2002 Mitsubishi Diamante

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN ILLUMINATING, THE HEATER COIL WAS LEAKING, AND THE WINDOWS WERE STEAMING. THE CONTACT SMELLED A FOUL ODOR COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. A MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEATER CORE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,800 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,990.

2002 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE 65K MILES. FAILURE OF HEATER CORE/ HEATER CORE GASKETS/ O-RINGS. WINDSHIELD WILL NOT DEFOG, STRONG COOLANT ODOR AND RESIDUE ON WINDSHIELD AND SIDE WINDOWS. RESULTED IN DANGEROUSLY LOW VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING. WINDSHIELD TOO FOGGY FOR SAFE DRIVING. STRONG SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE IN PASSENGER COMPT. HAD TO OPEN WINDOWS IN SUB FREEZING TEMP TO GET FRESH AIR TO PASSENGER COMPT WHILE DRIVING. COST TO REPAIR ESTIMATED $800-$1100. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE WIDESPREAD BASED ON COMPLAINTS FILED AT THIS NHTSA SITE AS SOME COMPLAINTS ARE CATEGORIZED UNDER DIFFERENT COMPONENT NAMES BUT HAVE SAME PROBLEM DESCRIPTIONS. GREATER THAN 60 COMPLAINTS BY MY COUNT FOR 2002 MODEL YEAR ALONE ON RELATIVELY LOW NUMBER OF VEHICLES SOLD IN US. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED LEAKAGE ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, SHE WAS UNABLE TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD DUE TO THE FOG. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS AN A/C EVAPORATOR WAS CRACKED AND THEY MADE THE REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REPLACEMENT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE HEATER CORE CAUSED THE FAILURE AND THEY HAVE REPLACED IT ON FIVE OCCASIONS HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. AS A RESULT, THE VENTS WOULD DISPERSE ANTI-FREEZE INSIDE THE VEHICLE WHEN THE HEATER OR DEFROSTER WAS ACTIVATED. AS OF JANUARY 2, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

02 DIAMANTE WITH APPROX 42, 000 ML - UPON STARTING THE CAR THE FRONT WINDOW BEGINS FOGGING UP AND THE ENTIRE CAR THEN FILLS WITH STEAM THAT IS SWEET BUT OVERWHELMING. IT GETS SO BAD IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND THEN THE SMELL OVERWHELMS YOU WITHIN ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES FORCING THE DRIVER TO PULL OVER OR DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN (NOT EASY AT 18 DEG OUTSIDE AND 2 KIDS UNDER 5 IN THE BACK). SYMPTOMS INDICATE THAT THIS IS A HEATER CORE PROBLEM THAT DEALERS ARE AWARE OF AND IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT THEY SEE APPROX 2-3 TIMES A MONTH WITH A CHARGE OF $1000.00 - $1400.00 TO FIX AND THAT IF NOT FIXED THEN THE MAIN COMPUTER FOR THE CAR WOULD SHORT OUT. SO JUST LOOKING AT 1 DEALER LOW END NUMBERS: 2 HEATER CORES PER MONTH * $1200= $2400*12MONTHS = $28,800 A YEAR PER DEALER FOR A KNOWN PROBLEM. ALSO MEDICALLY SPEAKING BREATHING ANTI-FREEZE MAY CAUSE IRRITATION OF THE NOSE AND THROAT WITH HEADACHE, PARTICULARLY FROM MISTS. HIGH VAPOR CONCENTRATIONS CAUSED, FOR EXAMPLE, BY HEATING THE MATERIAL IN AN ENCLOSED AND POORLY VENTILATED WORKPLACE, MAY PRODUCE NAUSEA, VOMITING, HEADACHE, DIZZINESS AND IRREGULAR EYE MOVEMENTS. FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE THIS IS PROBLEM WHAT ABOUT THOSE WITH COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. *TR