2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems & reliability
124 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, alongside 3 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.
7 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse vehicles were involved in 17 fatal crashes with 12 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 31 | 25% |
| Power Train | 20 | 16% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 12 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 10 | 8% |
| Visibility | 10 | 8% |
| Tires | 9 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 8 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 6% |
| Steering | 6 | 5% |
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 38,973 miles (middle 50% between 19,125 and 76,619 miles), based on 70 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The crankshaft sensor is faulty and isn't working properly so my car has been shutting off randomly while I am driving it.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Feb 24, 2025
“Dashboard cracks in multiples of area's, which does effect the position of the airbag. The plastic is very brittle to the point when it cracks it's as sharp as a razor. I reviewed several web site and noted this is a common problem with several type of mitsubishi's. I have a 2003 eclipse that has a cracked dashboard…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 25, 2019
“Passenger airbag deployed caused me to veer off to the right for safety.passenger visor flew off hit my arm and flew out window. Unable to see with airbag in my face I ended up half on and half off a culvert with cement pipe.car stopped and then my driver airbag shot fire and chemicals into my face.horrible still…”
Air Bags · filed Jan 11, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
92 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse. 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 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse has 3 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 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
- · 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 38,973 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.