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1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems

The most common problem on the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse is suspension, typically around 120,000 miles. It has 2.2 times the complaints of a typical Eclipse model year.

Typical year2.2x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
159
Recalls
4
Service bulletins
82
Worst area
Suspension
Fuel economy
19-24mpg

The worst 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Ball joint 23No deployment 9Stalling 8

Recalls 4

Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball jointReported December 18, 2000 · 567,432 vehicles affected
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

Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball jointReported April 5, 1999 · 307,000 vehicles affected
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.
Risk
This condition could cause the lower lateral arm ball joint to separate, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rubber boots, and if the boot is damaged, they will replace the lower lateral arm and ball joint on the affected vehicles.

Recall number 99V066001 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmissionReported March 26, 1998 · 24,275 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Lockup of the transfer case can occur due to insufficient lubrication.
Risk
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.

Recall number 98V069001 · Recall details

Fuel system, gasolineReported August 27, 1996 · 5,731 vehicles affected
What is wrong
The fuel tank gaskets for the fuel pump and/or gauge unit gasket could have been incorrectly installed allowing fuel or fumes to escape.
Risk
If an ignition source were present, the fuel leakage could result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the fuel tank and if the gaskets are found to be leaking, replace the fuel tank, caps and gaskets.

Recall number 96V158001 · Recall details

See all 4 recalls for the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Defect investigations

Lower contrtol arm ball jointOpened August 2, 2000, closed April 20, 2001

There is no summary currently available

RQ00015

Transfer case leakageOpened May 11, 1998, closed August 28, 1998

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.

RQ98007

Transfer case lockupOpened January 30, 1998, closed April 30, 1998

EA98002

Transfer case lockupOpened September 4, 1997, closed January 30, 1998

Alleged drivetrain failure that can lead to lock-up of the rear or all wheels.

PE97040

Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse 82

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 82 bulletins for the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse

1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
2.0L 4‑cylFWD18-2124-2920-24
2.4L 4‑cylFWD18-1926-2720-22
2.0L 4‑cyl4WD17-1923-2619-21

What 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed May 4, 2017 · Transmission · 89,200 miles · RI

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 mitsubishi eclipse. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the rear wheels seized. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transfer case was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was previously repaired per an unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 89,200.

Filed Sep 12, 2011 · Driver assistance, Electrical · GA

Electronic control modual while driving all power to car just lost.

Filed Dec 27, 2010 · Transmission · 110,000 miles · IL

Tl*the contact owns a 1996 mitsubishi eclipse. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the transfer case suddenly stalled and locked all four wheels; he was unable to get the vehicle to move. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who informed the contact that he needed to replace transfer case and that they could not assist with repair expenses as the vehicle was not included in recall 98v069001 (power train: automatic transmission). The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Jun 1, 2010 · Transmission · 122,000 miles · IN

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 mitsubishi eclipse. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle began to exhibit an abnormal vibration and it made an unusual noise. The contact drove onto the emergency lane and upon further inspection, found that the front drive shaft had fractured from the transfer case. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop where it was inspected but not repaired. The vehicle was driven to an authorized dealer where the drive shaft yoke and rear transfer housing were replaced at the contacts expense. The failure recurred 1,500 miles after the vehicle was repaired. The dealer had possession of the vehicle when the complaint was filed. The contact inquired about the federal safety agency recall campaign id 98v069001 (power train: automatic transmission) and when contacting the manufacturer, he was advised that the recall repairs were completed by the previous owner in 1998. The manufacturer would not provide any additional assistance. The failure mileage was 122,000 and the current mileage was 124,000.

