MitsubishiEclipse19911.8L/mitsubishi/eclipse/1991/1-8l/

1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse — 1.8L

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1991 Eclipse 1.8L.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine 1.8LTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse is a passenger car powered by a 1.8L engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, returning EPA fuel economy of 21/28/23 mpg and specifying 4.0 quarts of 5W-30, 10W-30, or 20W-40 API oil. Its reliability record shows 62 owner complaints and five recalls, with the power train identified as the primary concern area. Positioned early in the model’s 1990–2012 run, this model year accumulated far fewer grievances than the 1995 high of 392 complaints, though its incident count remains substantially above the single complaint logged for 2011.

Model year19941993199219911990

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy21/28/23 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter MZ690116. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Tire size4WD:P225-75R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filterMZ690116 alt MZ690072
Engine air filterMR571477 alt MD620090
Fuel filterMB504761
Spark plugMS851881 alt MS851238
Front wiper bladesMR300876 alt 8250A098
Serpentine beltMZ690232 alt MD186126
ThermostatMD997608 alt MD972903

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined21 / 28 / 23 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.0 qt of 20W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil, 85W-90 · 80W-90 in the differential, DOT 3 · DOT 4 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3 · DOT 4
Differential Gear Oil85W-90 · 80W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2.8 Pints
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil20W-40 · API · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4.0 qt
Power Steering FluidUse Mitsubishi PS fluid

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miBrake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Clutch Master Cylinder (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect)
Every 50,000 miFuel Filter (replace) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 60,000 miBalance Shaft Drive Belt (replace) · Timing Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1991 Eclipse sits near the beginning of a steady downward arc in the first-generation (19901994) federal record. Complaints held flat at 62 versus the 1990 launch year, but recalls dropped meaningfully from 9 to 5, and TSBs rose from 10 to 15, suggesting Mitsubishi was actively refining the platform rather than scrambling to address systemic failures. By 1992, complaints fell to 56 and recalls to just 2, and the decline continued through 1994 (43 complaints, 3 recalls), indicating that the earliest model years carried the bulk of the generation's teething issues. The 1991 model's top complaint areas — Power Train (18), Seat Belts (13), Engine & Engine Cooling (7), and Suspension (4) — along with 6 crash and 2 fire complaints, point to powertrain and restraint-system concerns that the data does not root-cause specifically. Critically, the first generation's worst year (1990, with 9 recalls and 5 investigations) had already passed, and the dramatic complaint explosion (392 in 1995) belongs to the next generation entirely. For a used buyer, 1991 represents a reasonable middle ground: it carries fewer recalls than the debut year, sits in a declining-risk window, and avoids the catastrophic reliability cliff that arrived with the 1995 redesign — making it a defensible, if not standout, year to purchase within this generation.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
15
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
5
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
62
Owner complaints
6 involved a crash · 2 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 62 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train18
Seat Belts13
Engine & Engine Cooling7
Suspension4
Wheels3
Vehicle Speed Control3
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3
Electrical System3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

09E012000Exterior LightingReported 07/04/2009

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE… Remedy: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT…

06E065000Exterior LightingReported 17/07/2006

CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF… Remedy: AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 15 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
TT2672022-04-07Unknown Or OtherTech Talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers. It covers various topics…
TSB-21-00-0102021-04-23EquipmentThis Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to provide instructions and Material…
TIN-21-00-0032021-03-15EquipmentThis Technical Information Notice was sent to dealers reminding them of the importance of…
TT-20-00-0022020-08-28Electrical SystemTech Talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers. It covers various topics…
TIN-20-42A-0012020-08-13StructureThis Technical Information Notice was sent to dealers informing that MMNA has recently…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Eclipse. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1991 Eclipse 1.8L take?

4.0 qt of ABOVE 32 degrees F: 20W-40 API, ABOVE -10 degrees F: 10W-30 API, BELOW 60 degrees F 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1991 Eclipse have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 1.8L get?

EPA figures are 21 city / 28 highway / 23 combined mpg.