2001 Mitsubishi Diamante

FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON MY CAR FILLS UP WITH THE SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE COOLANT WHEN I TURN ON THE HEATER. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY LEAKING 0-RINGS AND THAT THIS WILL DAMAGE THE COMPUTERS WHICH ARE UNDERNEATH THE LEAK. THE CAR IS A 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE L.S. THE DEALER SAYS IT IS NOT A COMMON ISSUE. GOOGLE SAYS OTHERWISE. *TR

WHEN USING THE DEFROSTER THE WINDOWS INCREASINGLY FOG UP AND IT DOES NOT CLEAR. FROM INVESTIGATING I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THE HEATER CORE OF THIS MODEL OF OF VEHICLE, 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE, IN THIS CASE. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED FROM A LOCAL DEALER APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO. I GUESS LUCKY FOR US THE WEATHER TURNED COLD, FORCING US TO USE THE DEFROSTER, AND THEREBY DISCOVERING THIS PROBLEM. I REALIZE I MOST LIKELY DO NOT HAVE ANY RECOURSE IN MY CASE I WANT TO FILE THIS ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO MIGHT SINCE, AS STATED ABOVE, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE DIAMANTE.*AK

DEFROSTER WOULD NOT DEFROST THE WINDOWS. THE TRANSMISSION KEEPS GOING IN AND OUT OF GEAR. WAS TOLD THE HEATER CORE HAS GONE BAD, WHICH THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING IN AND OUT BECAUSE COOLANT WAS DRIPPING ON THE RELAY THAT WAS UNDERNEATH IT. IT IS GOING TO COST $500 DOLLARS FOR THE RELAY, THE RESET OF THE CHECK ENGINE AND HEATER CORE. THEN A ADDITIONAL $600 DOLLARS FOR LABOR SINCE THEY HAVE TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD. *JB

ANTI FREEZE ODOR IS OVERWHELMING IN THE CAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE HEATER IS RUN. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE IT WAS NEW, AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE ISSUE BY INSTALLING A NEW GASKET, BUT THE FIX HAS LASTED ONLY A COUPLE OF YEARS. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING A VARIETY OF RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES RECENTLY, AND I BELIEVE THESE FUMES ARE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. *JB

RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE WITH 62K MILES. ADMITTEDLY, I AM NOT CAR "SAVVY" RELATED TO THE WELL BEING OF THE CAR. WHEN PURCHASED, THE CAR HAD A "MAPLE SYRUP" TYPE SMELL. ALSO, THE WINDOWS FOGGED UP VERY QUICKLY AND EVENTUALLY I REALIZED THE HEAT TOOK A LONG TIME TO WARM UP. AS I PURCHASED THE CAR IN THE SUMMER, THE FOGGING AND HEAT PROBLEM WAS NOT NOTICED FOR TWO MONTHS. I HAVE NOW REALIZED THAT THE PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH THE HEATER CORE. I HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE CAR "SAVY" AND THEY SAY CARS SHOULDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS WITH A HEATER CORE UNTIL LATE IN THEIR LIVES (ABOVE 120K MILES), IF EVER. AS I DISCOVERED MY PROBLEM, I REALIZE THAT I HAVE BEEN INHALING ANTI FREEZE GAS THROUGH THE HEAT VENTS. I'M WORRIED THAT I WILL HAVE RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THIS. HAS MITSUBISHI TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SEVERE MISHAP? I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY PREVALENT PROBLEM IN MOST DIAMANTES. NOT ONLY IS THIS EXTREMELY DETRIMENTAL TO ONES HEALTH, IT'S AN EXPENSIVE FIX. IS THERE ANY HOPE FOR A RECALL HERE? *JB

AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES, MY 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE HEATER CORE STARTED LEAKING. THE FIRST INDICATION WAS THAT THE WINDSHIELD STARTED FOGGING UP IMMEDIATELY. THIS WAS IN THE WINTER (FEBRUARY, MINNESOTA) AND THE DEFROSTER MADE IT WORSE, DRIVING WAS DIFFICULT AT BEST. I WAS LUCKY IN THAT I WAS CLOSE TO HOME. HAD I BEEN ON THE FREEWAY, IT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE DANGEROUS. A CALL TO ONE OF THE LOCAL DEALERS INFORMED ME THAT THE COST FOR THE FIX WAS OVER $1000. RESEARCH THAT I DID ON THE INTERNET SHOWED THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON FAILURE AND THAT MOST DEALERSHIPS PREFER TO CHARGE THE CUSTOMER OUTRAGEOUS BILLS FOR FIXING WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD A BILL OF THIS SIZE, I FOUND A WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM MYSELF, BUT IT WAS NOT EASY. I'VE FOUND MITSUBISHI IS NOT EASY TO DEAL WITH. MY GUESS IS THAT BECAUSE THEY NO LONGER SELL THIS MODEL, THEY WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CUSTOMERS THAT ARE OWNERS OF THE DIAMANTE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CAR FROM THIS MANUFACTURER. *NM

WE NOTICED BLACK RESIDUE ON THE REAR WINDSHIELD OF 2001 DIAMANTE. THE NEXT DAY WHEN THE DEFROSTER WAS TURNED ON BLACK SMOKE FILLED THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. THE FOLLOWING DAY BLACK SMOKE FILLED THE CAR WITHOUT THE DEFROSTER BEING ON. HAD THE CAR TOWED, AND THEY TOLD US IT WAS THE HEATER CORE HAVING A HOLE IN IT. THEY HAD ANOTHER 2001 DIAMANTE SITTING THERE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. SINCE IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY, WE BOUGHT IT CERTIFIED IN DECEMBER, IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $875 TO FIX IT. *AK