2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Complaints

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, I HAVE ENCOUNTERED TYPICAL POTHOLES ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH HAVE DENTED THE ALLOY WHEELS AND RESULTED IN FLAT TIRES. I HAVE HAD TO PAY OVER $2000 SO FAR TO REPLACE THE WHEELS AND TIRES AS WELL AS HAVE THE TIRES BALANCED. MITSUBISHI WILL NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS DAMAGE. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ALLOY WHEELS, AS NUMEROUS ECLIPSE OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM, AND THE WHEELS SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE LOWERED MY COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE SO THAT I CAN CLAIM PART OF THIS DAMAGE WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY (RESULTING IN INCREASED CAR INSURANCE BILLS). I HOPE THESE WHEELS WILL BE RECALLED SOON. OTHERWISE, I WILL BE FORCED TO BUY CUSTOM ALLOY WHEELS TO AVOID THE CONSTANT DAMAGE TO THE CAR, CONTINUED OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES, EXTREME INCONVENIENCE, AND POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARDS TO MYSELF AND OTHER CARS AROUND ME.*AK

ALL FOUR WHEEL RIMS BECAME BENT UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS CAUSED THE RIMS TO SEPARATE FROM THE TIRES, RESULTING IN FLAT TIRES. ON ONE OCCASION, THE AIR LOSS WAS RAPID AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND NEARLY CRASHED. DEALER SAID THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST TO REPLACE THE WHEELS. THESE DEFECTIVE WHEELS ARE A SAFETY HAZARD TO ME AS WELL AS TO OTHER DRIVERS. I PRESENTLY ONLY DRIVE THIS CAR OVER SHORT DISTANCES AND I NEVER DRIVE WITH PASSENGERS IN THE CAR BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS. HOPEFULLY THESE DEFECTIVE WHEELS CAN BE REPLACED BEFORE THERE ARE ANY SERIOUS INJURIES OR FATALITIES. *AK

I FIRST NOTICED THE CAR WAS TRYING TO THROW ME OFF THE ROAD WHEN I HAD,HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF I REPLACED THE TIRES AND STILL NOTICED THE PROBLEM OCCURRING I TOOK IT BACK TO THE TIRE STORE IN DENVER WHERE I WAS VISITING THEY SAID THERE WASN'T A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES THEN IN JUNE OF 2002 I PUT ON A THIRD SET OF TIRES WHICH SEEMS EXCESSIVE AND THE MECHANICS TOLD ME ALL 4 STRUTS WERE OUT AND THIS WAS VERY UNUSUAL I TOLD THEM ABOUT THEPROBLEMS THAT WE HAD HAD IN THE PAST AND THEY SAID IT WAS VERY LIKELY THAT THE STRUTS WERE THE PROBLEM FROM THE BEGINING THEY DID NOT THINK THAT THAT WAS NORMAL TO HAPPEN ON SUCH A NEW WELL CARED FOR CAR. THE ONLY REASON I AM WRITING IS BECAUSE IT WAS VERY SCARY AND DAGEROUS TO BE THROWN AROUND ON THE ROAD IN TRAFFIC. THANK-YOU.*AK

RIM ON VEHICLE ARE EASY TO BEND WHEN DRIVING OVER NORMAL POTHOLES OR BUMPS AT UP TO 35 MPH. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST TO REPLACE THE WHEELS, THE WHEELS ARE MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM. *SLC

VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO LOSING POWER OR SHUTTING DOWN WHILE BEING DRIVEN 40-50 MPH. DEALERSHIP IS UNABLE TO DETECT CAUSE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING AND AT ANY SPEED, VEHICLE WILL SHAKE, MECHANIC STATES ALL FOUR RIMS ARE DENTED RESULTING IN VEHICLE SHAKING.*JB CONSUMER STATES THIS ALSO CAUSES THE STEERING TO SHAKE. DEALER HAD TO SECURE CLAMP DUE TO VEHICLE LOSING ANTIFREEZE. BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DEALER REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS. SUNROOF WOULD NOT TILT, DEALER RESET THE SUNROOF GLASS. *SLC

BOTH LEFT RIMS BENT, NO TIRE DAMAGE. SMALL POTHOLE AT 10TH&WEST PEACHTREE IN ATLANTA ON FAR SIDE OF INTERSDECTION. PULLING SLOWLY AWAY FROM RED LIGHT. IMPACT DID NOT FEEL SEVERE. BENDING IS MINOR. NO AIR LEAKAGE. SLIGHT VIBRATION FROM LOSS OF BALANCE. NO CHANGE IN ALIGNMENT.*AK

ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED OR AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE FRONT AND REAR RIGHT TIRES LOSES AIR AND THE LEFT FRONT RIM WAS BENT. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO TIRE AND RIMS. DEALER FOUND A CHUNK OF BEADS ON THE REAR RIGHT TIRE AND THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS OUT OF ROUND. THE RIGHT REAR TIRE AND WHEEL WAS REPLACED. *TT *CB *JB

RIMS ARE BENT DUE TO MATERIAL BEING TOO SOFT, TIRES DO NOT KEEP AIR PRESSURE.*AK

RIGHT DRIVERS SIDE REAR ALLOY WHEEL HAS BEEN DENTED. NORMAL DRIVING ONLY - NO MAJOR POTHOLES HAVE BEEN HIT. THE WHEEL HAS BEEN SUFFICIENTLY DENTED THAT IT PRESENTS A RISK TO DRIVING AND MUST BE REPLACED. CAR HAS ONLY 23,000 MILES.*AK