2001 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE Complaints

UPON INITIAL PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE IT WAS NOTED THAT EXTENDED USE OF THE CD PLAYER CAUSED THE PLAYER TO OVERHEAT AND SHUT DOWN. THE ORIGINAL PLAYER WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THE REPLACEMENT HAS AN IDENTICAL PROBLEM. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. THE CLUSTER WOULD WORK ON START-UP AND CONTINUE WORKING UNTIL EITHER THE CAR WARMED UP OR THE CAR WAS SHUT DOWN TO REFUEL. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STOPPED WORKING AND NO REMEDY HAS BEEN SOUGHT YET.*JB

A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR STARTED BECOMING DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. I THOUGHT AT FIRST THE HINGE NEEDED TO OIL, BUT THAT DID NOT HELP. SOON, THE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE AT ALL UNLESS I LIFTED IT UP AND SLAMMED IT. TWICE MY WIFE ALMOST FELL OUT BECAUSE THE DOOR WAS NOT CLOSED ALL THE WAY. TODAY I TOOK THE FENDER OFF TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND THE BOTTOM HINGE HAS COMPLETELY BUSTED THROUGH THE DOOR! WHEN OPENED, THE DOOR HANGS DOWN TWO TO THREE INCHES BECAUSE THE BOTTOM HINGE IS SHOT. THEN I FIND OUT FROM OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH PREVIOUS YEARS OF THIS MODEL AND WITH THIS ONE ALSO. WHY HASN'T NHTSA FORCED A RECALL ON THOSE PROBLEM? THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND ONE THAT I HAVE DISCUSSED WITH A LAWYER. COULD SOMEONE RESPOND TO ME PLEASE? *NM

ON 9/3/03 MY 2001 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE WOULD NOT IDLE AND KEPT CUTTING OUT EVERY TIME YOU CAME TO A STOP. I TOOK IT TO RICK CASE @ 18300 ROCKSIDE ROAD, BEDFORD, OH 44146 BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE CAR HAD 30563 MILES. THEY REPLACED THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL MOTOR AND VALVE, FAST IDLE AIR WHICH WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THEN ON 10/6/04 THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO THE CAR. THIS TIME THE CAR ONLY HAD 46013 MILES. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE SAME EXACT REPAIR WHICH COST ME $520.39 WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS. THEY SAY IT WAS DIFFERENT BUT WHEN I GOT THE INVOICE BOTH INVOICES HAVE THE SAME PARTS AND SAME DESCRIPTION ON WHAT THEY REPLACED. I HAVE BOTH RECEIPTS. I THINK I WAS RIPPED OFF AND THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED IT SINCE IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR HOPING I COULD AT LEAST GET SEVERAL YEARS WITHOUT HEADACHES BUT THAT'S ALL THIS CAR IS AND I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER MITSUBISHI AND ESPECIALLY FROM RICK CASE IN BEDFORD OHIO. ALSO, ON 6/11/03 I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR FRONT DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS DOOR HINGES TO BE REPLACED AND THE REAR DOOR BELT MOLDING TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS COMING OFF. BOTH DOOR HINGES WERE REPLACED BUT THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR 3 DAYS. NOW ITS JULY 2005 AND MY DRIVERS DOOR WON'T SHUT AND THE DOOR LIGHT STAYS ON AND THE DOOR IS OFF ALIGNMENT. THE DOOR HINGE IS GONE AGAIN. I HATE TO TAKE MY CAR IN AGAIN AND BE CHARGED AGAIN AND AGAIN. SHOULDN'T THIS BE COVERED BECAUSE THEY DID THE SAME EXACT WORK IN 2003. *NM

BOTTOM HINGE ON PASSENGER SIDE DOOR IS SEIZED UP. WHEN DOOR IS OPENED , THE PART OF THE DOOR WHERE THE HINGE IS SECURED STARTS TO FLEX. IT LOOKS LIKE THE HINGE IS BREAKING LOOSE FROM THE DOOR. THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET.

