1995 Eagle Talon

MISMATCHED SIZES BETWEEN CRANKSHAFT AND BALL BEARINGS, ENABLING THE CRANKSHAFT TO MOVE. THE MOVING CRANKSHAFT DESTROYED THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR, AND THERE IS SIGNIFICANT WEAR IN THE BALL BEARINGS. ALL THREE INDEPENDENT DEALERS I CONTACTED REGARDING THIS PROBLEM DEEM IT BEYOND NORMAL WEAR--A DEFECTIVE PART. FURTHER RESEARCH AT THE DSM CAR CLUB (HTTP://WWW.DSM.ORG) REVEALED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN TALON/ECLIPSES, MODEL YEARS 1995-1998. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THE CAR ENGINE WILL STOP WITH NO WARNING, LEAVING THE DRIVER WITHOUT ASSISTED STEERING. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER, BUT THEY DISAVOW ANY RESPONSIBILITY.*AK

AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET IT HAS BECOME EVIDENT THAT I HAVE WHAT IS NICKNAMED OR CALLED "CRANKWALK". THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT RESULTS FROM THE CRANKSHAFT OR THRUST BEARINGS ALLOWING THE CRANKSHAFT TO MOVE FREELY. THIS MOVEMENT ALLOWS THE CRANKSHAFT TO MOVE, WHICH WEARS A GROVE INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK AND OR ALLOWS THE CRANKSHAFT TO HIT THE CRANK-ANGLE SENSOR AND BREAK IT, BOTH OF WHICH RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT MITSUBISHI AND CHRYSLER HAVE NOT COME FORWARD WITH THIS MANUFACTURING FLAW. MITSUBISHI HAS SAID THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT MADE ANY REPARATIONS TO THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES. I AM BEING TOLD THAT THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BEING PUT TOGETHER AS A TYPE THIS, BUT I AM HOPING THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH ME AND REPLACE MY ENGINE BLOCK AT THEIR COST. THANK YOU FOR THE SPACE WITH WHICH I AM EXPRESSING MY DISPLEASURE. THE RESULT OF THIS AND MY DISCUSSION WITH THE MANUFACTURER DIRECTLY, WILL DECIDE IF I OR ANYONE ELSE IN MY FAMILY WILL EVER PURCHASE A CHRYSLER OR MISTUBISHI PRODUCT EVER AGAIN.

THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING ON TO THE MANIFOLD AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE IF NOT TAKEN CARE OF. ESTIMATE AT THE DEALER WAS FOR APPROX. $1,000. MECHANIC AT A LOCAL GARAGE SAID HE HAS REPLACED MANY ON THIS MOTOR FOR CHRYSLER AND MITSUBISHI. APPARENTLY CHRYSLER ALSO HAS REDESIGNED THE GASKET 3 TIMES IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE DEFECT. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE OF THE DANGER OF FIRE AND THE ORIGINAL DESIGN DEFECT.*AK

ENGINE BEARINGS WERE NOT RECIEVING OIL. ENGINE WAS REBUILT WITH NEW OEM CRANKSHAFT, BEARINGS, PISTONS, RODS, AND CYLINDER HEAD. NOT EVEN A MONTH LATER THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN. ENGINE WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE FREE FROM BLOCKAGE AND DEBRIS. OIL PUMP WAS WORKING AS SPECIFIED. NO CAUSE COULD BE FOUND AS TO WHY BEARINGS WERE NOT RECIEVING OIL. BEARINGS WERE FOUND TO HAVE EXCESSIVE CLEARENCE THAT RESULTEDD IN THE PISTON BEENING ABLE TO PHYSICALLY HIT THE CYLINDER HEAD LEAVING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER HEAD, REQUIRING THE ENTIRE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I CONTACTED DAIMLERCHRYSLER AND MY DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT A COMMON OCCURANCE SO THERE WAS NO RECALL ON IT. HOWEVER, I HAVE DISCOVERED ON WEBSITES SUCH AS WWW.DSM.ORG THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURANCE WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL.

ENGINE BEARINGS WERE NOT RECIEVING OIL. ENGINE WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE FREE FROM BLOCKAGE AND DEBRIS. OIL PUMP WAS WORKING AS SPECIFIED. NO CAUSE COULD BE FOUND AS TO WHY BEARINGS WERE NOT RECIEVING OIL. BEARINGS WERE FOUND TO HAVE EXCESSIVE CLEARENCE THAT RESULTEDD IN THE PISTON BEENING ABLE TO PHYSICALLY HIT THE CYLINDER HEAD LEAVING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER HEAD, REQUIRING THE ENTIRE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I CONTACTED DAIMLERCHRYSLER AND MY DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT A COMMON OCCURANCE SO THERE WAS NO RECALL ON IT. HOWEVER, I HAVE DISCOVERED ON WEBSITES SUCH AS WWW.DSM.ORG THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURANCE WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL.*AK

RELATING TO THE ENGINE:MAINBEARING PROBLEM, THIS IS THE THIRD CAR OF THIS TYPE I HAVE OWNED (ALL VINS AND RECIEPTS AVAILABLE) THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. IT IS REFERREDD TO BY MANY AS "CRANKWALK". THE OIL PRESSURE TEST SHOW A NORMAL PRESSURE, YET THE #4 BEARING HAS BEEN DEPRIVED OF OIL AND SEEMS TO GRIND THE BEARING DOWN SLOWLY UNTIL THERE IS SO MUCH EXCESSIVE CLEARENCE THAT THE PISTON STARTS HITTING THE CYLINDER HEAD AND DESTROYS THE ENTIRE ENGINE ASSEMBLYL. I HAVE READ ONLINE POSTS AT HTTP://WWW.DSM.ORG FROM HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, OF OWNERS OF THIS SAME CAR AND ITS TWIN - THE MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GSX/GS-T - ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM AND WONDER WHY IF THERE IS SO MANY REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING, WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN RECALLED. *AK