2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Complaints

AFTER 39,000 MILES ON MY 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER, THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. SPECIFICALLY, THE CAR HAS TROUBLE SHIFTING INTO FIRST AND SECOND GEARS (WORST WHEN COLD), STUDDERS WHEN FIRST ACCELERATING, AND MAKES A CONTINUOUS RATTLING NOISE WHEN THE CLUTCH IS NOT ENGAGED. THESE PROBLEMS ARE APPARENTLY THE RESULT OF A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION INVOLVING THE CLUTCH PLATE/THROW-OUT-BEARINGS/SYNCHRONIZERS. I HAVE LEARNED OF HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, SAME SYMPTOMS, AND SAME CAUSE. MITSUBISHI SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT DONE SO.

I'VE OWNED MY 2001 ECLIPSE GT SPYDER FOR A YESR AND A HALF NOW AND I'VE BEEN HAVING ONGOING TROUBLE WITH THE RIMS BENDING. IN FACT WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THERE WAS A BEND IN THE FRONT RIM THAT I MADE THE DEALER AWARE OF AND THEY SENT THE CAR OUT TO HAVE IT FIXED. I WISH I HAD TAKEN THAT AS AN OMEN AND STEERED CLEAR OF BUYING THE CAR. I'VE BEEN DRIVING THESE NEW ENGLAND ROADS AND HIGHWAYS FOR 15 YEARS NOW AND HAVE NEVER SEEN A RIM BEND SO EASY.

I READ THE NEWS STORY ON THE WEBSITE FOR 7 ON YOUR SIDE ABOUT THE DEFECTIVENESS OF THE METAL ALLOY RIMS FOR THE '1997 THROUGH 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE RIMS AND WANTED TO GO ON RECORD WITH YOU AS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME RIMS ON MY ECLIPSE. NOT ONLY ARE THEY A CAUSE OF MUCH HEADACHE AND FINANCIAL DRAIN ION THIER OWNERS BUT ALSO THEY ARE A SAFETY HAZARD AND THIS SHOULD BE RECTIFIED.*AK

DAMAGED ALLOY WHEELS ON MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER (17 INCH, 6 SPOKE). I READ THE POSTINGS FROM LAST YEAR TONIGHT ON YOUR SITE AFTER I HAD MY SECOND EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PROBLEM. LAST WINTER I HIT A POTHOLE AND IT COMPLETELY SPLIT MY RIM. THE VEHICLE MAINTAINED STABILITY AND I WAS ABLE TO LIMP BACK HOME (ABOUT A HALF MILE) BUT THE RIM WAS CRACKED ALL THE WAY TO THE SPOKES FROM THE LIP. TONIGHT (SNOWSTORM IN VA/DC AREA) MY WIFE DROPPED ME OFF AT THE OFFICE AND WENT SHOPPING. ON HER WAY TO PICK ME UP THE TIRE SUDDENLY WENT FLAT. SHE WAS ABLE TO LIMP INTO A SERVICE STATION WHERE SHE NOTICED THE TIRE WOULD NOT HOLD AIR SO SHE HAD TO CHANGE THE TIRE IN SNOW/ICE/FREEZING TEMPERATURES. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THERE WERE THREE LARGE DENTS IN THE RIM AT THE LIP. THIS IS THE SECOND RIM I AM GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE AND THEY ARE NOT CHEAP (ABOUT $350 EACH). I KNOW THEY SAID THE INVESTIGATION WAS CLOSED, BUT IS THERE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A FLAW IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THIS WHEEL.*AK

THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, AND THE KEY WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER NOTICED BLACK SMOKE AND LARGE FLAMES. UNDETERMINED CAUSE. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *PH

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH TWO FRONT TIRES BLEW OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. FIRESTONE, AFFINITY, P19565R15. *AK

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ALLOY RIM ON MY 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GT WAS BENT AND CRACKED FROM SIMPLY HITTING A POTHOLE IN THE ROAD. THIS CAUSED MY TIRE TO RAPIDLY DEFLATE AND THE RIM UNABLE TO BE USED. *LA

WHILE ACCELERATING ON AN ON RAMP TO GET ONTO INTERSTATE 84 IN CONNECTICUT, I HIT A SMALL POTHOLE IN THE ROAD AND IT MAJORLY BENT THE WHEEL AND CAUSED THE TIRE TO COME OFF OF THE WHEEL. THIS HAPPENED IN THE NIGHT AND ON A STRETCH OF THE HIGHWAY THAT HAD NO SHOULDER. I HAD TO DRIVE APPROXIMATELY A MILE ON THIS BLOWN OUT TIRE AND WHEEL TO THE NEXT EXIT. THE FAILURE OF THIS WHEEL COST ME $350 (FOR THE WHEEL) AND ANOTHER $150 (FOR THE TIRE) PLUS LABOR CHARGES. NO MENTION OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE WHEELS WAS MENTIONED WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER.

