Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1997 Mitsubishi Caribbean Eclipse

Routine

Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags › frontal. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags › Frontal1
101

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint00V421003
Filed Apr 6, 20015,164 vehiclesMitsubishi Caribbean

Defect. 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.

Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT TO SEPARATE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. THIS CAMPAIGN SUPERCEDES MMC'S PREVIOUS SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN, SEE 99V-066.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT FOR WEAR. BALL JOINTS THAT EXHIBIT WEAR BEYOND THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY DESIGNED LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS. BALL JOINTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE CLEANED AND A SPECIAL SEALANT WILL BE APPLIED TO PREVENT INTRUSION OF MOISTURE.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Jan 27, 2005162,000 milesTX

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE SWERVED TO KEEP FROM STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 45 MPH. THEN, VEHICLE WENT INTO A DITCHAND TURNED OVER. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES.*AK

1 of 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20032000Routine
20012100Routine
20004400Routine
19992100Routine
19983200Routine
1997 — this page1100Routine
19961200Routine
19951200Routine
19912100Routine
19901200Routine

Compare every Eclipse year →

Other Mitsubishi Caribbean models

All Mitsubishi Caribbean models →
Montero 17Galant 14Mirage 5Eclipse Spyder 3Diamante 3

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Apr 6, 2001. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.