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#BS-2003-MITECL-12C9

2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Based on reports from 158 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
158
Crashes
18
Fires
8
Recalls
5
TSBs
92
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 158 complaints, 18 crashes, 8 fires, and 5 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

black paint has faded down to primer

4 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
2

check engine light on

2 complaints • Severity 9/10

$X,XXX
3

multiple electrical issues

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the StructureHIGH

14 owners reported structure issues — failures commonly reported around 40K miles.

!Inspect the Structure:bodyMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

38
0–30K
21
30–60K
11
60–90K
10
90–120K
9
120–150K
7
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (38 reports) • Median: 40K 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: Structure (14 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

Structure14 (9%)
Structure:body14 (9%)
Other9 (6%)
Power Train:clutch Assembly8 (5%)
Wheels & Tires7 (4%)
Fuel System7 (4%)
Air Bags:frontal6 (4%)
Power Train:manual Transmission6 (4%)

2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Structure Issues

Structure complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 40,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 40K-mile mark.

Structure:body Issues

Structure:body complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure:body-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:clutch Assembly Issues

Power Train:clutch Assembly complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:clutch assembly-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Wheels & Tires Issues

Wheels & Tires complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with 7 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

5
02
25
03
32
04
17
05
13
06
8
07
15
08
9
09
5
10
7
11
1
12
2
13
12
15
2
16
1
17
2
18
1
19
1
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2003 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

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Recall History (5 recalls)

03V442000Dec 2003

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL RETURN LINE HOSE FITTING ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP MAY BE RESTRICTED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE FUEL PRESSURE TO BUILD UP IN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. EXCESSIVE FUEL PRESSURE MAY RESULT IN A LEAK IN THE FUEL RETURN HOSE.

04V428000

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.

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.

06E060000Aug 2006

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."

15V338000Jul 2015

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.

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.

2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse vs. Class Average (Minicompact Cars)

This vehicle

158

Class avg

132

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other minicompact cars vehicles from 2003.

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. 158 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 5 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 →

2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse is related to the structure, with 14 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse reliable?
The 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse has 158 complaints, 18 crash reports, and 8 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2003 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 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse have any recalls?
Yes, the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse has 5 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 96 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 40,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K 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 158 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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