1995 EAGLE TALON Complaints

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE JERKS AND BACKFIRES. WHEN DRIVING OFF FROM A STOP VEHICLE HAS NO POWER. TOOK TO DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED IT WAS A LEAK IN HEAD GASKET.*AK

THE CONSUMER HAD RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL ON LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS, BUT THE DEALER DELAYED FIXING THE VEHICLE BECAUSE, PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND THE ORDERED PARTS WERE NOT RECEIVED ON TIME. *YH

THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR CURRENT RECALL ON BALL JOINT BOOT ON 3/16/01. DEALER REPORTED PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND COULD TAKE UP TO ONE YEAR TO GET PART. I DONT FEEL THE RECALL LETTER READS INDICATES THE URGENCY NOR THE SERIOUSNESS OF NOT GETTING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY. AS OF 3/16/01 THE LEFT BALL JOINT HAD NO PROBLEM WITH BOOT WHEN INSPECTED ALTHOUGH THE RIGHT BOOT HAD CRACKED. THE LEFT BALL JOINT WAS THE ONE THAT SEPARATED CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. THE RECALL IS FOR INSPECTION OF BOOT AND REPLACEMENT IF NEEDED. I AM GLAD I WASN'T DOING 65 MPH WITH MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE. MAYBE CHRYSLER SHOULD RETHINK THERE MOTIVE FOR INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT AS NECESSARY AND REPLACE THE ALL BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE.

PRIOR TO RECALL, WHILE MAKING A TURN, THE LOWER ARM BROKE, CAUSING THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR TO FALL TO THE GROUND, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIRS DUE TO THE OCCURENCE HAPPENING PRIOR.*YD

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL 00V421002/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL967 THAT DEALER DENIED COMMPLETING. RECALL STATED BRIEFLY IF BALL JOINTS DIDN'T NEED TO BE REPLACED, THEN THEY WOULD E CLEANED AND ADDED A SPECIAL SEALANT TO PREVENT INTRUSION OR MOISTURE. DEALER DENIED CARRYING OUT SECOND PART OF RECALL. *AK

THE CRANKSHAFT THRUST BEARING BECOMES SEVERLY WORN DUE TO A *KNOWN* DESIGN FLAW IN THE OILING SYSTEM (MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE DESIGN FLAW AS EVIDENCED BY THE TSB'S SENT TO ITS DEALERS REGARDING THE ISSUE). THIS WEAR EVENTUALLY CAUSES EXCESSIVE LATERAL PLAY IN THE CRANKSHAFT WHICH DAMAGES THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR MOUNTED EXTERNALLY TO THE ENGINE BLOCK (THIS FAILURE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO OCCUR AS EARLY AS 10,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER OR AS LATE AS 100,000 MILES). THIS WILL, WITHOUT WARNING, KILL THE ENGINE. ON AN EXPRESSWAY DOING 70MPH, IT'S A DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TASK TO NEGOTIATE 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC DOING HALF THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT IN A CAR COASTING ON ITS OWN DEAD WEIGHT WITH NO POWER-ASSISTED BRAKES OR STEERING (I'VE HEARD OF MORE THAN ONE INSTANCE WHERE THE FAILURE CAUSED AN ENGINE FIRE). THIS PROBLEM ONLY AFFECTS THE *TURBO* ENGINE DESIGNATED "MITSUBISHI 4G63 2.0L TURBO" IN THE EAGLE TALON AND MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE MANUFACTURED DURING AND AFTER THE 1995 MODEL YEAR. I KNOW OF 3 OTHER TURBO TALON/ECLIPSE OWNERS IN THE OKLAHOMA CITY AREA ALONE THAT HAVE HAD THEIR CAR JUST *DIE* WHILE DRIVING. SOME HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM "FIXED" UNDER WARRANTY ONLY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RETURN AFTER THE WARRENTY HAD EXPIRED. THE FAILURE RATE IS PRETTY MUCH 100% AND *WILL* HAPPEN TO *EVERY* 4G63 EQUIPPED TALON AND ECLIPSE MADE DURING AND AFTER THE 1995 MODEL YEAR EVENTUALLY. UNFORTUNATLY, THE NUMBER OF TALON'S AND ECLIPSE'S ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIONAL TURBO ENGINE IS A TENTH THE NUMBER EQUIPPED WITH THE BASE MODEL ENGINE MANUFACTURED BY DAIMLER CHRYSLER WHICH DOES NOT EXHIBIT THIS PROBLEM. THAT, ALONG WITH THE UNREPORTED WARRENTY REPAIRS, FALSE ACCUSATIONS BY DEALERS THAT OWNERS HAVE "NEGLECTED" THEIR VEHICLES, AND SEEMINGLY WIDE VARIATION ON THE MILEAGE THAT IS ACCRUED BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURS HAS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO PROVE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD, IS A DESIGN FLAW, AND POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGE MECHANIC FOUND A OIL LEAK ON HEAD GASKET. VEHICLE NOT REPAIRED AT THIS TIME.*AK

MISMATCHED SIZES BETWEEN CRANKSHAFT AND BALL BEARINGS, ENABLING THE CRANKSHAFT TO MOVE. THE MOVING CRANKSHAFT DESTROYED THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR, AND THERE IS SIGNIFICANT WEAR IN THE BALL BEARINGS. ALL THREE INDEPENDENT DEALERS I CONTACTED REGARDING THIS PROBLEM DEEM IT BEYOND NORMAL WEAR--A DEFECTIVE PART. FURTHER RESEARCH AT THE DSM CAR CLUB (HTTP://WWW.DSM.ORG) REVEALED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN TALON/ECLIPSES, MODEL YEARS 1995-1998. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THE CAR ENGINE WILL STOP WITH NO WARNING, LEAVING THE DRIVER WITHOUT ASSISTED STEERING. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER, BUT THEY DISAVOW ANY RESPONSIBILITY.*AK

AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET IT HAS BECOME EVIDENT THAT I HAVE WHAT IS NICKNAMED OR CALLED "CRANKWALK". THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT RESULTS FROM THE CRANKSHAFT OR THRUST BEARINGS ALLOWING THE CRANKSHAFT TO MOVE FREELY. THIS MOVEMENT ALLOWS THE CRANKSHAFT TO MOVE, WHICH WEARS A GROVE INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK AND OR ALLOWS THE CRANKSHAFT TO HIT THE CRANK-ANGLE SENSOR AND BREAK IT, BOTH OF WHICH RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT MITSUBISHI AND CHRYSLER HAVE NOT COME FORWARD WITH THIS MANUFACTURING FLAW. MITSUBISHI HAS SAID THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT MADE ANY REPARATIONS TO THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES. I AM BEING TOLD THAT THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BEING PUT TOGETHER AS A TYPE THIS, BUT I AM HOPING THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH ME AND REPLACE MY ENGINE BLOCK AT THEIR COST. THANK YOU FOR THE SPACE WITH WHICH I AM EXPRESSING MY DISPLEASURE. THE RESULT OF THIS AND MY DISCUSSION WITH THE MANUFACTURER DIRECTLY, WILL DECIDE IF I OR ANYONE ELSE IN MY FAMILY WILL EVER PURCHASE A CHRYSLER OR MISTUBISHI PRODUCT EVER AGAIN.

FUMES WERE ENTERING INTO PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON VEHICLE'S MAKE AND MODEL. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN.*AK