Total Complaints
59 filings
MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE · model year
59 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990MITSUBISHIECLIPSE carries 59 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 ECLIPSE is power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift with 13 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (5) and power train:transfer case (4-wheel drive) (5). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 1990 ECLIPSE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
59 filings
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT | 13 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 5 |
| POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | 5 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
1990 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT IT HAS BROKEN TWICE IN HIS VEHICLE. HE STATES THAT IF THIS BREAKS IT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE JUST STOPS AND SHUTS OFF. *KB
CONSUMER STATES THAT LEFT HEADLIGHT IS SHORTING OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
HEADLAMP FAILURE DUE TO WIRING HARNESS MALFUNCTIONING. CONSUMER WAS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT SINCE THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON RECALL. *YH....*AK
HEADLAMP FAILURE DUE TO WIRING HARNESS MALFUNCTIONING. CONSUMER WAS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT SINCE THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON RECALL. *YH....*AK
THE TIMING BELT WAS ON RECALL. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL. CONSUMER THEN FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL, AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE.*YH
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR WAS INOPERATIVE. *YH
AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE DRIVER'S DOOR OPENED WITHOUT REASON. THAT CAUSED THE SEATBELT ASSEMBLY TO RETRACT AND THEN, THE SEATBELT ASSEMBLY HIT ME IN THE EYE. THIS CAUSED ME TO REACT AND SENT ME OFF THE ROAD, DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. I WAS INJURED RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF MY LEFT ARM. *AK
WHLE PARKED NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF FLUID UNDER VEHICLE. DEALER REPAIRED TRANSFER CASE SEAL TWICE,BUT VEHICLE STILL LEAKS. DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR. PLEASSE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER NOTICED LARGE AMOUNT OF FLUID UNDER VEHICLE. DEALER REPAIRED TRANSFER CASE TWICE, BUT VEHICLE WAS STILL LEAKING. DEALRR REFUSED TO REPAIR . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
TRANSFER CASE LOCKUPS DUE TO LEAKAGE OF LUBRICANTS ON THIS VEHICLE IS WELL DOCUMENTED. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF GEAR NOISE AT 69000 MILES BUT OWNER WAS TOLD TRANSFER CASE WAS OK. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS INSPECTION ON RECALL # C9803TXX. TRANSFER CASE NOW VERY NOISEY AND VIBRATES.*AK
BOTH REAR BRAKE CALIPERS NEED TO BE REPLACED. CALIPERS WERE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED .*AK
WHILE DRIVING, BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RIGHT FRONT TIRE P255/70R16 EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SHAKE. *SLC
ALUMINUM SPORT RIMS WERE REPLACED DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION AND PITTING. *SLC
SPARK PLUG WIRES FAILED. *SLC
AIR CONDITIONER AND DRYER UNIT FAILED, AIR CONDITIONER CLUTCH ASSEMBLY UNIT FAILED. *SLC
POWER STEERING SYSTEM REPAIRED AND REPLACED POWER STEERING LINES, DUE TO CORRODED STEERING LINES. *SLC
TIMING BELT FAILED AT 40000 WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO LAST FOR 60000 MILES AND CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING DEALER TO PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT ENGINE. *SLC
TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED SLIPPING. *SLC
POWER STEERING FAILED DUE TO LINE CORROSION, A CLAMP FROM THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO HOLD THE POWER STEERING IN PLACE CAUSED THE CORROSION DUE TO THE CONSTANT HEATING AND COOLING OF THE LINES. *SLC
AFTER MAKING A COMPLAINT OF NOISE IN MY DRIVETRAIN AND THEN HAVING THE TRANSMISSION AND TRASFER CASE SERVICED AT A MITSUBISHI DEALER WHO LATER TOLD ME THAT THIER MECHANICS WERE NOT FACTORY CERTIFIED AND WAS TOLD AFTER MY CAR DEVELOPED A PROBLEM THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED ONE HUNDRED MILES TO GREENWOOD INDIANA WERE THEY HAD A FACTORY CERTIFIED MECHANIC TO INSPECT MY CAR MY TRASFER CASE ON MY CAR FAILED TWICE ON FIRST FAILURE THE CASE WAS REPLACED ON THE SECOND FAIURE THE TRANSFER CASE LOCKED UP ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 150 MILES FROM WERE I HAD IT SERVICED AT THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP IN CLARKSVILLE TENNESSE.AT THIS POINT IN TIME WHEN THE WHEELS LOCKED UP THE GEARSHIFT LEVER ON MY CAR JERKED VIOLENTLY AND THE TRANSMISSIION EXPLODEED.THROUGHING ME INTO A DITCH ALONG THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND SLAMMING MY CHEST INTO THE STEERING WHEEL.I WAS MILDLY BRUISED ON MY UPPER BODY.WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER THEY GOT IN TOUCH WITH THE MITSUBISHI COMPANY.MISUBITSHI TOLD ME ON THE PHONE THAT T
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.