1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX review from North America
"Fast car, cheesy build quality, expensive repairs"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Major sunroof problems - replaced both sunroof rails and glass. This cost over $1000 at the dealer.
Engine pulley broke, this cost $250. This is common apparently and it was clear the part was poorly engineered.
Driving in snow caused the rocker panels to pop off and break.
Power antenna broke - $150
General comments?
The good: this car is amazingly fast and handles like it's on rails. I don't think I ever squealed the tires when I was exiting the highway.
While the number of things that went wrong with the car is small, the general impression I had was very poor. The interior quality is extremely poor. The windows feel like they're going to shatter every time you shut the door. Plastic is the name of the game in the interior.
The all wheel drive is nice to have, but the ground clearance is so low that you can't really do anything useful in the snow when it's really needed.
The big problem with this car is the high costs of maintenance. The 60k tuneup with new timing belt, etc. cost almost $1200, not even including new plugs and wires. That is ridiculous. The clutch cost $700 to replace.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | turbo Manual |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 5/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 60000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 75000 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac Bonneville |
| Date of Entry | 11th September, 2003 |