2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
On the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse, the failure owners report most often is other brake problem, and the reports cluster around 80,000 miles. The earliest to appear is master cylinder or brake booster failure, reported by a median of 60,000 miles. Overall it scores 71 out of 100, high risk for a 2006.
High risk for a 2006 — 112th riskiest of the 343 2006 vehicles we can rate. 118 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 25 named failure modes on the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse, and the three most-reported carry 55% of everything filed.
Other brake problem leads with 45 reports, about 4.2 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 70k to 100,000 miles.
Master cylinder or brake booster failure follows with 13 reports, usually reported between 45k to 75,000 miles.
Loss of braking follows with 7 reports, median 105,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into brakes (71), airbag (7) and transmission (7).
When these failures get reported
82 of the reports on the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 75,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 35% by 50,000 miles, 72% by 100,000 miles and 93% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 1 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 80,000 and 90,000 miles, which alone holds 10% of the dated reports.
29% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 25. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 1 report came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 10 mention a crash and 4 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.45, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other brake problem at $300–$1,800, master cylinder or brake booster failure at $450–$2,200, loss of braking at $400–$3,000 and ABS module or sensor failure at $500–$2,400. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
8% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other brake problem | brakes | 45 | 25 | 70k | 80k | 100k | 4.2 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 13 | 13 | 45k | 59k | 75k | 1.2 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 7 | 6 | — | 105k | — | 0.7 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 5 | 2 | — | 22k | — | 0.5 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 5 | 3 | — | 19k | — | 0.5 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 5 | 5 | — | 20k | — | 0.5 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 4 | 2 | — | 30k | — | 0.4 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 3 | 3 | — | 56k | — | 0.3 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 2 | 2 | — | 68k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Paint peeling or clear coat failure | body | 2 | 1 | — | 76k | — | 0.2 | $600–$6,000 | Low |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 2 | 1 | — | 124k | — | 0.2 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 2 | 1 | — | 13k | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 2 | 1 | — | 113k | — | 0.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 148k | — | 0.1 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Manual clutch or hydraulics failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 17k | — | 0.1 | $900–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 1 | 1 | — | 4k | — | 0.1 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 270k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 29k | — | 0.1 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 128k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 128k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 18k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Unclassified problem | other | 9 | 9 | 80k | 99k | 128k | 0.8 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse draws about 11 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 89th percentile of complaint rates among 2006 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 10,690 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2006 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other brake problem
This is the second time that the brakes has been making noises. We took it once when we had about 6000 miles on there to the mitsubishi dealer and they replaced it with (updated brake pads) just 5000 miles later the noise has come back. *nm
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mitsubishi eclipse. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, she heard a loud, abnormal noise. She then attempted to brake but the brakes would not engage. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where she was informed that the rear brake pads had fractured from the vehicle. The mechanic replaced the brake pads. On a later date while driving at unknown speeds, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the brake pads were replaced a second time. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000 and the current mileage was approximately 97,000.
Master cylinder or brake booster failure
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mitsubishi eclipse. The contact stated that when applying the brakes, the pedal was able to be depressed into the floorboard. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and they advised her that the master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where they advised her that they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were approximately 41,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mitsubishi eclipse. The contact stated while applying the brakes, the pedal would extend to the floor making the vehicle difficult to stop. The contact noticed NHTSA campaign 05v299000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation master cylinder) recall. The contact called the manufacturer regarding the recall and was advised by the manufacturer that his VIN was not a part of the recall. The contact was concerned that the failure could result in a crash. The failure mileage was 75,000.
Loss of braking
Brakes failed completely when coming up to a red light. Fortunately, no one was ahead of me nor in the intersection or there would have been a major accident. I checked brake fluid level and it was normal. Mechanic said master cylinder was bad. There was no prior warning of possible problems, nor any lights on the dash at or after the time of the problem. At previous red light, brakes worked normally. The failure was as described in recall 05v247000. However, my car was manufactured 10/2005 so was not part of the recall. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mitsubishi eclipse. The contact stated that the brakes failed to engage repeatedly and the brake pedal had to be depressed several times before it would engage. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic several times for the failure. The brakes were cleaned and adjusted however, the failure was not corrected and the brakes continued to fail. The contact had to increase stopping distance when braking. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 05v299000 (service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 86,000.
