2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Complaints

MANUAL TRANSMISSION - CAR SEIZE WHEN SHIFTING INTO 5TH GEAR. DEALER STATED THAT SOMEONE THAT SERVICED THE CAR MUST HAVE DRAINED THE GEAR LUBE OIL DOWN TO 1 PINT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. THEY DISCOVERED THAT IS WAS NOT THE GEAR LUBE OIL BUT THE ROD THAT PUSHES OUT WHEN SHIFTING FROM TO GEAR WAS TO LONG AND HAD BEEN CHIPPING AWAY AT THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER 2 MONTHS OF FIGHTING WITH THE DEALER AND MITSUBISHI DIRECTLY - THEY STILL REFUSE TO PAY. THIS WAS A FACTORY DEFECT. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. IF I HAD LET THE DEALER REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION I WOULD NEVER HAD KNOWN THE REAL CAUSE. *LA

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 3 MPH AND MAKING A TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET, THE VEHICLE HIT A CURB WHICH CAUSED A DENT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE SITTING IN AN ENCLOSED BODY SHOP, THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED. *AK. THE CONSUMER HAD TWO EXPERTS LOOK AT THE WINDOW AND IN THEIR OPINION STATED IT WAS A DEFECT, THAT A WINDOW SHOULD NOT EXPLODED FROM HITTING A CURB AT SUCH LOW SPEED, BUT THE MITSUBISHI EXPERT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT THE CURB, IT TWISTED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE AND WAS PART OF A FENDER BENDER. *JB *JB

WHILE DRIVING UNDER FOGGY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE DEFROSTER HAD BEEN RUNNING ABOUT 15 MINUTES, THEN THE DRIVER TURNED OFF THE DEFROSTER AND TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. THE DRIVER SUDDENLY HEARD A LOUD BANG NEAR THE REAR WINDOW, THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND SAW TWO HOLES IN THE REAR WINDOW NEAR THE DEFROSTER VENT HOSE WHICH CAUSED THE REAR WINDOW TO CRACK. *AK *JB

THE DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED DRIVER APPLIED PRESSURE TO BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE FISHTAILED ACROSS THE ROAD. VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE, AND FLIPPED OVER INTO A DITCH. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE AIR BAGS ALSO DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

WHEN TAKING AN EXIT OFF THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF POWER STEERING. *PH

MY CLUTCH HAD TO BE REPLACED AT ONLY 14,500 MILES. PROBLEMS WERE EVIDENT AT AROUND 10,000 MILES AND BECAME CONSIDERABLY WORSE IN TIME. I HAVE DRIVEN A MANUAL TRANSMISSION FOR 15 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER RACED AND DID NOT RIDE THE CLUTCH. MY LAST CAR'S CLUTCH LASTED IN EXCESS OF 100,000 MILES WITHOUT FAULT. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT IT APPEARS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT. HOWEVER, SINCE THE WARRANTY ON THE CLUTCH EXPIRES AT 12,000 MILES, I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PART. THE PROBLEM BECAME OBVIOUS WHEN MY TRANSMISSION SPUN AS I TRIED TO GO FROM A STOP UP A HILL. MY CAR BASICALLY BECAME STUCK IN TRAFFIC ON A DANGEROUS SECTION OF ROADWAY AND IT WAS LUCK THAT I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A SIDE-IMPACT COLLISION. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A RAILROAD TRACK OR A DRAWBRIDGE, I SEE THIS PROBLEM AS POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO MITSUBISHI MOTORS AND THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON A POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT CLUTCH. THEIR EFFORTS ARE TOO LATE FOR ME. I URGE THE NHTSA TO REQUIRE THAT MITSUBISHI MOTORS REPLACE DEFECTIVE CLUTCHES FREE OF CHARGE OR REIMBURSE THOSE (SUCH AS MYSELF) WHO HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO REPAIR WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A FACTORY DEFECT.*AK

MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE BLEND DO FOR THE HEATING SYSTEM OF THE 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB IS ROTATED TO THE HOT POSITION, A CABLE BEHIND THE DASHBOARD AND DIRECTLY OVER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ROTATES THE BLEND DOOR LEVER TOWARD THE FIREWALL. A PIN ON THE LEVER, WHICH CONNECTS TO THE CABLE, ENGAGES MY SHOE, PINNING MY SHOE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. TO FREE MY SHOE, I MUST EITHER ROTATE MY HEEL CLOCKWISE TO DISENGAGE THE PIN, OR ROTATE THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB TO THE COLD POSITION. I BELIEVE THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION AND, THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED, I TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FREE MY FOOT.MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSE I FIRST REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO MITSUBISHI BY LETTER DATED MARCH 7, 2003. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I WAS TELEPHONED BY THE DEALER WHO INVITED ME TO BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A DEMONSTRATION FOR THE FACTORY REP, LARRY WITTREN. THAT DEMONSTRATION OCCURRED ON APRIL 4, 2003. THE COMPANY'S RESULTING POSITION WAS AS FOLLOWS: 1.ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR MY VEHICLE WOULD BE AT MY EXPENSE, OR AT THE DEALERS EXPENSE IF THE DEALER WISHES TO INCUR ANY LIABILITY THAT COULD RESULT FROM MODIFICATION;2.THAT COMFORT ISSUES ARE NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER, EVEN THOUGH I CLEARLY STATED THAT THIS IS NOT A COMFORT ISSUE; RATHER, ONE OF SAFETY; 3.THAT THE MANUFACTURER CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS AS THE RESULT OF WEARING A WORK BOOT TO DRIVE THE CAR, EVEN THOUGH I NEVER CLAIMED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE RESULT OF WEARING BOOTS, WORK SHOES OR ANY OTHER BULKY FOOTWEAR. WAS MITSUBISHI SUGGESTING THAT PEOPLE WHO WEAR RIDING BOOTS ON WEEKENDS OR STEEL TOED SHOES TO WORK SHOULD NOT PURCHASE MITSUBISHI PRODUCTS?I BELIEVE THAT MITSUBISHI HAS CREATED A SAFETY HAZARD IN THE DESIGN OF THE BLEND DOOR LEVER. I FURTHER BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF REDESIGNING THE LEVER WITHOUT A PIN THAT ENGAGES THE DRIVER'S SHOE. *AK

POWER STEERING HOSE LEAK..WENT TO DEALER 3 TIMES CANNOT FIX LEAK. HAVE TO REPLENISH FLUID FROM TIME TO TIME.*JB

MY 2003 ECLIPSE GT IS HARD TO DOWN SHIFT INTO 2ND AND 1ST. THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL FOR THESE CARS. MY CAR ALSO GRINDS GOING INTO 3RD GEAR SOMETIMES.

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START BECAUSE THE CONNECTOR TO THE IGNITION SWITCH HAD A BROKEN LOCK TAB AND WAS BEING PULLED BY THE HARNESS WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TILED. *JB *NLM