2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse

No clear pattern

0% of complaints about the 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2008 vehicle, but with only 83 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is service brakes (50 complaints), typically at 7.8 yr or about 71,937 miles.

Complaints: 83
Median age at failure: 7.8 yr
Median mileage: 75,647 n=58
Crash / fire / tow: 15.7% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

15V337000 2015-06-02

Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 20, 2005, to February 13, 2009, and 2007-2009 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured December 23, 2005, to February 13, 2009. Due to corrosion inside the antil-lock brake system (ABS) unit, one or more of the internal valves may seize. In a braking event that uses the ABS, a seized valve would increase brake pedal travel and reduce braking ability.

A sudden reduction of braking performance may increase the risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Service brakes 72,000 mi 4.4 yr in service crash / fire / tow

WHEN BRAKING TO STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXPERIENCED A LONGER THAN NORMAL PEDAL STROKE RESULTING IN A REAR END COLLISION. IT IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE 2006 ECLIPSE HAS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. 2007-2008 ECLIPSES SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED TO FIX THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM. THERE ARE SEVERAL ONLINE POSTS DESCRIBING THIS PROBLEM ON A 2008 ECLIPSE. *TR

Service brakes 41,000 mi 6.0 yr in service

I NOTICED THAT AS I PRESS THE BRAKE PEDDLE DOWN AND LET OFF THERE IS A WHISTLE SOUND AS THE BRAKE PEDDLE IS COMING BACK UP. THIS ISSUE IS CONTINUING TO GET WORSE.THE MORE THAT I DRIVE THE CAR, THE LESS EFFICIENT MY BRAKES ARE WORKING TO ACTUALLY STOP THE CAR. MULTIPLE MECHANICS HAVE LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND SAID IT COULD BE EITHER THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER OR THE ABS CONTROL WHICH IS VERY UNCOMMON FOR A CAR WITH SUCH LOW MILES.???? *TR

Service brakes 67,000 mi 6.2 yr in service

UPON APPLYING MY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND A HISSING NOISE COMING FROM THE PEDAL AREA. HAD DONE THIS BEFORE AND THEN IT WAS OK. STARTED DOING IT AGAIN AND HAD THE BRAKES CHANGED. WAS FINE FOR A WHILE THEN STARTED AGAIN. HAD ASE MECHANIC INSPECT MASTER CYLINDER, BLEED BRAKES AND BRAKE BOOSTER. STILL ALL THE SAME. I KNOW THEY RECALLED LANCER FOR THE SAME ISSUES. AND ALSO 2005-2207- ECLIPSE. THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. CANNOT ALLOW MY DAUGHTER TO DRIVE THIS CAR DUE TO THE PROBLEM. *TR

Other Eclipse model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Eclipse model years

How to read this