Faults:

This is my second Mitsubishi Eclipse.

With the exception of my first Eclipse (a 1996 non-turbo 2.0 with automatic transmission) needing a new valve gasket and spark plug gaskets, nothing has gone wrong with either of my cars.

General Comments:

My first Eclipse was a 1996 N/A. This car seriously "wows" me with it's highly respectable 142 horsepower, Honda Civic trashing, 2.0 DOHC in-line 4. Only because of this car, did I seriously consider upgrading to the Turbo model, of which I now own.

I bought a fairly difficult to find Automatic Turbo model for an excellent price, with only 61,000 miles on it.

WOW!! Man this car flies. 210 Horsepower is a huge increase from the N/A's 142 ponies. As a Civic trasher before purchasing the turbo model, now after several easily installed modifications, I am hauling down the quarter mile crushing the 6-speed Honda S-2000's and Acura RS-X's. Can you believe this car is capable of breaking traction (with an automatic transmission) when it shifts into 2nd gear?!?

I purchased an aftermarket boost controller as well as an A'PEXi Boost Gauge and I learned that I can run 19 solid pounds of boost through an aftermarket Blow-off valve, without so much as a puff of smoke. Please note the Eclipse block is completely unmodified, yet still capable of holding 19 pounds of boost (which is an atmosphere and a half of compressed air) on a daily driven basis.

This car's compression is excellent and I haven't experienced any difficulty in the routine maintenance or up-keep for this car. Pricing is relatively low for OEM parts and the parts are not difficult to locate.

What a comfortable ride for a sports car!

I HIGHLY recommended this car for anybody looking to purchase a fairly inexpensive to maintain, wonderfully performing import rocket!

Faults:

Well, I have had my car for 5 days now. Rides smooth, but the brakes are a little jolty, maybe due to a worn rudder.

General Comments:

I love this car!

This car looks great. People are always watching me drive by. It's definitely a head turner.

I have only had the car for 5 days and I have been challenged on the road at least 15 times already by other cars. Something about the Eclipse makes people want to race me everywhere I go.

Today I beat a 1995 Cougar 5.0.

It seems to be pretty quick.

Great car.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car.

General Comments:

The styling is real nice, but it doesn't have a lot of power.

I don't have any kids so I feel real comfortable in it.

It's kind of a bumpy ride so you need to get used to it.

Faults:

The clutch engagement was inconsistent when I initially bought the car. I thought a simple clutch adjustment would fix the problem, so I purchased my 1997 Eclipse GS-T with approximately 30,000 miles.

After numerous adjustments, and the replacement of the master cylinder, slave cylinder, clutch, pressure plate, and throw out bearing, the clutch engagement/disengagement was still inconsistent.

The cause was eventually found to be worn crankshaft thrust bearings. The wear pattern on the thrust bearings shows a slightly warped or incorrectly machined block, along with a lubrication problem. Needless to say, this vehicle is well over the warranty period after the source of the problem was found, even though it was an existing condition when I purchased the car.

Periodic thrust bearing replacements have kept the engine running. This thrust bearing wear is a common problem with the second generation 2.0 liter turbo engines and is referred to as "crankwalk" by the Diamond Star Motors community. I am a Mitsubishi crank-walk victim.

The transmission is very notchy and grinds going into first, third, and sometimes fifth gears. You cannot engage first gear when the car has been sitting long enough for the transmission fluid to cool without engaging second gear prior to shifting to first gear.

The driver's side door closed switch no longer works.

Many of the plastic interior pieces have cracks in them or have broken. Mainly the center console, rear hatch lever, and passenger door trim that goes around the interior door handle.

The front brakes vibrate and pulse badly. I do not have the antilock braking system. The rotors are warped.

The 10 disk compact disk changer skips when a bump in the road is hit.

General Comments:

This is the most comfortable vehicle I have ever sat in. That was the main reason I bought this car.

I was pleased to find the performance well above average. This car can hold its own with most performance cars on the market.

This car does not seem to be built very well for the power it is capable of producing. The transmission doesn't feel up to the task of the engine's output.

The maintenance routine must be followed exactly and with quality parts.

I have also found that the average garage, and some Mitsubishi dealerships have difficulty working on this engine with tasks such as timing belt changes. An incorrectly installed timing belt will result in the pistons and valves being introduced to each other resulting in thousands of dollars of repair bills, and many weeks with no vehicle.

The turbo is great even though it is too small for this engine.