2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Complaints

I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE CORROSION OF MY PAINT ON MY 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE; I BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS IN EARLY 2005 (JUST A LITTLE OVER A YEAR OF OWNING THE BRAND NEW VEHICLE.) WHILE MY COMPLAINT DOES NOT INVOLVE A SAFETY ISSUE, IT DOES INVOLVE FALSE REPRESENTATION OF THE PRODUCT AND EXPECTATIONS. SEVERAL WEBSITES CONTAIN HUNDREDS OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME SITUATION. I HAVE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WITH MY MITSUBISHI DEALER AND WAS TURNED AWAY SINCE I HAD EXCEEDED THE MILEAGE ACCORDING TO MY WARRANTY. I DO KNOW THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IF I KNEW THE PAINT WAS SO CHEAPLY DONE OR MANUFACTURED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS ON THE PAINT OR IF THERE ARE ANY CLASS ACTION SUITS AGAINST MITSUBISHI. WHILE SUCH ITEMS AS PAINT AND TIRES ARE CONSIDERED "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR", ONE WOULD NOT EXPECT THEIR TIRES TO BLOW OUT JUST DAYS AFTER LEAVING A DEALERSHIP JUST AS THE PAINT SHOULD LAST UNTIL I AT LEAST COMPLETE THE FINANCING PERIOD. AGAIN, THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE OVERALL VEHICLE HAVE NOT BEEN MET, EVEN WITH NORMAL UPKEEP OF THE VEHICLE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW OF ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE OFFERED. *TR

THE PAINT IS COMING OFF ON SELECT AREAS ON MY 2003 ECLIPSE SYDER GTS. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM OR DOCUMENTED IT YET NOTHING SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING TO RESOLVE IT. IF MITSUBISHI CUT CORNERS IN THE PAINTING OF THESE CARS AND IT BACKFIRED THEN THEY NEED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY GAMBLED AND LOST. IT SEEMS TO BE DOMINANT IN THE 2003 BLACK ECLIPSES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHEN IT WAS STARTED. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH AND ABOVE, THE VEHICLE STALLED. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE FROM A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL, BUT COULD EVENTUALLY BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP AND FILTER FAILED, WHICH PREVENTED FUEL FROM REACHING THE ENGINE. BOTH COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE STILL OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY WITH THE DEALER. THE POWERTRAIN, DEALER INFORMATION, AND PURCHASE DATE WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 175,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

WE HAVE A 2003 BLACK MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. THE PAINT IS GOING BAD ON ALL THE TOP AREAS OF THE CAR. THE CLEAR COAT PEELING AND IT IS TURNING WHITE. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER BLACK MITSUBISHI'S LIKE THIS AND HAVE SEEN OTHER WEB SITES THAT SPEAK OF THIS. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE THAT IN TWO OR THREE YEARS THAT A FACTORY PAINT JOB FROM A MAJOR CAR COMPANY CAN GO BAD THIS SOON AND IN SO MANY CARS. I WILL NOT LET ANYONE I KNOW BUY ANOTHER MITSUBISHI UNLESS THIS PROBLEM IS RESOLVED IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. THE BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT HAS FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR IS NOT EASY. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS A DEFECT THAT CAN CAUSE A CRASH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 43,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

I PURCHASED THE 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE NEW OFF THE LOT IN APRIL 2003. I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE CAR WITH REGULAR WASHES AND ATTEMPTS TO KEEP IT CLEAN. LAST YEAR STARTED NOTICING LIGHT GREY SPOTS DEVELOPING ON THE TOP OF THE CAR BEHIND THE SUN ROOF. NOW ,JUST A YEAR LATER, THE SPOTS INCREASED AND ARE NOW LOCATED ALL OVER THE CAR. EVERY DAY THEY APPEAR TO BE GETTING WIDE R AND LARGER IN SIZE. I HAVE HAD MANY PAINT CHIPS KNOCKED OFF THE FRONT OF THE CAR IN JUST NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND THOSE SPOTS ARE NOW ALSO STARTING TO RUST. I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS AS I SPENT GOOD MONEY ON THIS CAR THINKING IT WOULD BE A REPUTABLE COMPANY. I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR THIS NEW START EXPERIENCING SUCH PAINT PROBLEMS. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS. I HAVE COMPLETED RESEARCH ONLINE ABOUT THE PAINT PROBLEMS WITH MITSUBISHI, AND IT APPEARED I WA S NOT ALONE. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OWNERS OF MITSUBISHI CARS THAT HAVE COMPLAINED OF A PAINT PROBLEM, (ESPECIALLY WITH THE BLACK PAINT, IN THE YEAR MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. I WOULD NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER MITSUBISHI AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE AND WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND ANYONE PURCHASE ONE AS MITSUBISHI IS NOT BEING COOPERATIVE IN FIXING OR ADMITTING THERE IS EVEN A PROBLEM WHEN OBVIOUSLY THERE IS. THERE WAS NO WAY WITHOUT A NEW PAINT JOB THAT I COULD EVEN SELL MY VEHICLE AND MAKE MY MONEY OFF OF IT. I AM SO EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH MITSUBISHI AND THEIR PRODUCT. *AK

