2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems & reliability
71 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse vehicles were involved in 12 fatal crashes with 9 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes → | 50 | 70% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 4% |
| Engine | 2 | 3% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 3% |
| Power Train | 2 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 3% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% |
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 71,937 miles (middle 50% between 51,500 and 95,500 miles), based on 47 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH and descending an incline on the road, the contact depressed the brake pedal, and the brake pedal went to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact used the parking brake to slow down the…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Sep 12, 2025
“The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, for unknown reasons, he veered off the road, traveled over a hill, and crashed into a dirt pile. The steering wheel air bag failed to deploy. The contact had previously unplugged, the passenger seat air bag. The air bag and…”
Engine · filed May 28, 2024
“I was driving on I-15 north bound about 06:30pm near the city of Escondido Ca. weather temperature 78°F Incident: Sunroof spontaneously exploded shattering glass. Sunshade visor was closed between vehicles passenger compartment and sunroof.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 26, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
35 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 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 Technical Service Bulletin that was sent to dealers. The bulletin updates the Rear Suspension section of the affected Service Manuals to update the special service tool used in replacement of the Toe Control…
TSB-19-34-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 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
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 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 2008 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 71,937 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.