2001 Mitsubishi Diamante

THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE DEFROSTER WAS INOPERATIVE. ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW FOGGED AND CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY TO THE DRIVER. THE DRIVER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE HEATER COIL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM ANTIFREEZE SMELLS THE CAR UP AND LEAKS ONTO THE FLOOR CARPET DAMP. DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF FOG UP. *BF

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. THE HEATER CORE HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF LEAKING ANTIFREEZE INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND FOGGING OF WINDSHIELD. WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN I WAS ADVISED AT THAT TIME THERE WAS ANOTHER DIAMANTE (2002) THAT REQUIRED A HEATER CORE, AND THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 42,000 MILES. WHEN THE HEATER CORE WAS BEING REMOVED I NOTICED IT FAILED TO HAVE SUFFICIENT INSULATION AS THIS COULD CAUSE FAILURE BY VIBRATION OVER NORMAL ROADS.*AK

THIS IS A MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE 2001 LS. I'M EXPERIENCING PUNGENT SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE INSIDE THE CAR AS SOON AS I TURN ON HEATING. THE DEALER I GOT THE PREOWNED CAR FROM WON'T FIX THE PROBLEM UNLESS I CAN SHOW THEM THE LEAK IN HEATER CORE. ANTI-FREEZE CONTAINS ETHYLENE GLYCON AND THE FUMES ARE HIGHLY TOXIC. FIXING THE THE HEATER CORE WILL COST $1000. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO ASCERTAIN THAT THIS IS A VERY VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE AND MITSUBISHI MOTORS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THREE MAIN RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THIS: (1) THE DEFECT EXPOSES CUSTOMERS TO UNUSUAL LEVEL OF TOXIC ETHYLENE GLYCOL WHICH SHOULD NOT EXCEED 10-25 PPM LEVELS (CONSULT MSDS FOR ETHYLENE GLYCOL) (2) THE LEAK CAN AFFECT THE CAR'S MICROPROCESSOR AND POSES A SEVERE HAZARD FOR DRIVERS. (3) FAULTY HEATER CORE MAKES THE VISIBILITY DIFFICULT DUE TO FOGGING OF WIND SHIELD THUS PUTTING THE DRIVER AT GREATER RISK. I WILL EVENTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM BY SPENDING $1000 AFTER THE SUMMER IF MITSUBISHI REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. RIGHT NOW I AM TRYING SOME RADIATOR ANTI-LEAK TO DELAY THE COSTLY REPAIR. BUT I WANT NHTSA TO BE AWARE OF THE HAZARDS THAT HAS BEEN IGNORED BY THE MANUFACTURER.*AK

PURCHASED 2001 DIAMANTE IN SEPTEMBER 2004. HAD APPROXIMATELY 66,000 MILES WHEN PURCHASED AND APPROXIMATELY 73,000 MILES NOW. AT THE TIME I PURCHASED THE CAR, I NOTICED A MAPLE SYRUP SMELL IN THE INTERIOR, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS AN INDICATOR OF A PROBLEM SO I DIDN'T MENTION IT, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A CLEANER THAT WAS USED IN THE CAR. IN DECEMBER 2004, BROUGHT CAR TO MITSUBISHI DEALER WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. WAS INFORMED THAT STRONG COOLANT SMELL IN INTERIOR (MAPLE SYRUP SMELL) WAS FROM A COOLANT LEAK CAUSED BY BROKEN O-RING WHICH I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER "HAPPENS IN ALMOST ALL DIAMANTES". I TOLD THEM THAT THE SMELL WAS IN MY VEHICLE WHEN I PURCHASED IT FROM THE DEALER IN AUGUST AND I BELIEVE THEY WERE AWARE OF IT AT THAT TIME BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY IDENTIFY THAT SAME ODOR WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I HAVE ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR SINCE IT IS APPARENT THEY SOLD ME A DEFECTIVE CAR. I HAVE NOT RESOLVED THIS ISSUE YET WITH MITSUBISHI SO THE REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AS OF THE DATE OF THIS REPORT. CURRENTLY THE SYMPTOMS OF THIS COOLANT LEAK ARE CONSISTENTLY AND SEVERELY FOGGED UP WINDOWS (ALL WINDOWS OF THE CAR) MAKING VISIBILITY DIFFICULT. I AM ALSO QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES, INCLUDING RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS, I AM FACING FROM INHALING ANTIFREEZE FUMES FOR THE LAST 7 MONTH WHICH ARE ONLY GETTING WORSE. *AK

HEATER COIL REPLACEMENT. CAUSES CAR TO OVERHEAT, ALSO CAUSES BAD SMELL AND HEAT AND FUMES TO COME OUT OF THE DASH. IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF MITSUBISHI DIAMANTES UP TO YEAR 2001 HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT HAS NOT BE CONSIDERED A RECALL. I WANTED TO KNOW WHY AND HOW THIS ISSUE CAN BE FIXED. IT'S NOT FAIR THAT CUSTOMERS HAVE TO PAY OVER 1000. TO GET SOMETHING FIXED THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT AN OPTIONAL FIX SINCE IT CAN ULTIMATELY CAUSE AN ENGINE FIRE.*AK

COOLANT LEAKING INTO RUG ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, COOLANT FUMES LEAKING FROM AIR VENTS, CONSTANTLY ADDING MORE COOLANT TO CAR, FOGGY WINDOWS THAT WOULD NOT CLEAR UP EVEN AFTER AN HOUR OF DRIVING, SCENT IN CAR THAT KIND OF SMELLS LIKE SYRUP. CONSTANT HEADACHES, NAUSEA WHEN DRIVING INSIDE VEHICLE, HARD TO DRIVE DUE TO FOGGY WINDOWS. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND HAD HEATER CORE REPLACED. FAINT SCENT OF SYRUP STILL REMAINS IN CAR. *JB

I HAVE HAD MY 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE FOR ONE YEAR NOW AND HAVE ALWAYS FOUND THAT MY FRONT WINDOW FOGGED OVER WITH A FILM THE DEFROSTER WOULD NOT REMOVE. LAST WEEKEND THE 5TH OF FEBRUARY 2005 I NOTICED THE FILM GETTING WORSE AND THE CAR FILLED WITH A VERY PUNGENT SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE THIS CAUSED MY EYES TO BURN AND MADE IT HARD TO CONTINUE DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALER WHO SAID THE HEATER CORE HAD A LEAK AND I NEEDED NEW GASKETS THAT WERE $16 DOLLARS A PACKAGE AND THAT LABOR WOULD BE $492 DOLLARS FOR 5 HOURS. I WAS QUITE SHOCKED IT WOULD COST SO MUCH CONSIDERING I HAVE WELL MAINTAINED MY CAR AND THAT I ONLY HAD 41,000 MILES ON IT. I AM CONCERNED OF THE HEALTH EFFECTS IF I HAVE BEEN BREATHING IN ANTIFREEZE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE LEAKAGE MAY HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY ECU BECAUSE OF WHERE THE LEAK IS (RIGHT ABOVE THE ECU). I HAVE READ THAT THIS MAY BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE DIAMANTE AND MY DEALER SAID HE HAS SEEN A FEW HIMSELF (HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS WHEN I TOLD HIM WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND HOW MUCH IT COST). I FEAR MITSUBISHI IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THE LONG TERM AFFECTS IT MAY HAVE ON HEALTH AND SAFETY AND HASN'T COME FORWARD TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *JB