THERE WAS NO INCIDENT, CRASH OR INJURY. I PURCHASED A BLACK 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE, IN 2005, WHICH HAD 40000 MI ON NIT. THE PAINT WAS OK AT TIME OF PURCHASE. UNKNOWN TO ME, MITSUBISHI VEHICLES FROM 1999-2004 HAVE DEFECTIVE PRIMER WHICH CAUSES THE PAINT TO FLAKE OFF IN LARGE QUANTITIES. I HAD THE VEHICLE LESS THAN A YEAR WHEN THE PAINT STARTING COMING OFF. THE MANUFACTURERS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT ONLY FIXES SOME OF THE VEHICLES. MY CLAIM WAS DENIED. I BELIEVE THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED DUE TO DEFECTIVE PAINT.*AK

PAINT ON CAR IS FLAKING OFF. MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MISTSUBISHI MODELS. *TR

APPROXIMATELY 1-YEAR AGO, I PURCHASED A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SYDER FORM A DEALERSHIP WITH APPROXIMATELY 65,000 MILES ON IT. I CHECKED THE RECORDS AND CONTACTED THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER. THE CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR IT HAD A MINOR CRACK IN THE DASH BOARD. IT WAS ABOUT 1 INCH LONG. WEEKS LATER, IT GREW. ALSO OTHER CRACKS STARTED TO APPEAR. WHILE IN THE GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, I PARKED NEXT TO ANOTHER SPYDER AND NOTICED IT'S DASH WAS CRACKED IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATIONS. AFTERWARDS, I NOTICED THAT EVERY MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE 2003 AND NEWER HAVE CRACKED DASH BOARDS IN THE SAME LOCATION. I RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND WEBSITES AND MESSAGE BOARDS WHERE OWNERS OF MITSUBISHI ECLIPSES COMPLAIN ABOUT CRACKING DASHBOARDS. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL MITSUBISHI SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE SERVICE MANGER TOLD ME TO CONTACT MITSUBISHI USA. HE SAID THIS PROBLEM IS ENDEMIC OF MITSUBISHI ECLIPSES AND SPYDERS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL THE DASH IS MADE OF AND THE WAY THE DASH BOARD IS MOUNTED TO THE FRAME OF THE CAR. THERE IS NO AFTER-MARKET SOLUTION. A NEW DASHBOARD (INSTALLATION AND PARTS) AT A DISCOUNT IS OVER $1,000. MITSUBISHI USA WILL NOT HELP ME. THEY SAY THIS IS BECAUSE MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I AM NOT SEEKING WARRANTY WORK. OTHER VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS MAKE "DASH CAPS" - MOLDED ABS PLASTIC COVERS TO FIX THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. NO SUCH PRODUCT IS MADE FOR THIS VEHICLE. FURTHER, MITSUBISHI USA WANTS ME TO PAY $1000.00 FOR THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART THAT WILL CRACK THE SAME WAY. MITSUBISHI SAYS THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THIS IS NOT A "DEFECT". THE ALSO STATE THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP MY CAR, BUT THE DASH BOARD IS FALLING APART. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL AND UNSAFE. BECAUSE MY CAR IS A CONVERTIBLE, IF WATER GETS INTO THE DASH BOARD, MY ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS COULD SHORT OUT (INCLUDING MY AIRBAGS, HORN, LIGHTS, ETC.) PLEASE HELP! *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPIDER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 25 - 30 MPH ON A NICE DAY WHEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. SHE STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE ALTERNATOR WERE THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. THIS HAPPENED ON DECEMBER 23, 2006. THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD, LOST POWER, AND COASTED OUT OF TRAFFIC. SHE STATED THAT THE HORN BEGAN HONKING, AND SHE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. SHE COULD SEE FLAMES COMING OUT FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED BY ITSELF BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. TO DATE THE DEALERSHIP HAD BEEN UNABLE TO TELL HER WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 120,000. *AK