Mitsubishi Mirage 2002 — Reported problems

CRANSKHAFT BOLT SHEARED OFF WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING ON ICY ROADS. THE INCIDENT ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, HARMONIC BALANCER, AND TIMING BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A LOCAL AUTOMOBILE REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SHEARED BOLT WAS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE PART. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET IDENTIFIED SEVERAL VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ISSUE INCLUDING RECALLS ON DIFFERENT MITSUBISHI MODELS AND THE SAME MODEL BUT WITH DIFFERENT MANUFACTURING DATE. THE VEHICLE WAS A 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT ES. *TR

4 YEARS OLD, 24K MILES, NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. THE DOOR LIGHT CAME ON. DRIVER SIDE DOOR MISALIGNED. THERE WAS HALF AN INCH SPACE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR AND THE BODY FRAME. IT GOT MORE DIFFICULT TO OPEN EVERY DAY. THREE WEEKS LATER, THE DOOR COULDN'T OPEN AT ALL. DEALER LUBRICATED AND FREED-UP SIEZED LOWER DOOR HINGE, STRAIGHTENED, REWELDED, REASSEMBLED AND ALIGNED DRIVER'S DOOR.

NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AFTER ACCIDENT EVEN AFTER VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER. *NM

THE CLUTCH DISC ON A 2002 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE MANUAL TRANSMISSION WAS EATEN UP DOWN TO THE BARE METAL, STARTING TO EAT AWAY AT THE FLYWHEEL AND CHIP THE DRIVESHAFT BECAUSE I WAS NOT INFORMED IN ANY WAY THAT THE CLUTCH DISC WAS A WEAR ITEM AND WAS DISAPPOINTED WHEN I FOUND OUT. THE CLUTCH DISC WAS FAULTY, IN COMPLETE SHREDS ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD TO CLEAN OUT THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACE THE PRESSURE PLATE, THROW OUT BEARINGS, PILOT BEARINGS, FLYWHEEL AND CLUTCH DISK. THOSE ARE THE PARTS REQUIRED TO DO THIS JOB. HAD I KNOWN BEFORE HAND THAT MY CLUTCH WAS A WEAR ITEM I WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT TO BE CHECKED OUT. IT WAS UNFAIR TO ME AND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF MITSUBISHI VEHICLES WHO WERE NOT INFORMED EVEN VIA TELEPHONE TO MITSUBISHI MOTORS. I WAS ALSO LEAD TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. MAYBE NOT THE WORST COMPLAINT BUT AN INCONVENIENCE AND A NUISANCE NONE THE LESS. *NM

ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO I STARTED HEARING A NOISE WHEN THE AC WAS ON. I TOOK IT INTO A SERVICE DEALER AND HE STATED MY AC COMPRESSOR WAS GOING BAD. AND THAT AT 32,500 MILES THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. I AM TAKING IT TO A MITSUBISHI DEALER SAT- TO DIAGNOS THIS AND TO MAKE SURE MITSUBISHI PAYS FOR IT. WARRANTY OUT 3/2005 - BUT CAR UNDER MILES AND VERY WELL KEPT. I WAS TOLD BY 3 SERVICE DEPT'S AN AC COMPRESSOR ON A CAR WITH 32,500 MILES SHOULD NOT BE GOING BAD AND MITSUBISHI SHOULD PAY FOR IT. (2 OF THE 3 WERE MITSUBISHI DEALERS) I WANT THIS PAID FOR AND TAKEN CARE OF BY MITSUBISHI... I WAS GOING TO TRADE IN ON A NEW ONE, BUT WE'LL SEE HOW THEY HANDLE THIS TO SEE IF THEY KEEP ME AS A CUSTOMER

AN UNUSUAL SCREECHING NOISE COMES FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHEN IT IS AT REST, IN MOTION AND WHEN THE BRAKES ARE PRESSED.*AK

I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO INSPECT A BOTTOM ENGINE NOISE, AFTER A QUICK INSPECTION THE MECHANIC INFORMED HIS MANAGER OF A SUPPOSED RAPID LEAK OF OIL, RESULTING IN DAMAGE OF PARTS. I EXPLIANED TO THE MANAGER THAT I'VE OWN THE CAR SINCE NEW AND THERE NEVER BEEN AN OIL LEAK BECAUSE IM THE ONE WHO HAVE DONE THE OIL CHANGE FOR THE PAST 2 YRS, THAT THE GREASE HE SUPPOSED IS OIL IS THE AMOROLE ACUMULATING UNDER THE CAR FROM RECENT DETAILING DONE BY MYSELF. THE MANAGER CONTACTED THE WARRANTY AND WITHOUT HEARING AN EXPLANATION OR CLOSELY INSPECTING THE CAR THE DECIDED THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE FIXED. *AK

FACTORY DEFECTIVE PAINT SPOTS ON HOOD,DAMAGE TO HOOD DURING MAINTENCE BY DEALERSHIP. *AK

THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT HAS CAME ON FOR THE FOURTH TIME ON 5.7.04 AFTER IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN FIXED AFTER THE THIRD TIME IT WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR ON 4.26.04. *AK

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN SEVERE CRASH WITH HEAVY FRONT END DAMAGE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY RESULTING IN FACIAL INJURIES AND CRACKED RIBS TO THE DRIVER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLOWOUT. PLEASE PROVIDE THE SIZE AND DOT#. DEALER NOTIFIED. TX

CONSUMER STATES WHILE APPYING BRAKE AT 25-30 MPH THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND CAUSES A REAR END COLLISION AND TOTAL THE VEHICLE, DEALER NOTIFIED. NLM