2001 Mitsubishi Diamante

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

ABNORMAL SMELL COMING FROM VENTS, MADE ME, AND MY TWO SONS FEEL NAUSEOUS, CREATED A HEADACHE FOR ME. I HAD TO OPEN WINDOWS IN ORDER TO DRIVE CAR DUE TO FUMES. BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER, AND HEATER CORE WAS IDENTIFIED AS PROBLEM AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER RECALL AND HE SAID NO, THEY ONLY HAD TO DO A RECALL IF IT WAS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THIS COST $802.37 TO REPAIR. THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. NOT ONLY HEALTH, BUT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO FOGGING OF WINDOWS, ETC. I AM SURE MITSUBISHI KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM. SEEMS AS THOUGH A CLASS ACTION SUIT SHOULD BE FILED AGAINST THEM FOR THIS ISSUE. MY CAR ONLY HAS 47K MILES, I PURCHASED NEW AND IT HAS HAD ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE REQUIRED. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER MITSUBISHI, JUST BECAUSE THEY DO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *NM

NOTICED SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. FRONT WINDSHIELD FOGS UP AFTER CAR IS DRIVEN AND THE MOTOR IS TURNED OFF. WIPING OFF THE MOISTURE IS THE ONLY WAY TO REMOVE IT. READ ABOUT THE HEATER CORE PROBLEMS ON THE WEB AND TOOK THE CAR IN TO BE REPAIRED FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. CORE SEALS WERE REPLACED OCT 2003, THE FIRST REPAIR, BUT SMELL OF COOLANT REMAINED. TWO ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS AT REPAIR WERE MADE, INCLUDING "CLEANING" OF THE CORE, BUT SMELL REMAINS TO THIS DAY. *NM