Filed Mar 6, 2008 · Suspension · 261,362 miles · FL · crash · 1 injury

10/26/01 l front lwr control arm broke, the car bounced down the road when susp came apart. Gville mitz replaced the parts at the cost of the manf. The vehicle had 104000 mi at that time. Items listed on repair invoice: arm assy (fr susp), shaft assy (fr axl), shield kit splash, air dam side fr lh, end assy, tie rod, fender fr lh 12/8/07 susp broke again. While driving I thought the drv side front tire had popped. I let off the gas/ tried to pull the vehicle over. I was in the l lane near an interstate entrance. When I was near the barrier the vehicle jumped left. It made contact with the concrete wall, I pulled the wheel back towards the right. When I did this the broken left front susp/tire went beneath the car. The auto was catapulted onto the concrete barrier on it's nose. The car was completely airborne at this time (for appx 150-200 ft) part of the car hit the concrete pillar of the underpass and flung my car back to the ground. Both airbags deployed when the vehicle came down. Even with my restraint on my body slid under the steering wheel when the car catapulted on the concrete ledge. When the driverside airbag deployed the got the left side of my head where my abdomen should have been. The damages: bumper assembly, front, cover, front bumper, headlamp assy, halog headlamps aim/lamp, side marker, fender front, skirt, inner fendert wheel, front l, knuckle, steering l/f, arm, lower control l/f windshield, airbag, steering wheel, airbag, instrument pnl panel, rocker lt, pnl, front door out, repair I received a concussion from the airbag/back problems etc this car is up for auction on the 18th, it is my hopes that it is not placed back on the roadways. Who knows what other types of damage the vehicle sustained, the crash was never correctly evaluated. The local police listed I hit a metal guard rail. The vehicle damages does not indicate contact with a metal guard rail(it does not have marks on it). Appx 50 pics avail.

Filed Dec 22, 2007 · Transmission · 71,250 miles · CA

I was going about 65 miles per hour on the freeway, when the transmission started to make a loud revving noise and began to down shift at an accelerated rate. The eclipse now has a shifting problem to where the car does not have the drive to move forwards nor backwards. I was told by a transmission specialist and close friend, that all my gears were all wiped out all at the same time and that the throttle cable was either loose or broken. He also mentioned that he found in the transfer case, of the transmission, shavings or little pieces of metal or aluminum.

Filed Dec 8, 2007 · Tires, Wheels · CA

Driving on hwy. 80 on dry road at approx. 60-65 MPH, in fast lane, car started to shake, as we pulled over to the side of freeway, tire blew out...complete separation of belt from sidewalls,both side walls still on rim, belt (intact) rolled down freeway. Tires less than 1 year old, and lots of tread left on tire. This caused damaged to the rim which is no longer usable. We will have to replace the tire and rim, but thank god no one was hurt.

Filed Oct 18, 2006 · 120,000 miles · OH

I have a black 1996 mitsubishi eclipse rs the clear coat is totally coming off of the car leaving white spots all over. The car is suppose to be black but it looks like a dalmation.

Filed Mar 23, 2006 · Suspension · 77,000 miles · PA

Dt*: the contact stated while applying brake pressure at various speeds, there was a popping noise. The vehicle was seen by a dealer and it was determined the lower control arm ball joints needed replaced. A the federal safety agency recall, #00v421001 was performed on the vehicle concerning, the suspension however, the recall did not remedy the problem. The dealership would not offer a second repair without charge under the recall.

Filed Aug 30, 2005 · Suspension · MI

Re: dealership complaint: refusal to honor existing the federal safety agency campaign id numbers: 00v421001, 99v066001 mitsubishi eclipse, suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint I recently took my 1996 eclipse to my local dealership (arnold mitsubishi, roseville, mi) to make an appointment for this recall as there is serious 'clunking' in my front ball joints. I was told my VIN number was not included in the recalls. Your database seems to indicate that this was an 'across the board' recall. I've been warned that this is a lousy dealership. Are they correct, or am I? And what should I do?

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Questions about the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Is the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse reliable?

Owners have filed 159 complaints about the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse, 2.2 times a typical Eclipse model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse?

Suspension, with 27 complaints, typically around 120,000 miles. Next is brakes (26).

How many recalls does the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse have?

4 recalls, covering suspension, power train and fuel system, gasoline.

Was there a recall on the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse suspension?

Yes, 2 recalls: 00V421001, 99V066001. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Mitsubishi Eclipse have bad suspension?

The Mitsubishi Eclipse model years with the most suspension complaints are 1995 (47 complaints), 1996 (27 complaints) and 1997 (16 complaints).

What gas mileage does the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse get?

Official estimates for the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse range from 19 to 24 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 18-21 city and 24-29 highway.

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