2003 Mitsubishi Diamante

FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS OUR CAR HAS HAD A VERY PUNGENT FOWL SMELLING ODOR WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER OR HEATER IS ENGAGED THAT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. I TOOK THE CAR FOR REPAIRS PRIOR TO THE TERMINATION OF THE WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD (BY THE DEALERSHIP) THAT THEY DID NOT NOTICE A SMELL, AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. SIX MOTHS AGO THE CAR BEGAN TO RUN HOT AND I TOOK THE CAR TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MECHANIC. UNDER PRESSURE HE NOTICED A SMALL LEAK IN THE COOLANT PIPING AND REPLACED A SECTION OF PIPE ($150.00). I ASKED IF THIS COULD BE CAUSING THE ODOR (AS MENTIONED EARLIER AND HE STATED MAYBE, OR IT COULD BE THE HEATER CORE).WITHIN THE PAST TWO WEEKS THE 'CHECK ENGINE SOON' LIGHT HAS COME ON AND UPON CHECKING THE MESSAGE AND INSPECTION OF MY CAR I'VE BEEN TOLD THE HEATER CORE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY NEIGHBORHOOD MECHANIC WAS AT A LOSS BECAUSE TOLD ME IT WAS VERY ODD FOR THE HEATER CORE TO FAIL SO EARLY IN A CAR. I'VE CHECKED THE INTERNET AND HAVE COME ACROSS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN THE SAME SITUATION (WITH MITSUBISHI'S). I AM VERY UPSET WITH THE FACT THAT THE MITSUBISHI DEALER MAY HAVE LIED TO ME (WHEN THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY). I ASKED FOR MULTIPLE ITEMS TO BE FIXED (UNDER WARRANTY) AND THEY REFUTED EVERY REQUEST. THE HEATER CORE WILL BE REPLACED WITHIN TWO WEEKS. *TR

I NOTICED THE SMELL OF MAPLE SYRUP ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. TODAY, THE INSIDE WINDSHIELD AND SIDE WINDOWS OF THE DIAMANTE FOGGED UP WITH A GREASE FILM THAT WOULD NOT CLEAR. I WENT TO MY LOCAL MOBILE 1 AND HAD THE COOLANT SYSTEM FLUSHED. WHEN I DROVE OFF IT WAS ACTUALLY WORSE. IT GOT TO THE POINT THAT I COULD NOT SEE. I HAVE SUFFERED SEVERE HEADACHES FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS AS WELL AS NAUSEA. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE TO MY MITSUBISHI DEALER. AFTER ANALYSIS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HEATER CORE WENT OUT. AS WELL, AN OIL LEAK HAD FORMED AND THE TIMING BELT WAS GOING BAD. THEY SAID THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING IN THE RIGHT PASSENGER FLOOR , I FELT IT AND NEVER ONCE DID IT FEEL DAMP, AND THEY NEEDED TO CLEAN THE CARPET AND REPLACE THE FLUX FOR $237.00. THE COST TO REPAIR THE HEATER CORE AND OIL LEAK, $1300.00. THE TIMING BELT REPAIR IS $700.00. THANK GOD I BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. ALL BUT THE TIMING BELT IS COVERED WITH A $100.00 DEDUCTIBLE. I ONLY HAVE 63,000 MILES ON THIS CAR. THIS IS MY FOURTH MITSUBISHI AND MAY POSSIBLY BE MY LAST, ESPECIALLY IF MY HEALTH IS JEOPARDIZED. *AK

THE CAR ONLY HAS 63,000 MILES. AN ANTIFREEZE ODOR WAS NOTICED INITIALLY AND BEGAN TO INTENSIFY WITH TIME. WHEN THE DEFROSTER IS RUNNING THE WINDSHIELD WILL FOG UP AND THE ANTI-FREEZE SMELL IS SO INTENSE THAT IT NAUSEATES MY WIFE AND KIDS. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE CARPET ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IS DAMP. IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE DIAMANTE DUE TO A FAILURE WITH THE HEATER CORE AND ITS CONNECTIONS. *JB

I NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS FOGGED, AND THE DEFROSTER WOULD NOT CLEAR THE FOG. BLAMED IT ON THE HUMID FLORIDA WEATHER UNTIL ONE EVENING I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND ALL OF MY WINDOWS WERE FOGGED. HAD TO KEEP WIPING THE WINDOWS WITH MY HAND IN ORDER TO SEE OUT THE WINDOW. TOOK THE CAR TO TO BE CHECKED, AND IT WAS THE HEATER CORE. THIS CAR IS TOO NEW FOR THE HEATER CORE TO HAVE GONE BAD. *NM

HEATER CORE ISSUE WITH MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE 2003 SUMMARY: NOTICE CONSISTENT AND VERY NOTICEABLE FOUL ODOR WHEN HEATER IS ON. . FOGGING OF FRONT WINDSHIELD. HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM IDENTIFIED AS CONSISTENT WITH HEATER CORES ISSUES BY OTHER DIAMANTE OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CAR SERVICED AT A MITSUBISHI DEALER. HAVE NOT REPLACED ANYTHING YET BECAUSE THE PARTS AND LABOR QUOTES HAVE BEEN ANYWHERE FROM $600-$1000. CAR HAS 36,000 MILES ON IT. *NM

2003 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE WITH 65000 MILES. NOTICED FOG COMING OUT OF VENTS AROUND THE RADIO. IT SMELLED LIKE ANTI-FREEZE AND CREATED A FOG ON MY WINDOWS THAT WAS BAD ENOUGH TO RENDER THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE. I WAS ALSO GETTING AN ERROR MESSAGE OF P-1751. THIS REFERS TO A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION RELAY CONTROL. I TOOK THE CAR TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND AFTER DIAGNOSING FOR TWO DAYS, THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE HAD DISCOVERED A LEAKING HEATER COIL THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DAMAGED THE PCM. WORST CASE SCENARIO, $1600. IT WILL AT LEAST COST $500, BEST CASE SCENARIO. I UNCOVERED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM DIAMANTE OWNERS WITH MODELS FROM A WIDE RANGE OF YEARS WHO WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS IS CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE AND I PERSONALLY REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION TO RESEARCH HOW MISTUBISHI HAS BEEN GETTING AWAY WITH THIS, FOR SO LONG. THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS ARE OCCURRING ON A FREQUENT BASIS. *JB