1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Complaints

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL ON A MAJOR HIG WAY WHEN I HEARD AN AWEFUL NOISE COMING FROM UNDER MY CAR, IT SOUNDED AS IF I WAS DRAGGING SOMETHING. I GOT OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT AND LOOKEDF UNDER MY CAR BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE SO I CONTINUED HOME. WHEN I WAS BACK ON THE HIGHWAY THE NOISE STARTED UP AGAIN BUT THIS TIME MY STEERING STARTED TO GO. I IMMEDIATLY BROUGHT IT TO THE SHOP WHERE THEY PUT IT ON A LIFT. THE MECHANICS STARTED TO CHECK SHAKE EACH TIRE, WHEN HE GOT TO THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE THE TIRE WAS VERY LOOSE. ACCORDING TO THE THE THREADING ON THE BULTS THAT HOLD THE RIM ON WERE STRIPPED AND THE DAMAGE WOULD RUN ME ABOUT 200 PER TIRE. ONE TOP OF THE NEW BULTS I NEEDED NEW RIMS. THEY SAID MY RIMS WERE TO BENT UP. I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 3 YEARS AND HAVE HAD MY RIMS BANGED BACK INTO SHAPE SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY. THE SHOP SAYS THEY ARE VERY WEAK RIMS AND I NEED NEW ONES, BUT THAT COSTS OVER A THOUSAND. THERE WAS ANOTHER INCIDENT WITH MY RIMS AS WELL. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I WAS LOSING STEERING POWER SO I GOT MY CAR CHECKED OUT, I NEEDED TO HAVE MY RIMS CUT AND SHAVED BECAUSE THERE WAS TO MUCH WEAR ON THEM.

1 SET OF REPLACEMENT TIRES (4 EACH) WERE PURCHASED AND ALL HAVE TREAD SEPARATION AND 1 BLOWOUT ONE AFTER ANOTHER. SEARS AUTO CENTER SIMPLY REPLACED THE TIRES (UNDER THEIR PRO-RATED WARRANTY) WITH THE SAME BRAND EVENTHOUGH I MENTIONED THAT THERE IS A PATTERN OF FAILURE AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. AS OF TODAY, THIS WILL BE THE FIFTH TIME THAT MY TIRES SUFFERED A TREAD SEPARATION. ALL THE DEFECTS WERE DISCOVERED DURING MAINTENANCE CHECK OF THE CAR EXCEPT FOR ONE WHICH RESULTED IN A TIRE BLOW OUT.*AK (TIRESIZE: P20570T14)

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE FRONT WHEEL RIM HAD A DENT CAUSED BY A HITTING A SMALL POTHOLE. FURTHER EXAMINATION CONFIRMED THAT THREE OF THE FOUR WHEELS WERE CRACKED AND UNSAFE. DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO COVER COST OF REPLACING WHEELS ALLEGING THAT CONSUMER HIT A POTHOLE. ORIGINAL WHEELS WERE REPLACED WITH GENERIC WHEELS. *TT

ON JANUARY 14 I TOOK MY CAR TO PUNTE HILLS MITSUBISHI FOR A RECALL ON THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. SINCE I WAS THERE I ASKED THEM TO INSPECT MY CAR FOR ANYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT THIS POINT THEY RECOMMENDED THE TIMING AND BALANCER BELTS, TENSIONERS, LEFT TIE ROD, AND A BROKEN AIR VALVE WHICH I DID AT A COST OF $736.52. UPON RECEIVING MY CAR I HEARD A CHIRPING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHICH THEY TOLD ME WAS THE TIMING BELT WAS NEW AND NEEDED TO BE BROKEN IN, WHICH I TOOK THEIR WORD FOR. WITHIN THE FOLLOWING MONTH THE CHIRPING BECAME LOUDER AND LOUDER TO THE POINT I CALLED AND REQUESTED THEY LOOK AT IT AGAIN. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER MY CAR JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT . AFTER LIFTING THE HOOD I NOTICED THE TIMING BELT COVER SPLIT OPEN ON THE TOP REVEALING THE TIMING BELT WAS NOT ON PROPERLY. AFTER TOWING MY CAR TO THE DEALER A QUICK INSPECTION CONCLUDED THAT MY CRANK PULLEY HAS "WALKED" INTO THE TIMING BELT COVER BURNING A HOLE THROUGH IT CAUSING THE DISASSEMBLING OF THE TIMING UNIT AND MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE HEADS, PISTONS, ETC...I ASKED THE MECHANIC WHY WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR IN JUST A LITTLE MORE THAN A MONTH AGO THEY DIDN'T LET ME KNOW MY CRANK PULLEY HAD SUCH SIGNIFICANT WEAR. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL A CRANK PULLEY IS GOING BAD. I DID RESEARCH OF MY OWN AND FOUND OUT THIS IS HAPPENING TO MOST ECLILPSE, ALL YEARS AND THAT THERE IS A WAY TO TELL IF THE CRANK PULLEY IS GOING BAD BY MEASURING THE AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT SIDE TO SIDE MAKING SURE IT MEET THE MANUFACTURER REQUIREMENTS. OBVIOUSLY THE CRANK PULLEY HAD VERY SIGNIFICANT WEAR SEEING THAT THE PULLEY CAME APART. I DID RESEARCH ON THIS MATTER AND FOUND OUT MITSUBISHI KNOWS THESE PARTS ARE DEFECTED BUT COVERS MOST OF THEM UNDER WARRANTY SO IT BRINGS DOWN THE NUMBERS. I FEEL THE REPAIRS SHOULD BE COVERED AND WOULD LIKE TO OPEN AND INVESTIGATION ON "CRANKPULLEY/SHAFT WALKING" HOPEFULLY LEADING TO A RECALL. THANK YOU.

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH HEAD GASKETS. DEALER REPLACED HEAD GASKETS. HOWEVER, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT REMAINED ON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSS POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 15 MPH, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

POWER STEERING BELT FELL OFF BECAUSE OF POWER STEERING BRACKET. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, AND CONSUMER HAD TO BUY UPDATED BRACKETS. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING AND CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 15 MPH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED FOR PROBLEM, AND REPLACED HEAD GASKETS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

OIL LEAKING FROM HEAD GASKET. OIL GUY TOLD ME IT COULD BE A FACTORY DEFECT BECAUSE HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM IN THE SAME MODELS. HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX IT WITH NO-CHARGE CLAIMING WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED IN AUG 2001. WE HAVE REALIZED THE LEAK IN OCTOBER 2001. DEALER ASKS $600 TO FIX IT.*AK

WHITE SMOKE COMES OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE WHEN VEHICLE IS RUNNING. ENGINE IS KNOCKING AND OIL HAS TO BE PUT IN VEHICLE EVERY 3 DAYS. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY HAVE NOT FOUND CAUSE. *AK