2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Safety Report

The 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross presents a concerning safety profile, primarily due to a pattern of critical system failures despite a relatively low number of overall complaints. With 19 total complaints, the vehicle has been associated with 1 crash, 1 fire, 2 injuries, and 1 death, indicating that reported issues can have severe consequences. A significant red flag is the complete absence of NHTSA safety ratings (Overall, Frontal, Side, Rollover), which means this vehicle has not undergone standard crash testing, leaving a critical gap in its safety assessment. The lack of any recalls further suggests that potential widespread defects identified by consumers have not yet triggered manufacturer-mandated corrective actions, despite complaints detailing serious malfunctions. Common complaint patterns reveal critical failures across multiple essential vehicle systems. The most frequently cited components include the ENGINE (2 complaints) and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (2 complaints), but individual complaints highlight severe issues such as steering lock-up, complete vehicle stalls mid-drive, and unintended braking due to faulty forward collision mitigation. One particularly alarming complaint describes the steering locking up at 40mph, nearly causing a crash, and another details the vehicle rolling backward after being shifted to park, causing injury. The single reported death involved an airbag deployment that caused severe injuries and hearing loss, raising questions about airbag system performance. The absence of NHTSA crash test data makes it impossible to assess the vehicle's performance in controlled collision scenarios. However, the nature of the complaints, particularly those involving loss of control (steering lock-up, unintended acceleration/deceleration, stalling) and critical safety system malfunctions (brakes, airbags, forward collision avoidance), suggests potential design or manufacturing flaws that could compromise occupant safety. The low complaint count might be misleading given the severity of the incidents reported, including a fatality and multiple injuries. Buyers should be extremely cautious given the lack of official safety ratings and the critical nature of reported failures.

Our recommendation: Given the absence of NHTSA safety ratings and the documented severe, life-threatening malfunctions reported by owners, potential buyers should exercise extreme caution and consider alternative vehicles with proven safety records and crash test data.