1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder: common problems

Owners of the 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 11

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 45% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 27% of all complaints
3 Suspension 9% of all complaints
4 Visibility 9% of all complaints
5 Wheels 9% of all complaints

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

Powertrain: 5 complaints (45% of all).
Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (27% of all).
Suspension: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Visibility: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Wheels: 1 complaints (9% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 11 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine2 · 18%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 9%
vibration1 · 9%
windows, sunroof1 · 9%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Powertrain	5	0	0
Engine and cooling	3	0	0
Suspension	1	0	0
Visibility	1	0	0
Wheels	1	0	0

What owners report

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

Transmission sticking between 40-60 miles per hour at 3000 rpms and has a problem shifting down causing the "service engine soon" light to come on. The problem happens on the same 2 roads in the same exact spot. I had the pulse generators in the transmission replaced and one week later it was doing it again.
Powertrain · 2009-04-02 · NHTSA complaint #10263972
After driving the car 3 months the "service engine soon" light came on. I was out of town so took to nearest car repair station. They reset light & rcvd code p1750. When I rtnd home I took it in for service & to reset the check engine soon light.
Powertrain · 2008-06-20 · NHTSA complaint #10231839
The first time I drove it the service engine soon light came on. I took to a shop, they found nothing wrong & reset the button. When I returned home the ses light was on again & I took to transmission shop to see why?they found nothing....I then drove it & the transmission completely burned up & stranded me @ night,…
Powertrain · 2007-11-06 · NHTSA complaint #10208063
Excessive vibration and unable to pass pa state inspection. Wheels will need to be replaced in order to maintain "legal" registration in pa state.
Wheels · 2005-07-05 · NHTSA complaint #10127435
I went out to start my 1999 eclipse spyder and the drive belt came off. Took the car to a dealer was informed that the harmonic balancer had broken off.
Engine and cooling · 2005-02-17 · NHTSA complaint #10110668
Convertible top links bent, rear window stitching failure. Top will not go down due to previous. Just happened overnight. One day it wasn't there, the next the links were bent. Dealer states this is just normal wear & tear and the links bent are the most common problem with this top.
Visibility · 2004-12-14 · NHTSA complaint #10102957
Main bearing failure @ 65,000 miles. Dealership would not replace, or repair. This is a common problem with this model. I am on my 2nd motor with the same problem.
Engine and cooling · 2003-12-14 · NHTSA complaint #10049713
Crankshaft pulley failed because inner and outer rings separated. Dealership contacted and reported that they are seeing this on a frequent bases. Mechanic and dealership agee that insuffencient glue used to seal rings together.
Engine and cooling · 2001-09-13 · NHTSA complaint #751913

When owners complained

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

20012
20021
20031
20041
20052
20061
20071
20081
20091

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Eclipse Spyder has 17 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 11, below average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine and cooling, suspension. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (18%), smoke, burning smell, fire (9%), vibration (9%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 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 1999 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 1999 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.