and 2001-2005 Dodge Stratus vehicles manufactured April 17, 2000, to February 22, 2005. In the affected vehicles, the passenger side sun visor may be folded down in such a position that, if the passenger frontal air bag deploys, the passenger side sun visor may detach.
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
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.
2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse vs. Class Average (Minicompact Cars)
This vehicle
84
Class avg
46
1.8x 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. 84 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Mitsubishi Eclipse Model Years
2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse: Frequently Asked Questions
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Get the Full 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 84 owner reports. Know before you buy.