MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER · model year

1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER

21 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998MITSUBISHIECLIPSE SPYDER carries 21 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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 1998 ECLIPSE SPYDER is structure:body:roof and pillars with 5 filings, followed by equipment (2) and latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch (2). 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 1 investigation file overlapping the 1998 ECLIPSE SPYDER. 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.

21
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

21 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS5
EQUIPMENT2
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH2
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
STEERING1
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER1
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES1
POWER TRAIN1

Recent Complaints

20190219POWER TRAIN

FLEX PLATE BROKE

Mileage: 58,000

20190219UNKNOWN OR OTHER

FLEX PLATE BROKE

Mileage: 58,000

20180506UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE SPYDER GS HAS ALWAYS LEAKED FROM THE SOFT TOP SEALS SPECIALLY FROM THE TOP RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE. IT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE IN THE 2ND GENERATION SPYDER GS WHICH IM SUPRISED IT HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL FOR THE WEATHER STRIPPING. DEALERSHIP CHARGES 300 FOR THE WEATHERSTRIPPING AND THEY STILL LEAK AFTER A COUPLE YEARS. I DONT HAVE PICTURES BUT AFTER RAIN, THE WHOLD CAR IS WET AND AS I DRIVE AND TAKE MY FIRST TURN, THE VEHICLE STARTS TO LEAK FROM THE CORNER AND GETS CENTER CONSOLE AND RADIO WET. ALL OVER THE ECLIPSE FORUMS YOU WILL SEE THE ISSUE WITHOUT A RECALL. MITSUBISHI HAS NOT YET GIVEN ADVICE ON HOW GO FIX THIS. CAR CANT BE DRIVEN IN THE RAIN WITHOUT HAVING TO LEAK.

Mileage: 1

20100715STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

BOTH MY HANDLES BROKE OFF, THE DRIVERS SIDE ARM REST,( WHERE THE BUTTONS FOR THE WINDOWS ARE), FELL OFF AND INTO THE CAVITY BELOW. THE CONVERTIBLE TOP LEAKS BADLY ALONG THE POINT WHERE THE TOP MEETS THE CAR WINDSHIELD,WINDOWS,AND BACK WINDOW. VERY UPSET THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM YET NO ONE WANTS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE...MITSUBISHI SHOULD PAY FOR REPAIRS... *TR

20100715LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

BOTH MY HANDLES BROKE OFF, THE DRIVERS SIDE ARM REST,( WHERE THE BUTTONS FOR THE WINDOWS ARE), FELL OFF AND INTO THE CAVITY BELOW. THE CONVERTIBLE TOP LEAKS BADLY ALONG THE POINT WHERE THE TOP MEETS THE CAR WINDSHIELD,WINDOWS,AND BACK WINDOW. VERY UPSET THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM YET NO ONE WANTS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE...MITSUBISHI SHOULD PAY FOR REPAIRS... *TR

20100715EQUIPMENT

BOTH MY HANDLES BROKE OFF, THE DRIVERS SIDE ARM REST,( WHERE THE BUTTONS FOR THE WINDOWS ARE), FELL OFF AND INTO THE CAVITY BELOW. THE CONVERTIBLE TOP LEAKS BADLY ALONG THE POINT WHERE THE TOP MEETS THE CAR WINDSHIELD,WINDOWS,AND BACK WINDOW. VERY UPSET THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM YET NO ONE WANTS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE...MITSUBISHI SHOULD PAY FOR REPAIRS... *TR

20081024STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

CONVERTIBLE ROOF DOES NOT FOLD DOWN DUE TO BENT FRAME MEMBERS ON EACH SIDE - CALLED "BENT TOP STACK CONTROL LINKS". THIS PREVENTS THE TOP FRONT BOW FROM CLOSING TIGHTLY AND ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER THE CAB CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE FROM MOLD AND MILDEW - HEALTH HAZARDS. THE HEAD LINER PULLS 1-1/2" FROM THE FRONT BOW AND SAGS SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO THE SLACK DISTORTING THE VIEW FORWARD AND LIMITS THE VIEW IN THE MIRROR - A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. THE REPAIR SHOULD BE A FACTORY ISSUE AND NOT COST ME MORE THAN $500 FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR. IF THIS BAR BREAKS IT WILL FURTHER DAMAGE THE RAG TOP AND QUADRUPLE THE REPAIR COST. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH MANY MITZU ECCLIPSE SPYDERS SINCE THEY WERE INTRODUCED. RECALL - RECALL - RECALL. THANKS *TR

