IllustrationTRANSMISSION WAS STICKING WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE . ALSO, AIR CONDITIONER MADE A HUMMING SOUND WHEN TURNED ON. SPEEDOMETER WENT FROM 20 MPHS TO 140 MHS AND IT BROKE, AND THE NEEDLE CAME OUT THROUGH THE DASHBOARD. *AK
1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 49.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Eclipse years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 34 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
34 reportsTHE DRIVER AND PASSENGER-SIDE DOORS ACTIVATED SWITCH FAILED CAUSED A SHORT-CIRTUIT AND DRAINED THE BATTERY EACH TIME I CAME TO A STOP. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PART FAILURE PROBLEM (BOTH SWITCHES IN A 6 YEAR OLD CAR!) AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING IT. *AK
TRANSMISSION GEARS WERE SLIPPING. ALSO, ENGINE DIED WHILE DRIVING DUE TO DEFCTIV ETIMING BELT. THIS IS THE SECOND TIMING BELT NEEDED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
OIL PRESSURE FAILS TO REGISTER ABOVE 25% WHEN IN IDLE. DEALER NOTES THAT ENGINE IS BASICALLY A THROWAWAY. THEY QUOTED APPROXIMATELY $3,600.00 FOR FULL REPLACEMENT. IT IS NOT IN THEIR BEST INTEREST TO REBUILD UNIT AS COST WOULD BE MUCH TO HIGH TO JUSTIFY TO THE CUSTOMER. THEY STATED THAT MANY OTHER VEHICLES HAVE RUN INTO THE …
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OIL PRESSURE FAILS TO REGISTER ABOVE 25% WHEN IN IDLE. DEALER NOTES THAT ENGINE IS BASICALLY A THROWAWAY. THEY QUOTED APPROXIMATELY $3,600.00 FOR FULL REPLACEMENT. IT IS NOT IN THEIR BEST INTEREST TO REBUILD UNIT AS COST WOULD BE MUCH TO HIGH TO JUSTIFY TO THE CUSTOMER. THEY STATED THAT MANY OTHER VEHICLES HAVE RUN INTO THE SAME ISSUE.
DEFECTIVE HOOD LATCHES (PRIMARY AND SECONDARY) BROKE, CAUSING THE HOOD TO FLY UP 2 TIMES, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED BLOWING COLD AIR, TURNED OUT IT HAD BEGUN LEAKING. ALSO, THE DEALER HAD TOLD US (AND THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES) THAT WE HAD THE NEW FREON-FREE SYSTEM WHEN IN REALITY WE DO NOT. WE WILL HAVE TO CONVERT IT AT OUR EXPENSE IF WE CHOOSE TO. SEAT BELTS ARE NOT RETRACTING CONSISTENTLY, OFTEN STOP MIDRAIL OR D…
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AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED BLOWING COLD AIR, TURNED OUT IT HAD BEGUN LEAKING. ALSO, THE DEALER HAD TOLD US (AND THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES) THAT WE HAD THE NEW FREON-FREE SYSTEM WHEN IN REALITY WE DO NOT. WE WILL HAVE TO CONVERT IT AT OUR EXPENSE IF WE CHOOSE TO. SEAT BELTS ARE NOT RETRACTING CONSISTENTLY, OFTEN STOP MIDRAIL OR DO NOT BEGIN TO RETRACT AT ALL. THIS OCCURRED ONCE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DEALER'S SERVICE TECH AND HE DENIES IT. HE TELLS MITSUBISHI THAT THE SYSTEM IS WORKING CORRECTLY. HEATER/DEFROSTER AND TEMPERATURE NEEDLE COINCIDE. WE NOTICED THAT THE NEEDLE SUDDENLY STAYED IN THE EXTREME COLD RANGE ON THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE AND THE HEATER IS BLOWING LUKEWARM/COOL AIR. DEALER SAYS IT'S FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND IT'S JUST BECAUSE IT'S COLD OUT. HOWEVER, ON OUR INVOICE HE NOTES THAT THIS OCCURRED INSIDE THEIR 68 DEGREE GARAGE. NO REPAIR MADE.
VEHICLE COMPLETELY CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO PRIOR INDICATION AT ALL, TRAVELING SPEED 60-65MPH. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK VEHICLE EXPERIENCES VIBRATION AND PULLS TO THE RIGHT. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. A/C WAS BLOWING HOT AIR, DEALER REPLACED A/C LINES AND C…
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VEHICLE COMPLETELY CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO PRIOR INDICATION AT ALL, TRAVELING SPEED 60-65MPH. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK VEHICLE EXPERIENCES VIBRATION AND PULLS TO THE RIGHT. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. A/C WAS BLOWING HOT AIR, DEALER REPLACED A/C LINES AND COMPRESSOR. BANGING AND CLANKING NOISES FROM VALVE COVER AREA, DEALER DIAGNOSED AS AN INTERNAL ENGINE PROBLEM AND INSTALLED SHORT BLOCK AND REPLACED THE TIMING BELT. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE IACS SOLENOID FOR THE STALLING PROBLEM, HOWEVER VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STALL. *SLC
TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSING STALLING.
ODOMETER FRAUD.
TRANSFER CASE LEAKS AND WILL SEIZE UP, CAUSING ALL FOUR WHEELS TO LOCK UP, RESULTING IN LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF VEHICLE.
Official recalls
198V069001 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Mar 26, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. LOCKUP OF THE TRANSFER CASE CAN OCCUR DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR ADEQUACY OF THE TRANSFER CASE OIL VOLUME, TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AND OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION OF THE TRANSFER CASE MECHANISM. IF OIL VOLUME IS INSUFFICIENT, THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF OIL WILL BE ADDED. IF THERE IS TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AFFECTED COMPONENTS WILL BE REPLACED. IF THE TRANSFER CASE SHOWS OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION, THE TRANSFER CASE WILL BE REPLACED.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
3RQ98007 · Transfer Case Leakage
Opened May 11, 1998 · Closed Aug 28, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train:automatic Transmission
THE TRANSFER CASE OF THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD), MITSUBISHI GALANT, ALLEGEDLY LEAKS OIL CAUSING ONE OR MORE WHEELS TO LOCKUP; OR THE INABILITY TO TRANSMIT ENGINE POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS.THE VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME TRANSFER CASE DESIGN AS THE ECLIPSE VEHICLES WHICH HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME ALLEGED DEFECT.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:automatic Transmission
THE TRANSFER CASE OF THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD), MITSUBISHI GALANT, ALLEGEDLY LEAKS OIL CAUSING ONE OR MORE WHEELS TO LOCKUP; OR THE INABILITY TO TRANSMIT ENGINE POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS.THE VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME TRANSFER CASE DESIGN AS THE ECLIPSE VEHICLES WHICH HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME ALLEGED DEFECT.
Power Train:automatic Transmission
THE TRANSFER CASE OF THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD), MITSUBISHI GALANT, ALLEGEDLY LEAKS OIL CAUSING ONE OR MORE WHEELS TO LOCKUP; OR THE INABILITY TO TRANSMIT ENGINE POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS.THE VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME TRANSFER CASE DESIGN AS THE ECLIPSE VEHICLES WHICH HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME ALLEGED DEFECT.
EA98002 · Transfer Case Lockup
Opened Jan 30, 1998 · Closed Apr 30, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Wheels
No summary supplied.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Wheels
Wheels
PE97040 · Transfer Case Lockup
Opened Sep 4, 1997 · Closed Jan 30, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Wheels
ALLEGED DRIVETRAIN FAILURE THAT CAN LEAD TO LOCK-UP OF THE REAR OR ALL WHEELS.