Mitsubishi›Eclipse›2000›3.0L/mitsubishi/eclipse/2000/3-0l/

2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse — 3.0L

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2000 Eclipse 3.0L.

Engine 3.0LTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse 3.0L pairs its 3.0-liter engine with an automatic four-speed transmission and carries EPA ratings of 18 city, 25 highway, and 20 combined mpg, while its 4.5-quart oil capacity calls for 10W-30 or 5W-30 API viscosity. Within the model’s 1990–2012 production span, this model year accumulated 314 owner complaints—below the 1995 peak of 392 yet far above the 2011 low of one—alongside 10 recalls and wheels as the top complaint area. That positioning places it in the upper portion of the nameplate’s historical complaint range, meaning researchers should treat this model year as carrying a comparatively elevated service burden relative to the final iterations.

Model year2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque65-80 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy18/25/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 86 · 525 CCA battery, OE oil filter MZ690072. 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.

Battery groupBCI 86 · 525 CCAOEM · verified

Tire size195-65HR15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	MZ690072 alt MZ690116
Engine air filter	MB906051
Fuel filter	MR431089
Spark plug	MS851728 alt MS851357
Front wiper blades	8250A536 alt 8250A174
Serpentine belt	MD349465 alt MZ690245
Thermostat	MD328070 alt MD350415
Cabin air filter	MR500360

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	18 / 25 / 20 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent published road-test results.

6.9–7.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.90 sec — 2000 GT V6 Coupe

200 hpHorsepower (as tested)

205 lb-ftTorque (as tested)

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2000	GT V6 Coupe 3.0L V6	6.90 sec	15.30 sec	200 hp	FWD
2000	GT V6 Coupe 3.0L V6	7.60 sec	16.00 sec	200 hp	FWD
2001	Spyder GT V6 3.0L V6	8.20 sec	16.40 sec	200 hp	FWD
2003	GTS V6 Coupe 3.0L V6	6.70 sec	15.20 sec	210 hp	FWD
2003	GTS V6 Coupe 3.0L V6	8.10 sec	16.10 sec	210 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 · DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 65-80 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 29.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3 · DOT 4
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	10W-30 · API · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt
Power Steering Fluid	Genuine Mitsubishi PS fluid
Power Steering Fluid	Use Mitsubishi PS fluid

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	DOHC: 14 ft-lbs; SOHC:
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	134 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	54 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	14 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	M8 fastners: 36 ft-lbs
Main Bearings	69 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	29.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	10 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	65-80 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	167 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	166 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	100 rpm
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	8500-11,500 ohms
Spark Plug Gap	0.039-0.0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	15.0-21.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing	5, Not adjustable degrees

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.00-2.00 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Standard BCI Group Number	86
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	525 cca

Service checks

Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)	47.0-50.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	38.0 psi
Engine Compression	83-119 psi
Engine Compression	139-185 psi
Engine Oil Pressure	4.2 psi @ Idle, 43-99.5 @ 3000 rpm psi
Intake Valve Lash	Hydraulic in
Exhaust Valve Lash	Hydraulic in

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	32 ft-lbs / 74 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	95 ft-lbs / 87-101 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.080; Rear: 0.080 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness	0.039 in
Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Runout Limit	0.031 in / 0.024 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.394 in / 0.945 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

25 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

25 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	80 ft. lbs.	80 ft. lbs
2	Loosen all bolts completely.
3	80

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; spark plugs every 60,000 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 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Power Steering System (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 mi	Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Drum Assembly (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect)
At 60,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 mi	Distributor Cap (inspect) · Distributor Rotor (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (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 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse marks the start of a renewed reliability spike, with 314 complaints more than doubling the 138 reported for the 1999 model year. This elevated activity persists into 2001 with 316 complaints before declining sharply to 104 complaints in 2002, placing the 2000 model at the forefront of a problematic two-year arc. Technical Service Bulletins for 2000 surged to 140 from the previous year's 51, while recall activity stood at 10 campaigns. Federal records identify Wheels as the dominant complaint category with 108 reports, alongside 14 crash-related complaints and 6 fire complaints, though the data does not specify the root cause. Given the significant jump in reported issues compared to both the preceding 1999 model and the subsequent 2002 model, buyers should approach the 2000 Eclipse with caution as the federal record indicates it is a less reliable option within this generation.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

140

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

314

Owner complaints

14 involved a crash · 6 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99’00’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’11 ’12

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 314 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Wheels108

Structure35

Exterior Lighting20

Visibility15

Electrical System13

Power Train12

Tires,Wheels12

Unknown Or Other9

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 10 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

00V225001Steering:Gear Box (Other Than Rack And Pinion)Reported 10/08/2000

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A NUT IN THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS NOT PROPERLY TIGHTENED, RESULTING IN SYMPTOMS RANGING FROM STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION TO STIFF STEERING, AND IN THE WORST CASE, NO ABILITY… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY IF A LOOSE NUT CONNECTION IS FOUND.

04V428000Equipment:Other:LabelsReported 01/09/2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH REMOVABLE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS AFFIXED TO THE… Remedy: MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN WILL MAIL A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTER CONTAINING A WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND A GRAPHIC OF THE BI-LINGUAL DASHBOARD AIR BAG WARNING LABEL. IN ADDITION, ALL…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 140 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
DEALER LETTER	2023-07-21	Equipment	This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has…
TSB-23-00-004	2023-04-24	Structure	This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for…
TSB-23-00-001	2023-04-24	Equipment	This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the…
DEALER LETTER	2023-04-21	Equipment	This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has…
TSB-22-54-003	2022-04-07	Exterior Lighting	This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between…

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.

Group 86 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter MZ690072 Engine air filter MB906051 Fuel filter MR431089 Spark plug MS851728

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2000 Eclipse 3.0L take?

4.5 qt of ABOVE 0 degreesF 10W-30 SL API, BELOW 100 degreesF 5W-30 SL API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2000 Eclipse have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 3.0L get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 25 highway / 20 combined mpg.