2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS review from Puerto Rico
"Great looks, reliable, and fun to drive"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The day after I purchased the car the light / signal switch on the steering column went bad and drained my battery. Had to tow the car home. I found out later that there was a recall for that switch. The dealer replaced the switch the same day with no additional problem.
About 1,000 miles before ending the warranty which was at 60,000 miles the air conditioner went bad; the condenser was replaced under warranty immediately.
At about 120,000 miles the air conditioner is starting to fail again. A technician says it is probably a leak on one of the hoses.
The RS does not bring normally a spoiler on the trunk door; but the dealer installed one as an addition when new. The problem is the gas lifts on the RS are different from the ones on the GT or GS which bring the spoiler from factory. That provoked that the gas lifts fail to lift the door after about 70,000 miles. So I replaced with gas lifts from the GS/GT which fit perfectly and resolve the problem. This is not a problem from Mitsubishi, but from the dealer installing something not engineered for this model.
Other parts have been replaced, but have been minor and I suppose are due to normal wear.
No major problem on the motor other than what I find it consumes too much oil (1 quart every 2,000-2,500 miles). I've been told that is normal with Mitsubishi.
General comments?
Back seats are uncomfortable.
Blind spot because of front window left post when taking curves.
Trade in cost is very poor. I bought the car in Puerto Rico for $21K in year 2000 and this year, a Mitsubishi dealer offered $3.5K in order to trade in for a 2006 Eclipse.
Overall, I love the car. After 6 years it still turns heads. I love the looks on the new Eclipse and haven't purchased it because of economical reasons.
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| A terrific bargain, but not quite a racer; it can be with a little help |
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| Overall, great all around car with good looks, but have some money if you keep it beyond 120k miles |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2000 |
| Year of manufacture | 2000 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4 Liter Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 130000 miles |
| Previous car | Mitsubishi Ford Thunderbird |
| Date of Entry | 28th December, 2005 |