2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder: common problems

Owners of the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder filed 81 complaints with NHTSA, most often about wheels and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 81
involving a crash: 6

What fails most often

1 Wheels 46% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
3 Structure 11% of all complaints
4 Air bags 7% of all complaints
5 Visibility 6% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
7 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
8 Suspension 5% of all complaints

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

Wheels: 37 complaints (46% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 11 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 9 complaints (11% of all).
Air bags: 6 complaints (7% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Visibility: 5 complaints (6% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 81 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

transmission slipping6 · 7%
headlights and tail lights4 · 5%
rust, corrosion4 · 5%
smoke, burning smell, fire4 · 5%
windows, sunroof4 · 5%
warning lights, check engine3 · 4%
infotainment or screen glitches2 · 2%
stalls while driving2 · 2%
tires: bulges, blowouts2 · 2%
vibration2 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Wheels	37	1
Powertrain	11	1
Structure	9	0
Air bags	6	4
Visibility	5	0
Engine and cooling	4	0
Exterior lighting	4	0
Suspension	4	0
Tires	4	0
Electrical system	3	0
Service brakes	2	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Steering	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.

My airbags did not deploy at the time of the crash, or even afterward for that matter. The frame in the front is bent significantly higher than its previous arrangement, and is being found as a total loss. I plan on pursuing legal action because of the faulty making of this vehicle.
Air bags · crash · 2011-03-05 · NHTSA complaint #10386569
My daughter had an accident on a rainy day, tire got caught in water, lost control, hit a guard and hit a traffic light poll and a utility poll. The front airbag didn't get deploy.
Air bags · crash · 2005-04-04 · NHTSA complaint #10116326
The contact stated that the transmission failed due to an internal spring fracturing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who rebuilt the transmission. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 01v011001 (power train).
Powertrain · 2017-01-18 · NHTSA complaint #10945909
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mitsubishi eclipse spyder. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a tune up and the failure codes for p0301, p0401, and the egr appeared. The codes were cleared, but the p0301 failure code reappeared.
Electrical system · 2015-08-26 · NHTSA complaint #10759569
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mitsubishi eclipse spyder. While driving approximately 30 mph, the drivers side sun visor opened independently and struck the contact on the bridge of her nose, breaking her glasses. The contact pulled over and repositioned the sun visor back on the clips.
Visibility · 2015-07-23 · NHTSA complaint #10736120
Was driving and as I was turning the steering wheel locked up.
Wheels · 2014-12-14 · NHTSA complaint #10664136
Was told transmission failed and vehicle would not be worth the money to fix because front strut towers both were rusted. Had vehicle towed home and I will try to perform the repair myself.
Powertrain · 2014-03-28 · NHTSA complaint #10575405
The fuel filler neck rusts severely around the passenger rear tire causing large amounts of fuel to leak on the ground and gasoline vapors to escape. The filler neck assembly is constructed out of metal and includes a large tube/pipe for the fuel to enter the gas tank, as well as several other smaller metal pipes.
Fuel/propulsion system · 2014-03-27 · NHTSA complaint #10575199

When owners complained

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

20001
20013
20028
200319
200414
20057
20064
200712
20081
20092
20103
20112
20143
20152
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,046 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Eclipse Spyder has 17 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 81, above average.

What to check before buying

Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: wheels, powertrain, structure. Total complaints: 81. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: transmission slipping (7%), headlights and tail lights (5%), rust, corrosion (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 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 2001 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 2001 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.