2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Complaints

IN MY CAR THE HEADLIGHTS WILL COME ON BUT VERY DIM OR SOMETIMES NOT AT ALL. IF I HIT A BUMP THE HEADLIGHTS WILL ALSO GO OUT. MOVING WIRE CONNECTION ON BACK OF HEADLIGHTS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM MOMENTARILY. PROBLEM OCCURS MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. THE OTHER EVENING I WAS DRIVING AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I PULLED OVER AND POPPED THE HOOD AND THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE WIRING HARNESS. THE WHOLE HARNESS WAS MELTED OFF. *NM

I HAVE A BLACK 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GT AND THE CLEAR COAT IS FADING AND IS TURNING THE CAR WHITE. I HAVE FOUND 7 PAGES OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON DEADECLIPSE.COM. MY DEALER REFUSES TO REPAINT IT BECAUSE I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER EVEN THOUGH A BODY SHOP HAS TOLD ME THE CAR NEVER GOT REPAINTED. *JB

MY DAUGHTER HIT A POT HOLE IN HER 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE AND THE RIM BENT SEVERELY AND THE TIRE WENT FLAT. *NM

I HAVE A 2001 ECLIPSE GT (V6) AND I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION TWICE ALREADY. I LIVE IN MINOT ND WERE IT SNOWS. THE FIRST TIME MY TRANSMISSION JACKED ON ME I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT. THEIR WAS SNOW ON THE GROUND SO WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN MY TIRES SLID A LIKE AND THE GRAB THE PAYMENT AS THAT HAPPENED I HEARD A BIG THUMP. MY CAR FELT LIKE AN AXLE MESS UP OR THE CLUTCH. THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT ME DO TO THE LACK OF MOVEMENT FROM MY VEHICLE. I WAS NOT THAT FOR FROM ME HOUSE SO I DROVE IT HOME BUT ONE BLOCK A WAY MY TRANNY ENDED UP BLOWING A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CASE. THE HOLE SIZE WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SOFT BALL. MY SPEED WAS ABOUT 15 MPH. SO GET HOME AND I CHECK IT OUT. I FIND GEARS ALL SHATTERED INSIDE AND WHAT EVER HAD FALLEN OUT. SO NOW I BUY A USED TRANNY WITH SOME 65000 MILES ON IT, I HAVE HAD THAT ONE FOR A BOUT ONE YEAR WITH PUTTING 7000 MILES ON THE TRANNY. AGAIN THERE IS SNOW ON THE GROUND. I AM GETTING OFF OF WORK AND THERE IS SNOW ON MY TIRES. THE MANY ROAD IS CLEARED OF SNOW SO I DRIVE OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND MY TIRES SPIN AS I HIT THE PAVEMENT AND THE SAME THING HAPPENS. THE TRANNY SLIPS IN GEAR SO I GOT IT TO THE SHOP AND COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL HAD SHATTERED THE SPIDER GEARS. I HAVE SPENT 3000 DOLLARS ON TWO TRANNIES WITH IN ONE YEAR SPAN. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2001 MITSIBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. ALL FOUR OF THE WHEELS HAVE BEEN BENT FROM NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING. I HAVE HAD TWO TIRES BLOW OUT DUE TO THEIR LOOSING AIR AND HEATING UP. IT APPEARS THAT THE ALUMINUM WHEELS ARE TOO SOFT AND BEND TOO EASILY. *NM

ONE HEADLIGHT WENT DIM A MONTH BEFORE THEY BOTH WENT OUT ENTIRELY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY. UPON INSPECTION, DISCOVERED THE PLASTIC WIRING TERMINAL THAT CONNECTS TO THE HEADLIGHT BULB HAD MELTED AROUND THE SAME WIRE ON EACH CONNECTOR. NO FUSES WERE BLOWN AND ALL THE FILAMENTS WERE INTACT IN THE BULBS. SUSPECT THAT ARCING OCCURRED IN THE DEFECTIVE WIRE CAUSING THE CONNECTOR TO MELT. *JB

MY SONS 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE HYDROPLANED ON A STANDING PUDDLE OF WATER ON US 50. HE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND HIT THE GUARD RAIL TWICE ON THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE CAR. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE DAMAGE TO FRONT AND BACK. MY CONCERN AND COMPLAINT IS THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAR TOOK SUCH A MAJOR IMPACT TO THE FRONT END THAT I CAN SEE NO REASON FOR THE AIR BAGS NOT TO DEPLOY OTHER THEN BEING DEFECTIVE. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE IF YOU NEED TO SEE THE DAMAGE. THE MARYLAND STATE POLICE REPORT NUMBER IS[XXX]. THE STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANY CAN BE REACHED AT 1-888-613-3966 EXT. 33, CLAIM # [XXX]. VIN NUMBER OF THE CAR IS[XXX]. MY POSITION IS THAT OTHER 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SHOULD BE CHECKED FOR FAULTY AIR BAG SYSTEMS. *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED A SMALL LEAK FROM THE GASOLINE TANK. GASOLINE LEAKAGE WAS ALSO PRESENT ON THE PAVEMENT WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR PROBLEMS OR ANY OBVIOUS ROAD HAZARDS. ALTHOUGH THE LEAKAGE PERSISTED, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A DEALER. UPDATED 3/9/2006 - A TINY PINHOLE SIZE LEAK WAS FOUND BUT THE OUTSIDE OF THE TANK HAD NO MARKS AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. IT BEGAN AS A NOISE AND THEN THE ENGINE AREA CAUGHT ON FIRE. THEY WERE NO UNUSUAL INDICATORS BEFORE THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS BURNED VERY BADLY. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS LEFT UNDETERMINED, AND VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S SALVAGE YARD. THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER WHERE NOT CONTACTED BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE INSURANCE COMPANY PROVIDED THE CONTACT A REPORT OF A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE REPORT STATED A HOSE DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER COULD HAVE CAUSED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLING UNIT AND LINES TO LEAK OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. THEREFORE, THE FLUID LEAKAGE FROM THE COOLING HOSE COULD CAUSE TRANS AXLE PROBLEMS AND SMOKE IF THE OIL CONTACTED THE FRONT EXHAUST PIPE.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 02T015000 CONCERNING THE TIRE TREAD AND BELT. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT HER OWN EXPENSE. *AK