THE FIRST WEEK OF BUYING THE CAR I NOTICED A LITTLE SCRATCH BY THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE. THEN I STARTED HEARING LITTLE SQUEAKING NOISES WHEN I WAS REVERSING COMING FROM THE SAME LEFT TIRE. THEN I NOTICED THE RIM WAS BENT I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID I WAS HITTING CURBS & ROAD HAZARD. MONTHS LATER THE SCRATCH AT THE BOTTOM BY THE FOG LIGHTS WAS GETTING BIGGER AND DEEP THE TIRE KEPT LOSING AIR AND THOSE SPRINGING SOUND NOISES I STILL HEARD. MAKE THE LONG STORY SHORT IT IS 2 YEARS LATER THE DEEP GASHES FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE IS NOW ALL THE WAYAROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE FOG LIGHTS ALMOST REACHING THE MIDDE.I WENT THRU 2 TIRES NO BLOW OUTS THANK GOD 3 RIMS AND ONE WAS A REPLACEMENT THE TIRE KEEPS LEAKING AIR THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR ITS ALL THE LEFT FRONT. I SPOKE TO THE MANUFACTUER OF MITSHUBSHI THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS THEY SAID ITS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE .DON'T BLOWOUTS HAPPEN DUE TO BENT RIMS? THEY NOTICED ITS ONLY HAPPENING IN CERTAIN STATES THAT CERTAIN STATES ROAD CONDITIONS ARE BAD. ALL STATES HAVE POTHOLES BUT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING 15 MPH, HIT A POTHOLE ,& YOUR RIM BENDS CAUSING YOUR TIRE TO LEAK AIR SOMETHING WRONG. THESE RIMS ARE CONSTANTLY BENDING BUT ON MY CAR IT S ONLY THE LEFT SIDE. ITS UNSAFE, BECAUSE WHEN I HIT A POTLHOLE IT MAKES A LOUD BANGING NOISE EVEN MY BRAKE PEDAL SHAKES. IF I KNEW ALL THESE COMPLAINTS I WOULD OF NEVER BOUGHT THIS CAR NOW I KNOW ITS NOT ME BUT THE WAY THESE CHEAP SOFT WHEELS WERE MADE SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS ITS UNSAFE AND THE WHOLE CAR SHAKES AND STEERS TO THE LEFT AFTER HITTING A POTHOLE. I DONT USE MY CAR ALOT MOSTLY BACK AND FORTH TO WORK ON A HIGHWAY 15 MILES ONE WAY. I AM TIRED OF PURCHASING RIMS AT $300.00 I PAY ENOUGH FOR THIS CAR AND FOR THE MONEY I PAY I SHOULD HAVE DECENT RIMS THAT CAN STAND DRIVING OVER A 15-30 MILE AN HOUR POTHOLE. I HAD CARS BEFORE THIS NEVER HAD A DENTED RIM .SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS THERE ARE EVEN COMPLAINTS ON JDPOWER'S WEBSITE.

THE LEFT DRIVER SIDE RIM KEEPS BENDING, WHICH CAUSES A FLAT TIRE. I BOUGHT 3 RIMS ALREADY. ALWAYS WITH IN A WEEK THE RIM IS BENT. THE CAR MAKES A NOISE FROM THE FRONT END COMING FROM THE LEFT TIRE AND THERE ARE DEEP SCRATCH MARKS ON THE LOWER FRONT BY THE TIRE. AT SPEEDS OF 15-20 MILES AN HOUR IF I HIT A POTHOLE THE RIM BENDS AND THE WHOLE THING SHAKES EVEN WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE THE BRAKE PEDAL SHAKES BAKE AND FORTH. IF I KNEW THE RIM WOULD BE LIKE THIS AND I HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THIS TROUBLE OF TIRES AND RIMES COSTING $300.00 I WOULD OF NEVER BOUGHT THIS CAR.AFTER I HIT THE POT HOLE THE CAR START STEERING TO THE LEFT. AND THE SCRATCHES ON THE BOTTOM BY THE LEFT TIRE KEEP GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER AND DEEPER