1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems & reliability
46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 25 | 54% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 13% |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 11% |
| Steering | 3 | 7% |
| Equipment | 2 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 4% |
| Visibility | 2 | 4% |
| Seats | 1 | 2% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“1990 mitsubishi eclipse with automatic transmission problems. Consumer states that it has broken twice in his vehicle. He states that if this breaks it could cause a serious accident because the vehicle just stops and shuts off. *kb”
Power Train · filed Dec 17, 2007
“Headlamp failure due to wiring harness malfunctioning. Consumer was seeking reimbursement since the headlights were on recall. *yh....*ak”
Exterior Lighting · filed Nov 13, 2002
“As I was driving down the road, the driver's door opened without reason. That caused the seatbelt assembly to retract and then, the seatbelt assembly hit me in the eye. This caused me to react and sent me off the road, down an embankment. I was injured resulting in the loss of my left arm. *ak”
Seat Belts · filed Feb 1, 2002
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- TRANSFER CASE LEAKAGE
Recall Query RQ98007 · opened May 11, 1998 · closed Aug 28, 1998 · led to recall 98V168002
- TRANSFER CASE LOCKUP
Engineering Analysis EA98002 · opened Jan 30, 1998 · closed Apr 30, 1998 · led to recall 98V069002
- TRANSFER CASE LOCKUP
Preliminary Evaluation PE97040 · opened Sep 4, 1997 · closed Jan 30, 1998
- TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA95004 · opened Mar 10, 1995 · closed Aug 1, 1995 · led to recall 95V103004
Technical service bulletins
9 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse.
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT253 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2019
This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes TSB-18-00-003, issued April, 2018, to add updated information for Carrying Capacity Reduced Label.
TSB-19-00-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 30, 2019
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT237 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2018
This Technical Service Bulletin updates the door adjustment procedure in the Body Section of the applicable service manuals.
TSB-13-42A-002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 29, 2013
Information regarding cylinder head gaskets for remanufactured short blocks. *tt
TSB9911007 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 1999
Information about improved automatic transaxle end clutch. *tt
TSB9723015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1997
New valve lash adjuster noise checking and troubleshooting procedures. *jd
TSB9711002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1997
Antenna tightening torque. *tw
TSB9654012 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1996
Manual transaxle shift quality synchronizer kits. *tw
TSB9622003R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1996
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.