AI Damage2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 16
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 6% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (50% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 2 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 2 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (6% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 16 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
Consumer stated that they lost power and control while driving vehicle. The consumer was requesting an investigation of the 2008 mitsubishi eclipse sypder gt, automible manufacturer, distributor, service center, and the crash.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mitsubishi eclipse spyder. When the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. A police report was not filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired.
I have a mitsubishi eclipse and it kept going to the left side when you drive it, either in town or on the highway. It start happening after the 2 month from the day I bought it.
The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the rear window of the convertible exploded: projecting shattered pieces of glass all the way to the dashboard. The contact was able to continue driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
There is a constant loud beeping when the concerable top is closes as well as indicator light flashing that the conversation able top is unlocked and hen it is. Upon more research almost everyone with this vehicle has this issue and it's a very expensive fix.
The light tire lights turns on constantly and on several instances the car would shake heavily. Most of the shaking is experienced when driving on the highway. This issue is so bad, I barely ride the vehicle and when I do, I do not take it far due to the air pressure issue.
When the brake pedal was depressed, there was no response and the brakes failed. The contact was able to gain control of the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vin was unknown. The failure mileage was 61,000.
The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the abs warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to stop and that the brake pedal would have to be pumped to effectively stop the vehicle.
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 9,040 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Eclipse Spyder has 17 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 16, about average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
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 20046 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 200722 sources
- Eclipse Spyder 20097 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, air bags, engine. Total complaints: 16. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (13%), brake failure (6%), hesitation when accelerating (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.