Recalls on the 2006 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse, affecting an estimated 20,199 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electron, fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly, service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylin and service brakes, hydraulic. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
74,836 vehicles 2015-06-02- Defect
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 20, 2005, to February 13, 2009, and 2007-2009 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured December 23, 2005, to February 13, 2009. Due to corrosion inside the antil-lock brake system (ABS) unit, one or more of the internal valves may seize. In a braking event that uses the ABS, a seized valve would increase brake pedal travel and reduce braking ability.
- Consequence
- A sudden reduction of braking performance may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, flush and clean the ABS hydraulic unit using high grade brake fluid, free of charge. If the inspection shows that the valves may seize, the ABS unit will be replaced. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-15-004.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
45,988 vehicles 2008-09-09- Defect
- Mitsubishi is recalling 45,988 my 2005-2007 endeavor, galant, eclipse coupe, and my 2007 eclipse spyder vehicles. The bracket that is the attachment point for the left rear fuel tank mounting strap may have been improperly formed during a metal stamping process. The process may have caused the metal to have a split in the area where the bolt that holds one of the two fuel tank straps to the underside of the vehicle is located. In the event the fuel tank is full and the vehicle is subject to a severe collision, the bracket may break and allow the fuel tank to drop down…
- Consequence
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect to see if the left rear fuel tank strap mounting bracket has splitting beyond a specific limit. Vehicles with moderate to severe splitting will be repaired using a reinforcement cap, a special structural adhesive, and a rivet to reinforce the fuel tank mounting bracket. The recall began on september 20, 2008. Owners may contact mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
3,760 vehicles 2005-06-27- Defect
- On certain passenger vehicles, one of four seals inside the master cylinder may have been installed improperly. As a result, the master cylinder may unexpectedly by-pass hydraulic braking force pressure and allow a longer than normal pedal stroke.
- Consequence
- Should this condition occur, the braking distance required to stop the vehicle may increase and could lead to a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the master cylinder assembly free of charge. The recall began june 28, 2005. Owners may contact mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1,151 vehicles 2005-06-02- Defect
- Certain passenger vehicles may have been fitted with a defective brake booster assembly.
- Consequence
- The booster body could separate due to improper crimp joints, resulting in a total loss of brake system performance, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly free of charge. Owners were notified by telephone on may 24, 2005, to stop driving their vehicles and arrangements were made for a loaner vehicle. Owners may contact mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2006 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2006 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2006 — 112th riskiest of the 343 2006 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 13 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 1996 comes out best at 64 and 2003 worst at 73, with 2006 itself at 71.
If the model year is negotiable, 1996, 1999, 2009, 2002, 2004, 2000 and 2008 score lower than 2006 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2006–2012 generation specifically, 2009 is the strongest year at 64 and 2006 the weakest at 71.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2006-2012 generation, 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse scores best at 64 and 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse worst at 71.
What to look at before buying one
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: master cylinder or brake booster failure from about 45k and other brake problem from about 70k.
On a 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether master cylinder or brake booster failure has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.
What this page cannot tell you
118 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 118 reports, 82 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 69% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
The most-reported failures are other brake problem (45 reports, median 80,000 miles), master cylinder or brake booster failure (13 reports, median 60,000 miles) and loss of braking (7 reports, median 105,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems start?
Master cylinder or brake booster failure is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 60,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 45,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 75,000 miles.
Is the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse reliable?
It scores 71 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 112th riskiest of the 343 2006 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2006 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Mitsubishi Eclipse is best?
Within the 2006–2012 generation, 2009 scores best at 64 out of 100 and 2006 worst at 71. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed