RecallRepo

1997 Mitsubishi Caribbean Eclipse Spyder Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1997 Mitsubishi Caribbean Eclipse Spyder has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 5,164 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

SUSPENSION 00V421003 2001-04-06 5,164 affected
Defect

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE. ALSO, MMC HAS ADDED THE POTENTIAL OF LEAKING MOISTURE, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE BALL STUD TO CORRODE.

Consequence

THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT TO SEPARATE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. THIS CAMPAIGN SUPERCEDES MMC'S PREVIOUS SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN, SEE 99V-066.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT FOR WEAR. BALL JOINTS THAT EXHIBIT WEAR BEYOND THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY DESIGNED LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS. BALL JOINTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE CLEANED AND A SPECIAL SEALANT WILL BE APPLIED TO PREVENT…

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
1
1crashes
STRUCTURE
1
Total complaints2

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The consumer had an accident while driving 40 mph. She hit a parked police car and the air bag did not deploy. There were no injuries. *jb none of the air bags deployed. *sc”

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · reported 2004-10-09

“Complaint received via e-mail."the convertible top literally leaks so bad that the whole interior is moldy. There is a "lake" in the trunk under the spare tire. On more than one occasion, the top will become unlocked and fly up. The support bars are bent and the straps are just hanging. The top…”

STRUCTURE · reported 2004-05-12
Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 Mitsubishi Caribbean Eclipse Spyder as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.