2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Complaints

PURCHASED BRAND NEW 2003 ECLIPSE IN 2004. I AM EXPERIENCING PAINT DELAMINATION AND IT'S SPREADING RAPIDLY. WENT TO THE MITSUBISHI DEALER AFTER FINDING OUT MANY OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. THEY TOOK PICTURES AND SAID THEY WILL CONTACT MITSUBISHI. I WAS NOTIFIED THE NEXT DAY THAT MY CAR HAS BEEN DECLINED ANY HELP DUE TO EXPIRATION IN WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. WHEN THE CONTACT BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED THAT THE PAINT WAS FADING FROM GRAY TO WHITE. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, SHE FOUND A FEW COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME DEFECT ON HER VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE'S PAINT, BUT HER VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED IN 2006. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE INSURANCE COMPANY, BUT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 69,000.

PAINT ON HOOD, TRUNK AND FENDERS IS PEELING, CRACKING, COMING OFF. CONTINUES TO WORSEN. MITSUBISHI IS AWARE OF THE "DEFECT", AND STATE THEY ARE NOT MANDATED TO FIX IT. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH, I AM LEARNING THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MISTIBISHIS (ALL BLACK IN COLOR, LIKE MINE) THAT ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I OWN A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE, BLACK. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, THE PAINT APPEARED PERFECT, BUT IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR VERY BAD 'SUNBLEACHED' OR OXIDIZED SPOTS HAVE APPEARED ON THE ROOF AND TRUNK AND APPEAR TO BE GETTING WORSE IN A HURRY. THE CAR HAS BEEN WASHED AND WAXED REGULARLY SINCE I PURCHASED IT. SINCE THESE SPOTS HAVE SHOWN UP, I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT OTHER ECLIPSES AROUND MY AREA, AND LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE BLACK ECLIPSE I SEE - PROBABLY UPWARDS OF 30 CARS (2000-2003) - HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, NOT TO MENTION THE THOUSANDS OF ONLINE POSTS I HAVE SEEN MENTIONING THIS SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO HAVE THE DEALERSHIP PAY FOR A NEW PAINTJOB WITH CURRENT BLACK PAINT (I DO NOT WANT THE SAME 2003 PAINT PUT ON, ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM OCCUR IN 4 YEARS) THANK YOU VERY MUCH! *TR

ROTTED FUEL FILLER NECK. EVAP CODE AND FUEL LEAK DURING REFUELING. NO PARTS AVAILABLE DUE TO HIGH DEMAND. *TR

I OWN A BLACK 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. ON OR ABOUT JUNE 1, 2007 I NOTICED A MYSTERIOUS WHITE SPOT FORMING ON THE ROOF OF MY CAR. WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, THE WHITE SPOT TURNED INTO SEVERAL WHITE SPOTS AND NOW CURRENTLY ON AUGUST 5, 2008 THE ENTIRE ROOF IS COVERED IN WHITE AND ONE HAS EVEN TURNED TO RUST. I CONTACTED A MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR IS NOT COVERED AFTER 36,000 MILES. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT DOES MILEAGE HAVE TO DO WITH PAINT? I THEN DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MITSUBISHI VEHICLES PRODUCED AROUND 2003 AND THAT THE ISSUE IS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE PRIMER USED BY THE COMPANY. SO WHY DOESN'T MITSUBISHI FESS UP TO THEIR PROBLEM AND FIX THE MESS? THERE ARE THOUSANDS IF NOT MILLIONS OF DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS WITH NEWER VEHICLES THAT LOOK HORRIBLE. IN MY CASE, I OWN A FAIRLY NEW VEHICLE THAT I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THAT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS. I AM ASHAMED TO OWN THIS VEHICLE, IT LOOKS LIKE I DON'T TAKE CARE OF MY CAR. WHEN IT ALL ACTUALITY, THIS IS NOT MY FAULT. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP WITH THIS MATTER. I WOULD LIKE MITSUBISHI TO REPAINT MY CAR AT NO COST TO ME. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS ABOUT 6 MOS PRIOR TO THIS RECENT INCIDENT THOUGH I COULDN'T RECALL EXACTLY WHEN. I WAS ON STOP ON AN INTERSECTION TRYING TO TURN RIGHT. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. JUST AS I SLOWLY RELEASED MY FOOT THE CAR ACCELERATED AND MOVED TOWARDS THE RIGHT LANE OF WHERE I WANTED TO GO HOWEVER THERE WAS STILL INCOMING TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO STEER MYSELF TOWARDS THE MIDDLE LANE AND AVOIDED THE INCOMING CAR. SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED TODAY: ON MY WAY HOME AND ENTERING MY GARAGE, I HAVE SLOWLY RELEASED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL; THE CAR SIMPLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AT A MAXIMUM SPEED. I HIT OUR GARAGE WALL. THE WALL HAPPENED TO BE A COMMON WALL TO OUR FAMILY ROOM. THIS BORE A 3' X 4' HOLE IN OUR FAMILY ROOM; THE COUCH WHICH WAS PLACED AGAINST THE WALL MOVED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM -WHICH SHOWS THE EXTENT OF THE SPEED PICK-UP AS WELL AS THE DAMAGE. I AM GLAD TO SHARE PHOTOS OF THIS INCIDENT. *TR

I OWN A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GTS AND I HAVE NOTICED ON THE TOP OF MY ROOF THAT MY BLACK PAINT IS TURNING WHITE! IT IS VERY NOTICEABLE . I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT I AM ONE OF HUNDREDS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT COMPANY DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND BLAMES IT ON THE ROAD, SALT, AND BIRDS. A CAR THAT IS THIS NEW SHOULD NOT BE HAVING PAINT PROBLEMS! I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH MITSUBISHI AND WILL NOT BE A CONTINUING CUSTOMER IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. I AM HOPING MITSUBISHI TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY IN FITTING THE PAINT. *TR

SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON; TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP. DISCOVERD THAT FILLER NECK HAS RUSTED OUT REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. THIS WAS REPORTED TO ME BY THE DEALERSHIP TO BE COMMON WITH THIS MODEL. THE VEHICLE IS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GS. THE FILLER NECK HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. THE FILLER NECK IS LOCATED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THIS CAR IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. "PIPES" SHOULD NOT BE RUSTING AFTER 5 YEARS OF USE. THERE IS NO COVER OVER THE FILLER NECK TO PROTECT IT FROM ROAD CONDITIONS AND WEATHER. ALSO APPEARS THERE WAS NO PROTECTIVE COATING ON THE METAL. A CCV TEST SHOWED A STRONG ODOR FROM THE FILLER NECK. ALL OTHER TESTS ON THE CAR PASSED. MORE TESTS TO BE RUN ONCE FILLER NECK REPLACED.

I NOTICED RECENTLY THAT A SECTION OF THE ROOF ON MY CAR WAS WHITISH IN COLOR. QUITE APPARENT AS MY CAR IS BLACK IN COLOR. I HAVE HEARD AND READ FROM MANY SOURCES THAT THIS ISSUE WAS PREVALENT IN 2003 MODELS AND OBVIOUSLY MINE IS NOT EXEMPT MUCH TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT. I HOPE THAT MITSUBISHI STEPS UP TO THE PLATE TO CORRECT THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *TR