Flex plate broke
The worst 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Body7
- Locks3
- Transmission2
- Engine1
- Steering1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Body7
- Locks3
- Transmission2
- Engine1
- Steering1
- Suspension1
- Visibility1
Recalls 1
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. If the rubber boots on the lower lateral arm ball joints of the front suspension were damaged during assembly, dirt and water can intrude. Also, mmc has added the potential of leaking moisture, which can cause the ball stud to corrode.
- Risk
- This condition could cause the lower lateral arm ball joint to separate, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. This campaign supercedes mmc's previous safety recall campaign, see 99v‑066.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the lower lateral arm ball joint for wear. Ball joints that exhibit wear beyond the established tolerance will be replaced with newly designed lateral arm ball joints. Ball joints that are within the established tolerance will be cleaned and a special sealant will be applied to prevent intrusion of moisture.
Recall number 00V421001 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder 34
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew...
- This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
- This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers
- This TSB contains troubleshooting steps for diagnosis of various customer complaints relating to the audio...
- This is an index of Tech Talk newsletter articles released in 2012.
- This Technical Service Bulletin updates the door adjustment procedure in the Body Section of the...
- Information on crankshaft identification marks - service manual revision
- Subject regarding corrected air conditioner magnetic clutch service procedures
- Service manual revision on revolution pick-up sensor resistance
- Subject regarding power steering pump replacement
What 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The spyder gs has always leaked from the soft top seals specially from the top right passenger side. It is a very common issue in the 2nd generation spyder gs which im suprised it has never been a recall for the weather stripping. Dealership charges 300 for the weatherstripping and they still leak after a couple years. I dont have pictures but after rain, the whold car is wet and as I drive and take my first turn, the vehicle starts to leak from the corner and gets center console and radio wet. All over the eclipse forums you will see the issue without a recall. Mitsubishi has not yet given advice on how go fix this. Car cant be driven in the rain without having to leak.
Both my handles broke off, the drivers side arm rest,( where the buttons for the windows are), fell off and into the cavity below. The convertible top leaks badly along the point where the top meets the car windshield,windows,and back window. Very upset that there are many people with same problem yet no one wants to address the issue...mitsubishi should pay for repairs...
Convertible roof does not fold down due to bent frame members on each side - called "bent top stack control links". This prevents the top front bow from closing tightly and allows water to enter the cab causing additional damage from mold and mildew - health hazards. The head liner pulls 1-1/2" from the front bow and sags significantly due to the slack distorting the view forward and limits the view in the mirror - a definite safety issue. The repair should be a factory issue and not cost me more than $500 for the parts and labor. If this bar breaks it will further damage the rag top and quadruple the repair cost. The repair shop said this has been a problem with many mitzu ecclipse spyders since they were introduced. Recall - recall - recall. Thanks
I purchased my car new in february 1998. After 9 years I only have 43,000 miles on the car. I live in southern california so there is no extreme temperature changes which might have caused the door handle to be compromised, nor abuse as I see others are being told by service shops. I did not expect to open my drivers side car door last week and have it come off in my hand. The reason I bought this car was that a friend had just bought one for himself the month before I did. I was visiting him yesterday and asked him to guess what happened to my car and he beat me to it. His driver's side door handle had come off in his hand 2 weeks ago. I was first checking for a possible recall before bringing it to the dealership. Right now, I have to climb through from the passenger side to pop open my door or leave the window down when running errands. I think the number of complaints seems to warrant some sort of a response to this from mitsubishi.
In the summer of 2003 my clutch master cylinder started leaking so ireplaced it. Then in may of 2004 my clutch failed so I had it replaced with a stock clutch. Two months later the engine developed signs of "crankwalk", which happens to alot of 95-99 mitsubishi eclipses. I had it formally diagnosed with crankwalk and now I can no longer drive my car. I now have to replace my motor with a new one that will cost $3000 and it might end at the same fate. I have done alot of research and there are thousands who have had this happen but, mitsubishi will not issue a recall for their product.
The convertible top motors have gone out again. I have had the motors serviced several time over 4 times in two years. Apparnetly the gear pins break within the motors and cause them to fail. I cannot open nor close my convertible top.
Convertible top does not go down all the way. Design flaw causes the top stack control links to bend upon opening and closing the top. The replacement parts along with labor is ridiculously high over $650. Mitsubishi who is fully aware of this design flaw, refuses to accept any responsibility.
Recall work that would not be completed, unless additional diagnostics were purchased and paid for. Subsequently, I continue to drive around with the defective control-arm ball joints on my 1998 mitsubishi eclipse spyder. I have no other dealerships within 25 miles of my town, and I believe concord mitsubishi uses this fact to take advantage of their customers.
My 1998 mitsubishi eclipse spyder is defective. The convertible roof does not fold into the down position unless I guide it by hand. There are two metal brackets on each side of the roof that are bending and causing the top to hang up when you put the top down. When I took it to the dealer they said it was the bow that was causing the roof to look like it was collapsing in,and causing the rain to leak in, they put in a new bow, but the problem was still present. Now they want another $315.00 plus the cost of labor to fix the brackets. It seems like a manufacturers defect that should be recalled and fixed at no cost. I am afraid the metal bracket is going to snap and hit me or a innocent bystander in the head. While I had the car at the dealership, a gentleman told me his brother has a 1997 mitsibishi eclipse spyder and his did the same thing only it did snap. The ragtop could be damaged by the broken metal. Someone needs to look into this!! This is an accident waiting to happen!
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Questions about the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder
Is the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder reliable?
Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, fewer than a typical Eclipse Spyder model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?
Body and structure, with 7 complaints. Next is locks (3).
How many recalls does the 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder have?
1 recall, covering suspension.
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