1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse — 2.4L

The 1997 Eclipse sits at the peak of the 1995–1997 complaint surge, with 170 complaints and 12 recalls, the highest recall count since 1995’s 13, while complaints have already begun to taper from the 392 in 1995 to 161 in 1998. 1997’s recall volume matches the preceding year’s 12, indicating a stable but substantial recall trend that has not yet collapsed, unlike the sharp drop to 4 recalls in 2002. Complaints in 1997 are dominated by engine and cooling issues (42), followed by airbags, powertrain, and structure, and the crash‑related complaints (25) and fire complaints (6) are lower than the 1995 peak, suggesting some improvement in safety. Overall, the 1997 model year falls near the top of the recall curve but shows a slight downward trend in total complaints, implying that earlier 1997 units may have benefited from the manufacturer’s response to 1995 problems. For a buyer, 1997 is a reasonable year to consider, provided the vehicle has undergone the necessary recall repairs and has a clean service history.