2002 Mitsubishi Diamante

JANUARY 12, 2005 ONE COLD MORNING I NOTICED THAT THE REVERSE GEAR DID NOT GO IN AS FAST AS IT SHOULD IT TOOK LIKE 1 MINUTE TO GO INTO GEAR, WHEN COLD IT WOULD JOLT BEFORE ADVANCING IN DRIVE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING, SO I PICKED UP THAT SAME AFTERNOON, NEXT MORNING SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR BACK ON JAN 19, LEFT IT OVER NIGHT AND THEY FOUND IT TOOK A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO GO INTO GEAR, THEREFORE, THEY DECIDED TO LOOK AT THE TRANSMISSION, THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER SINCE 1/20 THRU 2/7, AFTER SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS THEY HAVE TOLD ME IT IS THE HEATING CORE DRIPPING ON TOP OF THE COMPUTER DAMAGING THE SENSORS, TODAY 2/8 THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR AT ALL. I HAVE HAD GREASE WITH THE SEAT BELTS, THEY HAD TO BE CHANGED AT 3600 MILES, THE TIRES (EAGLE) HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 18,000MIES, THE BRAKES STARTING ACTING UP AT 6000 MILES, THE STEERING STARTED VIBRATING AT 12,000 MILES. BOTTOM LINE THIS CAR IS A MESS, SUCKS AND MITSUBISHI DOES NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THOSE PROBLEMS, THIS IS A BIG LEMON!*AK

THIS HEATER CORE LEAKS DIRECTLY OVER COMPUTERS WHICH CONTROL THE ENGINE - AND COULD CAUSE IT TO ACT UNPREDICTABLY OR CUT OUT ALTOGETHER WHEN DRIVING. *AK * ANTI-FREEZE CONTAINS ETHYLENE GYLCOL WHICH CAN CAUSE SERIOUS RESPIRATORY DAMAGE * THE LEAKING ANTI-FREEZE CAUSES A FILM TO FORM ON THE WINDSHIELD, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE WINDSCREEN TO FOG UP SUDDENLY, OBSCURING THE VIEW OF THE ROAD AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING A COLLISION IT WILL COST ME MORE THAN 900.00 TO REPAIR THIS ITEM, PLUS THE COST TO REPLACE MY CARPET AND TO CLEAN THE INTERIOR OF MY VEHICLE. PLUS I DO NOT KNOW IF I WILL EVERGET RID OF THE SMELL AND THIS WILL MOST LIKELY LOWER THE RESALE VALUE COSTING ME EVEN MORE IN THE LONG TERM.I WOULD EXPECT THIS KIND OF THING TO HAPPEN TO A CAR THAT IS MORE THAN 10 YEARS OR OLD. BUT IN A CAR THAT WAS MADE IN 2001 AND HAS ONLY 54,000 MILES AND WAS SERVICED REGULARLY AT THE COMPANY'S OWN DEALER SERVICE CENTER IS ABSURD. I FOLLOWED ALL THE MANUFACTURERS SERVICE INTERVALS AND AM BEING TOLD THAT THIS USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN THE COOLANT IS NOT CHANGED, THIS MAKES ME QUESTION THE DEALERS' AND MANUFACTURERS' COMMITMENT TO SAFETY. I AM SAVING THE PARTS THAT ARE BEING REPLACED AND WILL MAKE THEM AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION IF NEED BE.

HEATER CORE HAS FAILED. ANTI-FREEZE LEAKS AND, AS THE RESULT, SYRUP-LIKE SMELL IS EVERYWHERE INSIDE THE CAR! WINDOWS FOG UP. POSSIBLE DAMAGES ARE NOT TO BE IGNORED!. IF THE PROBLEM ISN'T TAKEN CARE OF, IT CAN UNDOUBTEDLY LEAD TO LONG TERM HEALTH PROBLEMS DUE TO ANTI FREEZE FUMES, AS WELL AS ELECTRICAL DAMAGES TO THE COMPUTER. *JB

MY WIFE NOTICED LITTLE CLOUDS OF WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE VENTS WHEN THE HAETER/DEFROSTER WAS TURNED ON, WE COULD ALSO SMELL SOMETHING THAT SMELLED LIKE SYURP OR ANTIFREEZE. THE WINDOWS DO NOT DEFROST ANYMORE, WHICH IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. I AM TOLD THAT THIS MOST LIKELY FROM A BROKEN HEATER CORE. IF NOT REPLACED ANTIFREEZE CAN LEAK INTO THE CARS COMPUTER, WHICH COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BY SHUTTING DOWN THE ENTIRE CAR. THE ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR IS $400-$1000. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO FIX THIS SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY SITUATION. *AK

HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF FOR A SPLIT SECOND WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. IT DOES THIS WHEN THE AC SYSTEM KICKS IN. LIGHTS ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE DIM AS WELL. THIS HAPPENS AT BOTH IDLE AND HIGH RPM. A VOLT METER SHOWS A LARGE VOLTAGE SPIKE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR IS NOT RESPONDING FAST ENOUGH TO PICK UP THE VOLTAGE. HAVE WORKED FOR OVER A YEAR WITH MITSUBISHI TO ATTEMPT TO GET THIS RESOLVED. THEIR MECHANICS AT 2 DEALERSHIPS SAY THAT THE PROBLEM ISN'T NORMAL UNTIL THEY DON'T FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. THEN THEY COME BACK AND SAY IT'S NORMAL. I HAVE YET TO SEE A CAR DO THIS - ESPECIALLY WITH THE LIGHTS TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. IF THE PROBLEM WAS "NORMAL" THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN MY CAR INTO THE SHOP TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE -- WHY SPEND HOURS TRYING TO FIND A BAD WIRE IF THE PROBLEM IS "NORMAL". I FEEL THIS IS A POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE, AND THE MITSUBISHI DISTRICT MANAGER REFUSES TO AUTHORIZE THE SERVICE DEPT TO REPLACE MY ALT. OR BATTERY TO SEE IF IT WILL RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE FIRST MONTH I HAD MY CAR, AND CONTINUES TO HAPPEN NOW THAT THERE IS 20000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. NUMBER OF FAILURES IS HARD TO ESTIMATE SINCE IT IS A CONSTANT ISSUE EVERY TIME THE AC KICKS IN AT NIGHT. WILL PUT 180 ASSUMING 15 TIMES DRIVING AT NIGHT PER MONTH. *JB