1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder

Routine

Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags › frontal. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Wheels › Rim1
000
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint1
100
Seats1
000
Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under Dash1
010
Air Bags › Frontal1
102

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump07E055000
Filed Jul 26, 2007222 vehiclesAirtex Products

Defect. CERTAIN AIRTEX FUEL PUMP MODULE ASSEMBLIES, P/N E7081H, SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE WALL OF THE FLARED FITTING OF THE FUEL PUMP IS NOT THICK ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE MATING THREADED FITTINGS FROM BOTTOMING OUT BEFORE AN ADEQUATE SEAL IS ACHIEVED. THIS CONDITION MAY RESULT IN LEAKAGE OF FUEL AT THE CONNECTION OF THE VEHICLE FUEL LINE AND THE FUEL PUMP MODULE ASSEMBLY.

Risk. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FUEL LEAK COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy. AIRTEX WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL PUMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AIRTEX AUTOMOTIVE AT 800-880-3056.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Seats
Filed May 29, 2009OH

PASSENGER SEAT ONLY LOCKS IN ONE POSITION. IF YOU THINK THE SEAT IS LOCKED AND IT'S NOT, THE SEAT DOES MOVE/SLIDE BACKWARD AND FORWARD AS YOU ARE DRIVING. YOU MUST HEAR THE "LOCKED IN PLACE NOISE" OR IT IS NOT LOCKED!!!! THIS IS IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A PASSENGER RIDING IN THIS SEAT. *TR

Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball JointCrash
Filed Apr 14, 2004100,000 milesWV

WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED RIGHT BALL JOINT BROKE. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. *AK

Wheels › Rim
Filed May 22, 2002NY

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL ON A MAJOR HIG WAY WHEN I HEARD AN AWEFUL NOISE COMING FROM UNDER MY CAR, IT SOUNDED AS IF I WAS DRAGGING SOMETHING. I GOT OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT AND LOOKEDF UNDER MY CAR BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE SO I CONTINUED HOME. WHEN I WAS BACK ON THE HIGHWAY THE NOISE STARTED UP AGAIN BUT THIS TIME MY STEERING STARTED TO GO. I IMMEDIATLY BROUGHT IT TO THE SHOP WHERE THEY PUT IT ON A LIFT. THE MECHANICS STARTED TO CHECK SHAKE EACH TIRE, WHEN HE GOT TO THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE THE TIRE WAS VERY LOOSE. ACCORDING TO THE THE THREADING ON THE BULTS THAT HOLD THE RIM ON WERE STRIPPED AND THE DAMAGE WOULD RUN ME ABOUT 200 PER TIRE. ONE TOP OF THE NEW BULTS I NEEDED NEW RIMS. THEY SAID MY RIMS WERE TO BENT UP. I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 3 YEARS AND HAVE HAD MY RIMS BANGED BACK INTO SHAPE SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY. THE SHOP SAYS THEY ARE VERY WEAK RIMS AND I NEED NEW ONES, BUT THAT COSTS OVER A THOUSAND. THERE WAS ANOTHER INCIDENT WITH MY RIMS AS WELL. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I WAS LOSING STEERING POWER SO I GOT MY CAR CHECKED OUT, I NEEDED TO HAVE MY RIMS CUT AND SHAVED BECAUSE THERE WAS TO MUCH WEAR ON THEM.

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire
Filed Jul 11, 2001KS

I HAD PARKED THIS AUTO AND WENT INSIDE TO SLEEP- WAS AWAKEN BY HORN GOING OFF IN AUTO- WENT OUT TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND WHEN I OPEN THE DOOR ALL I SAW WAS A BLAST OF SMOKE THAT HIT ME IN THE FACE. FIRE CHIEF SAID IT WAS A ELECTRICAL FIRE THAT STARTED BEHIND THE DASH WHERE THE INSTRUMENTS ARE. THE INSURANCE TOTAL THIS CAR OUT EVERYTHING WAS MELTED IN THE AUTO- I BOUGHT THIS AUTO 15 DAYS AGO USED

Air Bags › FrontalCrash2 injured
Filed Feb 19, 2000OH

THE ACCIDENT WAS A NEAR HEAD ON COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLE (CHEVROLET BLAZER) TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40-50 MPH. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED ALTHOUGH ENTIRE FRONT OF CAR WAS DESTROYED. CAR WAS CONSIDERED TOTALLED BY INSURANCE COMPANY. MITSUBISHI CONTACTED AND DENIED THERE WAS A PROBLEM. CLAIMED AIR BAG SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED IN THIS SITUATION. *AK

5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20097100Routine
200816100Routine
200722400Routine
20052210Routine
20046400Routine
200327330Routine
200224211Fatalities reported
200181821Fatalities reported
20003100Routine
199911200Routine
199816200Routine
199720200Routine
1996 — this page5110Routine
19952100Routine

Compare every Eclipse Spyder year →

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: Jul 26, 2007. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.