Mileage: 45,000

20070305LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

I PURCHASED MY CAR NEW IN FEBRUARY 1998. AFTER 9 YEARS I ONLY HAVE 43,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I LIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SO THERE IS NO EXTREME TEMPERATURE CHANGES WHICH MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE DOOR HANDLE TO BE COMPROMISED, NOR ABUSE AS I SEE OTHERS ARE BEING TOLD BY SERVICE SHOPS. I DID NOT EXPECT TO OPEN MY DRIVERS SIDE CAR DOOR LAST WEEK AND HAVE IT COME OFF IN MY HAND. THE REASON I BOUGHT THIS CAR WAS THAT A FRIEND HAD JUST BOUGHT ONE FOR HIMSELF THE MONTH BEFORE I DID. I WAS VISITING HIM YESTERDAY AND ASKED HIM TO GUESS WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR AND HE BEAT ME TO IT. HIS DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE HAD COME OFF IN HIS HAND 2 WEEKS AGO. I WAS FIRST CHECKING FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL BEFORE BRINGING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. RIGHT NOW, I HAVE TO CLIMB THROUGH FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE TO POP OPEN MY DOOR OR LEAVE THE WINDOW DOWN WHEN RUNNING ERRANDS. I THINK THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS SEEMS TO WARRANT SOME SORT OF A RESPONSE TO THIS FROM MITSUBISHI. *JB

20050309ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

IN THE SUMMER OF 2003 MY CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER STARTED LEAKING SO IREPLACED IT. THEN IN MAY OF 2004 MY CLUTCH FAILED SO I HAD IT REPLACED WITH A STOCK CLUTCH. TWO MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE DEVELOPED SIGNS OF "CRANKWALK", WHICH HAPPENS TO ALOT OF 95-99 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSES. I HAD IT FORMALLY DIAGNOSED WITH CRANKWALK AND NOW I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE MY CAR. I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE MY MOTOR WITH A NEW ONE THAT WILL COST $3000 AND IT MIGHT END AT THE SAME FATE. I HAVE DONE ALOT OF RESEARCH AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS WHO HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN BUT, MITSUBISHI WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL FOR THEIR PRODUCT. *AK

Mileage: 110,000

20040729STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

THE CONVERTIBLE TOP MOTORS HAVE GONE OUT AGAIN. I HAVE HAD THE MOTORS SERVICED SEVERAL TIME OVER 4 TIMES IN TWO YEARS. APPARNETLY THE GEAR PINS BREAK WITHIN THE MOTORS AND CAUSE THEM TO FAIL. I CANNOT OPEN NOR CLOSE MY CONVERTIBLE TOP.*AK

Mileage: 26,000

20040416STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

CONVERTIBLE TOP DOES NOT GO DOWN ALL THE WAY. DESIGN FLAW CAUSES THE TOP STACK CONTROL LINKS TO BEND UPON OPENING AND CLOSING THE TOP. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ALONG WITH LABOR IS RIDICULOUSLY HIGH OVER $650. MITSUBISHI WHO IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS DESIGN FLAW, REFUSES TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY.*AK

Mileage: 65,200

20040404SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

RECALL WORK THAT WOULD NOT BE COMPLETED, UNLESS ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTICS WERE PURCHASED AND PAID FOR. SUBSEQUENTLY, I CONTINUE TO DRIVE AROUND WITH THE DEFECTIVE CONTROL-ARM BALL JOINTS ON MY 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. I HAVE NO OTHER DEALERSHIPS WITHIN 25 MILES OF MY TOWN, AND I BELIEVE CONCORD MITSUBISHI USES THIS FACT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. *NM

20040303STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

MY 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER IS DEFECTIVE. THE CONVERTIBLE ROOF DOES NOT FOLD INTO THE DOWN POSITION UNLESS I GUIDE IT BY HAND. THERE ARE TWO METAL BRACKETS ON EACH SIDE OF THE ROOF THAT ARE BENDING AND CAUSING THE TOP TO HANG UP WHEN YOU PUT THE TOP DOWN. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID IT WAS THE BOW THAT WAS CAUSING THE ROOF TO LOOK LIKE IT WAS COLLAPSING IN,AND CAUSING THE RAIN TO LEAK IN, THEY PUT IN A NEW BOW, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS STILL PRESENT. NOW THEY WANT ANOTHER $315.00 PLUS THE COST OF LABOR TO FIX THE BRACKETS. IT SEEMS LIKE A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED AT NO COST. I AM AFRAID THE METAL BRACKET IS GOING TO SNAP AND HIT ME OR A INNOCENT BYSTANDER IN THE HEAD. WHILE I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP, A GENTLEMAN TOLD ME HIS BROTHER HAS A 1997 MITSIBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER AND HIS DID THE SAME THING ONLY IT DID SNAP. THE RAGTOP COULD BE DAMAGED BY THE BROKEN METAL. SOMEONE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS!! THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPP

20040206LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

BOTH OF MY OUTSIDE HANDLES ON MY CAR FELL OFF WITHIN A COUPLE MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT MY PASSENGER SIDE HANDLE FELL OFF UNTIL I SAW IT MISSING ON DAY. THE DRIVER SIDE HANDLE FELL OFF AS I WENT OUT TO MY CAR ONE MORNING TO LEAVE FOR WORK. I WENT TO LIFT UP ON THE HANDLE AND IT CAME RIGHT OFF. THERE WAS NO VANDALISIM, JUST A FAULTY PRODUCT. I HAD TO PAY $367 TO GET NEW HANDLES PUT BACK ON THE CAR, PLUS $22.50 FOR TOWING THE CAR TO A MITSUBISHI DEALER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET INTO A CAR IF YOU HAVE NO HANDLE TO LIFT.*AK

