1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder: common problems

Owners of the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 5
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Air bags 20% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
3 Seats 20% of all complaints
4 Suspension 20% of all complaints
5 Wheels 20% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 1 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Seats: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Suspension: 1 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Wheels: 1 complaints (20% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 20%
vibration1 · 20%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	1	1
Electrical system	1	0
Seats	1	0
Suspension	1	1
Wheels	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

While driving at normal speed right ball joint broke. As a result, consumer's vehicle was involved in a collision.
Suspension · crash · 2004-04-14 · NHTSA complaint #10067166
The accident was a near head on collision with other vehicle (chevrolet blazer) traveling approximately 40-50 mph. Neither air bag deployed although entire front of car was destroyed. Car was considered totalled by insurance company. Mitsubishi contacted and denied there was a problem.
Air bags · crash · 2000-02-19 · NHTSA complaint #718967
Passenger seat only locks in one position. If you think the seat is locked and it's not, the seat does move/slide backward and forward as you are driving. You must hear the "locked in place noise" or it is not locked!!!! This is important especially if you have a passenger riding in this seat.
Seats · 2009-05-29 · NHTSA complaint #10270261
The mechanics started to check shake each tire, when he got to the front drivers side the tire was very loose. According to the the threading on the bults that hold the rim on were stripped and the damage would run me about 200 per tire. One top of the new bults I needed new rims. They said my rims were to bent up.
Wheels · 2002-05-23 · NHTSA complaint #762182
I had parked this auto and went inside to sleep- was awaken by horn going off in auto- went out to see what was going on and when I open the door all I saw was a blast of smoke that hit me in the face. Fire chief said it was a electrical fire that started behind the dash where the instruments are.
Electrical system · 2001-07-16 · NHTSA complaint #748315

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20001
20011
20021
20041
20091

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Eclipse Spyder has 17 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, seats. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (20%), vibration (20%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1996 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.