Faults:

The engine runs great, but I had problems with the convertible top frame. I had to replace the arms that were bent & the middle cross-member of the frame. There is an update to the cross-member return that I purchased. Total cost of top frame parts was about $400.00.

The radio was shot & the speakers were blown out & had to be replaced. It was easy to replace both.

The front of the car is low & the paint was scraped due to pulling too close to parking stops.

General Comments:

I bought this as a second vehicle & I love the way it looks & handles.

Red & black seat covers improved the interior looks.

Altezza taillights brighted up the rear end.

The seats could be a little more comfortable.

Faults:

This is the Eclipse Spyder soft top.

Had the car less than a week and the convertible frame rubbed a hole through the top. Dealer had the car in the shop a week to replace the top.

Then came the oil leaks. Dealer replaced the valve cover gasket, oil pump and a plethora of other parts they could begin to list. The oil leak went away.

FM side of the Infinity stereo became intermittent, then quit. Factory 10 CD changer went nuts and died.

Door arm rest switches (controls for power windows, door locks, window locks, etc.) fell inside door. Found the plastic mounting posts were disintegrating. Ordered up a replacement door armrest and installed it. Side view mirror joy stick adjustment mounts, both sides (inside car) cracking.

We are now in the 6th year of ownership. Recently replaced the top and headliner. The side link bars in the soft top frame bent (poor design) and pulled the staples out of the front bar of the soft top. Damaged the headliner, too. $1000 job ($750 to Kee Tops in N.C. and $250 to a local upholstery shop to install)

Wife said front brakes making noise (just replaced 2 years ago). Pulled right front wheel - rotor and pads shot. Same for left side. Could not pull the rotor off using the recommended T bar type puller (rust between the hub and rotor) and ended up using an axle puller - which pulled the hub bearings apart. This could have been prevented with 10 cents worth of Permatex Anti Seize. ($350 for parts - rotors, hub/bearing assembly, pads (years 95-98 are sealed and not repairable).

And one more thing - since it is a soft top, when it rains and you open the drivers side door, the water drips in on the seat. Keep some towels handy.

General Comments:

The car handles well, but you feel every bump in the road. A low rider, like my 'Vette.

We paid just over $25K for the car new, but I would not own another one if they gave it to me. Poor engineering, flawed OEM parts.

Re: The soft top side link bars - poor design. Mitsubishi wants $165 each for the same thing to replace the damaged ones. I found an aftermarket reseller on e-bay selling an improved design - $100 for the pair. 1 hour of work in my driveway to install.

Faults:

I love this car, but it is extremely irritating! Since I've had it, several (mostly small) things have gone wrong:

The convertible top leaks where it meets the side windows.

The power antenna died.

The car does not leak or burn oil, but it has NEVER made it all the way to 3000 miles before needing an oil change. (Where does it go? Nobody knows)

Stock CD player & radio sometimes just says "error" and rejects Cd's. It has been cleaned and it appears nothing is wrong with it.

The windows rattle terribly loudly. I'm almost afraid a huge bump will shatter them.

The clutch began slipping a bit shortly after I first purchased the car (I am the second owner). Both myself and the previous owner were experienced manual transmission drivers and I have never had this problem with the other two stick cars I have owned.

It sometimes becomes difficult to shift and will not go into 1st gear without a few tries.

The plastic surrounding the manual mirror controls cracked on the passenger side and fell apart.

The cloth upholstery has not held up well. I keep the car quite clean and it is still difficult to make the upholstery look nice.

The car needs to be warmed up VERY well (10 minutes +) or it drives very roughly in the winter. If you try to drive it before it has COMPLETELY warmed up, it can barely get into 1st gear and get going. It has trouble "catching" and almost kills.

I guess maybe my standards are a little high, but I expect a lot for the amount of money I paid for this car... and I bought it for $1000+ less than the Kelley Blue Book value.

General Comments:

Beyond the small (and not so small, i.e. OIL) problems with my Eclipse, it has been a good car. It is very reliable and there has never been a time that it hasn't started.

The exterior is in excellent condition, even considering it rarely parks in a garage. It has held up incredibly well for an almost 7-year old car.

It is an extremely smooth ride (especially for a convertible) and takes corners very nicely.

It's not the fastest car I've ever driven, but it has enough go for a stock car. Like someone else noted though, I can't imagine driving it if it were automatic.

It's a fabulous looking car, no ifs ands or, buts about it. There are minor things I wish were different about it, but I didn't design the car.

The trunk is tiny, deep, but narrow.

The backseat is comparable with a shoe-box, I think the only reason it has seats back there is for insurance purposes.

The front seats are only slightly adjustable, but I believe that is because they are reinforced (convertible). They are difficult to get comfortable in.