Selling a dead or junk Mitsubishi Eclipse

If your Eclipse has a dead engine, soft brakes or a body too rusty to pass, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

What owners reported, generation by generation

We pulled these Eclipse complaint totals from NHTSA's website on October 10, 2026. They are owner reports, not a grade of the Eclipse. Late Eclipse model years also haven't been driven as long. The total is 2,377, along with 30 recall campaigns.

1990-1994: the first generation

Wikipedia says the first Eclipse was built at Diamond-Star Motors in Normal, Illinois, with a 1.8-liter 4G37, a 2.0-liter 4G63 or a 2.0-liter 4G63T turbo. It was related to the Galant. These years hold 221 complaints, two of them filed under 1989.

From 1990 through 1994, each Eclipse year has the power train as its most named part. On the 1990 it's 23 of 46 complaints. Recall 98V069001 covers transfer case lockup from too little lubrication. Wikipedia says it applied to all 1990-1998 Eclipse GSX cars, the all-wheel-drive turbo model. The whole campaign counted 24,275 vehicles. The 1990-1991 cars were also in recall 95V103004 for front seat belt buckle buttons that can break. That 658,000-vehicle campaign reached other Mitsubishi models too.

1995-1999: the second generation

Engines were a 2.0-liter 420A, the 4G63 and 4G63T, and a 2.4-liter 4G64, per Wikipedia. Its twin was the Eagle Talon. This run holds 905 complaints.

The 1995 is the problem year: 309 complaints, 44 with a crash reported. Engine and engine cooling leads with 50, then suspension and power train at 41 each. On the 1996, suspension leads with 27. Two recalls deal with the lower ball joints in the front suspension. 99V066001 (1995-1996) covers rubber boots damaged at assembly, which let dirt and water in. 00V421001 (1995-1999) has dealers check the joints for wear. Those campaigns counted 307,000 and 567,432 vehicles, and both also covered Galants.

2000-2005: the third generation

Wikipedia lists a 150-horsepower 2.4-liter 4G64 on the Chrysler ST-22 platform, still built in Normal. These years hold 877 complaints, and the wheel complaints above sit here.

Structure leads on the 2003, with 35 of 151. Recall 00V225001 (2000-2001) covers a nut in the steering gear that wasn't tightened right. The symptoms run from a vibrating wheel to stiff steering, and in the worst case no ability to turn. Recall 15V338000 adds a tether strap to the passenger air bag on 2000-2005 Eclipses. Its 443,442 vehicles include Chrysler and Dodge models, so that number is not the Eclipse's alone.

2006-2012: the fourth generation

The last Eclipse used a 162-horsepower 2.4-liter 4G69 and a 4-speed automatic, per Wikipedia. It was related to the Endeavor. Production ended in August 2011 after 906,876 cars. These years hold 374 complaints.

Brakes run through this generation. Service brakes is the top component on the 2006 (53 of 99), 2007 (84 of 129), 2008 (57 of 87) and 2009 (31 of 49). Recall 15V337000 covers corrosion inside the ABS hydraulic unit on 2006-2009 coupes and 2007-2009 Spyders. Dealers flush and clean the unit, free. Wikipedia also lists two 2005 brake recalls: 05V247000 for brake boosters with bad crimp joints that could separate, and 05V299000 for master cylinders with seals put in wrong.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Our Eclipse tally comes from NHTSA, checked October 10, 2026. "Crashes" counts complaints where the owner reported one. Each Eclipse recall appears under every year it names. Since many name a few years, adding the column up won't give you 30.

Fix it or sell it?

First weigh the Eclipse repair bill against its value once it runs again. On an Eclipse that is 14 to 36 years old, the repair often wins the argument for selling.

1. Check the Eclipse for unfixed recalls by typing its VIN on NHTSA's recall page. On a 2006-2009, ask a Mitsubishi dealer whether the ABS work under 15V337000 was ever done.
2. Brakes feel wrong? That is the pattern on the fourth generation. Our bad brakes guide covers the fix-or-sell call.
3. Front end clunks on a 1995-1999? Ask whether the ball joint recalls were done. If the car is past saving, see old or high mileage.
4. Selling with a recall still open is allowed. Open recall explains what to tell the buyer.

Selling your Eclipse whole

1. Have the Eclipse's VIN, mileage and trouble handy, and note if it's the coupe or the Spyder.
2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where the Eclipse is parked and whether the wheels roll, so the truck arrives ready. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave everything on. That means the engine, the turbo on a GS-T or GSX, and the wheels. Tell us about anything already removed.
5. Eclipse pickup tip: have your photo ID and the Eclipse title ready when our driver arrives. No title? Start with selling with no title. Once the Eclipse is gone, after you sell covers your plates and insurance.