2003 Mitsubishi eclipse tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 195/65R15 OEM | R15 | 5x114.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2003 Mitsubishi eclipse wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x114.3 |
|---|---|
| Wheel thread / lug size | M12x1.5 |
| Center bore | 67.1 mm |
| Source | bolt-pattern.com |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
all-season touring, UTQG 800, 80,000-mi warranty
Best budget
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
Lowest cost per mile in this size; UTQG 820
Best quiet
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
68 dB cabin noise (EU label); quietest in this size
Best winter
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
Dedicated winter (premium compound); ice/snow grip
See the best tires for the Mitsubishi Eclipse, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Mitsubishi Eclipse →
Compatible alternative sizes for 195/65R15
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
225/45R17 |
-0.03% | plus 2 | Safe |
215/65R14 |
0.09% | alternative | Safe |
175/65R16 |
-0.09% | plus 1 | Safe |
185/55R17 |
0.13% | plus 2 | Safe |
175/80R14 |
0.17% | winter narrower | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 195/65R15 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 195/65R15 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 175/65R16; one rim size up, -0.09% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 225/45R17; two rim sizes up, -0.03% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 2003 mitsubishi eclipse RS
The 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS ships from the factory on 195/65R15 tires mounted on R15 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Mitsubishi Eclipse comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 2003 mitsubishi eclipse
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (6) · Sidewall (2) · Tread / Belt (1)
Reported across: 2003 – 2003 (1 year)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 28% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 58 reports covering every model year of the Mitsubishi Eclipse that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 28% | 20% | 1.4× |
| Sidewall failure | 17% | 15% | 1.2× |
| Tread or belt separation | 9% | 13% | 0.6× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 7% | 8% | 0.8× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 5% | 6% | 0.9× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 3% | 9% | 0.4× |
Mileage at failure
13 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 23,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 4,000 and 42,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Mitsubishi Eclipse. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
IN NOVEMBER 2013 AFTER DRIVING IN RAINY CONDITIONS LEFT REAR EAGLE RSA FAILED AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. NO KNOWN CAUSE OF FAILURE OTHER THEN IT JUST BLEW OUT ALL OF THE SUDDEN. TIRE WAS REPLACED ABOUT A WEEK LATER WITH ANOTHER EAGLE RSA. LAST NIGHT (JANUARY 2014) WAS DRIVING IN SNOWY CONDITIONS AND THEN GOT ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN AGAIN THE TIRE BLOWS BUT THIS TIME THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF CAR BUT STILL THE REAR WHEEL. DURING THIS BLOW THE CAR SWERVED MOMENTARILY BUT I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND THEN I HEARD THE NOISE INDICATING IT HAD BLOWN. IN NEITHER CASE WAS THERE AN INDICATION ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TIRE BEFORE IT BLEW INCLUDING THE TREAD DEPTH. BOTH TIRES HAD BEEN ON THE CAR LESS THAN A YEAR (CAR WAS BOUGHT NOV/ DEC 2012 AND NEW TIRES WERE ON THE CAR WHEN BOUGHT) AND HAD LITTLE WEAR ON THE TREAD DEPTH WHEN THEY HAD BLOWN.
VEHICLE COMPLETELY CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO PRIOR INDICATION AT ALL, TRAVELING SPEED 60-65MPH. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK VEHICLE EXPERIENCES VIBRATION AND PULLS TO THE RIGHT. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. A/C WAS BLOWING HOT AIR, DEALER REPLACED A/C LINES AND COMPRESSOR. BANGING AND CLANKING NOISES FROM VALVE COVER AREA, DEALER DIAGNOSED AS AN INTERNAL ENGINE PROBLEM AND INSTALLED SHORT BLOCK AND REPLACED THE TIMING BELT. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE IACS SOLENOID FOR THE STALLING PROBLEM, HOWEVER VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STALL. *SLC
THE CAR WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW BUT HAD TIRED THAT WERE NEW BUT STORED PRIOR TO SALE FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS. THEY HAVE LITTLE RUBBER BREAKAGES ALL OVER THE OUTER SIDE. WHAT'S THE WAY TO MAKE MANUFACTURE TO SOLVE THIS UNPROPER THING?
PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 20MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND FELT THE VEHICLE VIBRATING. REACHING A BRIDGE, TIRE POPPED AND RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. CONSUMER CONTACTED FIRESTONE, AND AN ATTENDANT TOLD HER THAT HER VEHICLE WASN'T INCLUDED.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
What is the bolt pattern of a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Can I run a different tire size on my 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Where can I buy tires for my 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Mitsubishi Eclipse is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.