THE AIRCONDITIONER COMPRESSOR BLEW A PRESSURE VALVE BECAUSE ONE OF THE VALVES STUCK. THIS CAR IS A 2001 MISTUBISHI MIRAGE IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD WITH 67,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING IS ONLY USED FOR HALF THE YEAR AS I LIVE IN THE MIDWEST. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT WILL COST BETWEEN $1,200 AND $1,600 DOLLARS, WHICH IS ABOUT HALF OF THE TRADE-IN VALUE. I CALLED MITSUBISHI AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE A FEELING I AM NOT THE ONLY CUSTOMER WHO HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM.*AK

DRIVER'S' DOOR HINGE FAILURE - DOOR FALLING OFF VEHICLE. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, JUST STARTED HAPPENING. MITSUBISHI DENIES A PROBLEM, DEALER WILL FIX FOR 600 +. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED - I FOUND MORE THAN 5 DOZEN COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE IN THE 1998, 1999, 2000 MIRAGE VEHICLES. *AK

I PURCHASED A NEW MIRAGE FROM A DEALER IN 2001. I MIGHT HAVE HAD ABOUT 53,000 MILES ON THE CAR WHEN I STARTED HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS. I DECIDED TO LOOK INTO IT AFTER I HAD MY FIRST ACCIDENT, IN WHICH I ENDED UP REAR ENDING SOMEONE. I GOT NEW TIRES AND HAD THE DAMAGE REPAIRED. ABOUT A MONTH LATER, I HAD ANOTHER ACCIDENT RESULTING IN REAR ENDING SOMEONE. THE CAR WAS MAKING FUNNY NOISES WHEN I STOPPED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID MY BRAKE PADS WERE WORN COMPLETELY THROUGH, AS A RESULT OF MY CALIPERS FAILING TO RELEASE, WHICH ALSO WORE MY ROTORS OUR. IN ADDITION, HE SAID THE WRONG SIZE CALIPERS WERE ON THE CAR (THEY WERE THE ORIGINAL SET). I WAS SHOCKED. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT I DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR ANOTHER MILE BEFORE GETTING NEW PADS, ROTORS, AND CALIPERS. I WAS FURIOUS--I COULDN'T AFFORD THE ENTIRE JOB, SO I HAD THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO A MITSUBISHI DEALER FOR A SECOND OPINION. THEY SAID MY CALIPERS WERE FINE AND MY ROTORS JUST NEEDED TO BE SHAVED. ABOUT A MONTH LATER, I REAR ENDED SOMEONE ELSE. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO A DEALER AND HAD THE BRAKES INSPECTED. THEY SAID THEY LOOK FINE. I'VE BEEN DRIVING FOR 7 YEARS WITH NO PRIOR ACCIDENTS, THEN I GET 3 IN A ROW. MY INSURANCE IS THROUGH THE ROOF. I DRIVE EXTRA SLOW WITH PLENTY OF SPACE BETWEEN ME AND THE NEXT CAR. I DON'T KNOW WHEN MY BRAKES WILL WORK PROPERLY AND THEY KEEP TELLING ME THEY ARE FINE. TODAY, I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALER FOR A BRAKE INSPECTION--THE NOISE AND VIBRATION IS VERY NOTICEABLE--AND GUESS WHAT THEY SAID--YOUR BRAKES ARE FINE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO OR WHO CAN HELP ME. *AK

WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL TOWARDS THE RIGHT IT LOCKED, CAUSING A REAR END COLLISION. *AK

IGNITION KEY DOES NOT ALWAYS TURN TO START THE ENGINE. LOCKS UP COMPLETELY, CANNOT START THE CAR. CHANGING KEYS DOES NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. *NLM

PAINT RUBS OFF THE CAR IN FOUR AREAS (FRONT-UNDER THE HOOD, BACK-BY THE LICENSE PLATE, AND RUNNING BOARD AREA UNDER THE DOORS FROM FRONT TO BACK OF CAR, BOTH SIDES) WHEN WASHING. *NLM