Two problems related to front suspension lower control arm have been reported for the 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Front suspension lower control arms ball joint. Loud knocking sound evident on drivers side. Wheel base on drivers side is 1998" while passenger side is still at 1999" previous recall concerns did not state which lower control arm to be replaced. Dealer replaced the smaller straight arm and not the l-shaped one. The lower l-shaped arm ball joint controls the wheelbase when seperated could send the vehicle airborn by wheel to frame contact.
The contact owns a 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse. While driving 35 mph, the vehicle spun out of control and crashed into the curb. The road conditions were foggy and damp. The mechanic was unable to diagnose the cause of failure. Approximately three years later, the vehicle jerked to the right and the left. The mechanic stated that the lower control arm and rod ends needed to be replaced. There is a recall for the lower ball joint (recall # 00v421001). The powertrain was unknown. The current mileage is 130,000 and failure mileage was 80,000.