AI Damage2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about wheels and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Wheels 33% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 17% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 17% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 17% of all complaints
- Wheels: 2 complaints (33% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Structure: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 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.
Wheel came off without hitting anything 17 inch alloy wheel rims on 2-8-08 at 2:30 pm I was driving the lane next to the fast lane on the 210 freeway in la crescenta california at 60mph when suddenly the steering wheel started shaking.
Second time end of september 2005, took car into get oil changed told them about shaking of the car. Found out that back right rim was cracked and missing a chunk of the rim. New rim was purchased and put on. October 1, 2005 driving home, car was pulled to the right and my car was flipped on to its hood.
Loss of steering control when you lose power to the alternator. I was on the highway had to turn the car back on while driving
Paint is fading, spots are appearing. Car is garage kept and polished every 6 months by professional service.
In our 2004 endeavor suv the back seatbelts come undone without anyone pushing the red release buttons. I have 2 children car seats in the back and this has happened on at least 8 different occasions where the car seat is not buckled in anymore because the seat belt came loose.
Dt*: the contact stated the needle of the fuel gauge became stuck, and the fuel warning light did not illuminate. After the contact filled the fuel tank, the indicator needle did not move. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Eclipse Spyder has 17 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 6, below average.
What to check before buying
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
- Eclipse Spyder 19965 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 199720 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 199816 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 199911 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 20003 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 200181 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 200224 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 200327 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 200722 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 200816 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 20097 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: wheels, fuel system, seat belts. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (33%), fuel system, fuel smell (17%), seat belts (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.