2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems & reliability
81 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, alongside 8 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder vehicles were involved in 7 fatal crashes with 5 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 37 | 46% |
| Power Train | 11 | 14% |
| Structure | 9 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 5% |
| Suspension | 4 | 5% |
| Tires | 4 | 5% |
| Visibility | 4 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 42,650 miles (middle 50% between 25,730 and 81,765 miles), based on 46 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mitsubishi eclipse spyder. The contact stated that the transmission failed due to an internal spring fracturing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who rebuilt the transmission. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 01v011001 (power train). The dealer and…”
Power Train · filed Jan 18, 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mitsubishi eclipse spyder. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a tune up and the failure codes for p0301, p0401, and the egr appeared. The codes were cleared, but the p0301 failure code reappeared. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle was later taken in…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 26, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mitsubishi eclipse spyder. While driving approximately 30 mph, the drivers side sun visor opened independently and struck the contact on the bridge of her nose, breaking her glasses. The contact pulled over and repositioned the sun visor back on the clips. The contact sustained injuries…”
Visibility/wiper · filed Jul 23, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEEL DENTING
Engineering Analysis EA02007 · opened May 31, 2002 · closed May 1, 2003
- ALLOY WHEEL DENTING AND FRACTURING
Preliminary Evaluation PE01044 · opened Dec 18, 2001 · closed May 31, 2002
Technical service bulletins
121 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. The 10 most recent:
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of rap-film adhesive residue.
TSB-23-00-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load carrying capacity be affixed to vehicles when the total net weight of accessories is more than 1.5 percent of…
TSB-23-00-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew condensation, which is a natural phenomenon, and water penetration caused by improper sealing or a defective/broken part.
TSB-22-54-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2022
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT253 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2019
This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes TSB-18-00-003, issued April, 2018, to add updated information for Carrying Capacity Reduced Label.
TSB-19-00-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 30, 2019
This is a message sent to dealers, to inform them that an update for MEDIC will be available.
MEDICUpdate517 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2018
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT237 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2018
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT218 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 28, 2015
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 42,650 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.