Mileage: 88,000

20030711POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I RECENTLY SENT A LETTER TO THE MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION REGARDING MY 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER (PLEASE RE-READ ATTACHED). I WAS CONTACTED BY THE CORPORATE OFFICE REGARDING MY ERRATIC SHIFT PROBLEM IN MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND WAS EVENTUALLY TOLD THAT I WOULDNT BE PROVIDED ANY SORT OF ASSISTANCE ON MY VEHICLE. I FIND IT APPALLING THAT THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES TO MY CAR WHEN I WAS WELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR MY CAR (BEFORE 50,000 MILES). I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE MITSUBISHI SERVICE CENTER, AND GOT THE RESPONSE: TECHNICIAN CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. IF PROBLEMS PERSIST, PLEASE BEING THE VEHICLE BACK. I TOOK THE CAR TO DIFFERENT MITSUBISHI SERVICE CENTERS SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THAT, AND GOT THE SAME RESPONSE ( I HAVE DOCUMENTATION ON THIS). NOW, BECAUSE YOUR SERVICE TECHNICIANS COULDNT IDENTIFY MY CARS PROBLEM WHEN I WAS IN THE WARRANTY PERIOD, I AM BEING HELD LIABLE. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS WEB SITES DOCU

20030711POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER

I RECENTLY SENT A LETTER TO THE MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION REGARDING MY 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER (PLEASE RE-READ ATTACHED). I WAS CONTACTED BY THE CORPORATE OFFICE REGARDING MY ERRATIC SHIFT PROBLEM IN MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND WAS EVENTUALLY TOLD THAT I WOULDNT BE PROVIDED ANY SORT OF ASSISTANCE ON MY VEHICLE. I FIND IT APPALLING THAT THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES TO MY CAR WHEN I WAS WELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR MY CAR (BEFORE 50,000 MILES). I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE MITSUBISHI SERVICE CENTER, AND GOT THE RESPONSE: TECHNICIAN CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. IF PROBLEMS PERSIST, PLEASE BEING THE VEHICLE BACK. I TOOK THE CAR TO DIFFERENT MITSUBISHI SERVICE CENTERS SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THAT, AND GOT THE SAME RESPONSE ( I HAVE DOCUMENTATION ON THIS). NOW, BECAUSE YOUR SERVICE TECHNICIANS COULDNT IDENTIFY MY CARS PROBLEM WHEN I WAS IN THE WARRANTY PERIOD, I AM BEING HELD LIABLE. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS WEB SITES DOCU

20030711EQUIPMENT

I RECENTLY SENT A LETTER TO THE MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION REGARDING MY 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER (PLEASE RE-READ ATTACHED). I WAS CONTACTED BY THE CORPORATE OFFICE REGARDING MY ERRATIC SHIFT PROBLEM IN MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND WAS EVENTUALLY TOLD THAT I WOULDNT BE PROVIDED ANY SORT OF ASSISTANCE ON MY VEHICLE. I FIND IT APPALLING THAT THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES TO MY CAR WHEN I WAS WELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR MY CAR (BEFORE 50,000 MILES). I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE MITSUBISHI SERVICE CENTER, AND GOT THE RESPONSE: TECHNICIAN CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. IF PROBLEMS PERSIST, PLEASE BEING THE VEHICLE BACK. I TOOK THE CAR TO DIFFERENT MITSUBISHI SERVICE CENTERS SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THAT, AND GOT THE SAME RESPONSE ( I HAVE DOCUMENTATION ON THIS). NOW, BECAUSE YOUR SERVICE TECHNICIANS COULDNT IDENTIFY MY CARS PROBLEM WHEN I WAS IN THE WARRANTY PERIOD, I AM BEING HELD LIABLE. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS WEB SITES DOCU

20030316VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

THE ROOF OF MY 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY DUE TO TWO BRACKETS BENDING WHEN YOU OPEN THE ROOF. I HAD THIS FIXED AT THE DEALER IN SEPTEMBER 2002 AND THEN IT JUST HAPPENED AGAIN THE FIRST TIME THAT I OPENED THE ROOF THIS SPRING (MARCH 14, 2003). *NLM

20021029STEERING

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE PULLS EXCESSIVELY TO THE RIGHT. VEHICLE CHECKED BY DEALER WHO RULED OUT THE TIRES OR VEHICLE'S ALIGNMENT AS CAUSES. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER ISSUE IS PART OF VEHICLE'S NORMAL OPERATION. TS

20021029STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

CONSUMER STATES THAT WATER LEAKS FROM CONVERTIBLE TOP RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE FLOODING. TS

Compare 1998MITSUBISHIECLIPSE SPYDER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER have?
The 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER has 21 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER?
The most-complained component for the 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER is STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EQUIPMENT and LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH.
Is the 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

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.