What breaks most · 1995 to 2009 model years
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems by year
Owners have filed 242 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder across model years 1995 to 2009. Three years stand out: 2001 for wheels complaints, 2003 for body and structure complaints and 2002 for wheels complaints. The quietest years are 1995, 2005 and 2000.
- Years to check closely: 2001, 2003, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 1995, 2005, 2000
- Complaints on file
- 2421995 to 2009, all trims
- Worst year
- 200181 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 298 fires · 20 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 60kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 34Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | Wheels (1) | |
| 20 | 0 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 16 | 0 | 2 | Body and structure (7) | |
| 11 | 0 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | Air bags (1) | |
| 81 | 6 | 8 | Wheels (37) | |
| 24 | 5 | 2 | Wheels (8) | |
| 27 | 5 | 3 | Body and structure (7) | |
| 6 | 2 | 4 | Wheels (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 22 | 4 | 4 | Brakes (13) | |
| 16 | 4 | 1 | Brakes (8) | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | Brakes (5) |
What fails on the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 46% |
37 | 1 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 14% |
11 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 11% |
9 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder |
| Air bags | 7% |
6 | 4 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Tires | 5% |
4 | 0 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The clutch is wearing out fast, it seems every 1500 miles a new clutch is needed, to me it the horsepower of the engine can only be brought to the road at the expense of excessive flywheel and clutch wear.
-
Takata airbag: my incident has already been reported. I am adding the police report. I am still requiring surgery and unable to use my left arm 10 months later.
-
Incidents: the convertible top leaks and the seatbelts get completely soaked with water every time it rains especially in downpours.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2001, 2003, 2002 carry the most filings on the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. The 2001 alone has 81 complaints, led by wheels.
What is the most common Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problem?
On the 2001 model year, the most-reported component is wheels with 37 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder complaints that include mileage is about 60,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.