2003 Mitsubishi Diamante

2003 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE LS 58,000 MILES. I NOTICED A 'MAPLE SYRUP' SMELL IN THE CABIN WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER AND HEATER WERE RUNNING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I BEGAN HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AS WELL. NO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WERE FOUND, BUT THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE HEATER CORE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $1,000. THEY WILL NOT KNOW FOR SEVERAL DAYS IF THE LEAKY HEATER CORE HAS AFFECTED THE TRANSMISSION OR ENGINE CONTROLS. THE HEATER CORE WAS LEAKING POTENTIALLY TOXIC COOLANT INTO MY PASSENGER COMPARTMENT IN THE CAR. DEALER ADVISED ME THAT THEY EXPECT EVERY DIAMANTE FROM 1997-2003 WILL NEED THIS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. MITSUBISHI ALSO RELEASED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO ALL DEALERS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. MITSUBISHI SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THE VEHICLES, OTHERWISE AT LEAST ADVISE ALL OF THE OWNERS OF SAID VEHICLES THAT THE UNITS SHOULD BE REPLACED IN THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. *JB

MAKE : MITSUBISHI MODEL : DIAMANTE LS YEAR: 2003 JUST PURCHASED CAR FROM DEALER STATING CAR IN EXCELLENT MECHANICAL CONDITION. UPON DELIVERY OF CAR FROM TRANSPORTER, GOT IN THE CAR KNEW IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS FILM ON WINDOW AND COULD SMELL COOLANT IN THE AIR. TURNED CAR ON, STRONG SMELL OF COOLANT COMING THROUGH VENTS WITH COOLANT LEAKING ONTO PASSENGER FLOOR. TEXAS AUTO GROUP, THE SELLER, REFUSED TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY DESPITE REPRESENTING CAR IN EXCELLENT MECHANICAL CONDITION. TOOK TO A MITSUBISHI REPAIR SERVICE AND HAD TO HAVE HEATER CORE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1167.92. THIS REPAIR SERVICE 40 MILES AWAY AND IT TOOK 7 DAYS TO COMPLETE. HAD TO HAVE CARPET AND CAR DETAILED TO GET RID OF COOLANT SMELL. RESEARCHED ON INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 1998 WITH THESE HEATER CORES WITH MITSUBISHI VERY MUCH AWARE OF IT, AND OBVIOUSLY NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CHANGE THIS PROBLEM. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 61145 MILES ON IT AND THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS IRRESPONSIBILITY OR COSTS TO THE CONSUMERS OF THESE CARS,INCLUDING PROPERTY DAMAGE AS WELL AS HEALTH RISKS TO THE CONSUMERS AS COOLANT IS TOXIC TO BREATH. MITSUBISHI SHOULD BE FORCED TO DO A RECALL AND REIMBURSE THEIR CUSTOMERS AS THEY HAVE KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. UPON RESEARCHING MORE, HAVE FOUND THAT SOME FOLKS HAVE HAD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED MORE THAN ONCE. THERE IS NOW STARTING TO SHOW COMPLAINTS OF THE 2003 MODELS. VERY UNHAPPY CONSUMER AND FEEL TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AND HAVE NOW PAID MORE FOR THIS CAR THEN IT IS WORTH. HOPE THIS WILL HELP ANOTHER UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMER OF THE MITSUBISHI DIAMANTES. *NM

I OWN A 2003 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE VRX AND HAVE A BAD HEATER CORE AT 43,000 MILES. I HAVE READ ON THIS WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.DIAMANTEOWNERS.COM/FORUM/INDEX.PHP?SHOWTOPIC=3615&ST=60 THAT THE HEATER CORE IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE CAR'S COMPUTER. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS LEAKING FLUIDS ONTO THE COMPUTER CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO MALFUNCTION AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PERHAPS THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL? *JB

STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE AND VISIBLE FUMES BEGAN ENTERING VEHICLE THROUGH AIR VENTS. THERE WAS A STRONG STENCH OF ANTI-FREEZE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND VEHICLE BECAME HARD TO CONTROL. AFTER TAKING CAR TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP, I WAS IMMEDIATELY TOLD, EVEN BEFORE AN INSPECTION WAS DONE, THAT THE HEATER CORE ON VEHICLE HAD A SLOW LEAK THAT OVER THE COURSE OF "SEVERAL MONTHS" THAT EVENTUALLY LEAKED ON TO THE TRANSMISSION ELECTRIC BOX AND SHORTED OUT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. IT SEEMED OBVIOUS THAT THIS WAS A FAMILIAR ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I WAS ORIGINALLY GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $3,300, BEING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PAST ITS WARRANTY PERIOD. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS TO OWNER OF DEALERSHIP AND DOING RESEARCH ON THIS VEHICLES COMPLAINT HISTORY, THE PRICE WAS REDUCED 3 SEPARATE TIMES, FINALLY COSTING ME $880. APPARENTLY, MITSUBISHI HEADQUARTERS PICKED UP THE COST OF THE PARTS, LEAVING ME TO PAY LABOR CHARGES. THE MECHANIC HANDLING THE REPAIR STATED THAT DUE TO "POOR DESIGN" ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE, AND EVEN WITH OUR REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHECKS AT THE DEALERSHIP, THIS PROBLEM CANNOT POSSIBLY BE RECOGNIZED OR DIAGNOSED IN ITS EARLY STAGES UNTIL IT HAS CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS WILL BE MY LAST MITSUBUSHI. *JB

MITSUBISHI 2003 DIAMANTE. DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER : HEATER CORE WINDOWS WERE NOT CLEARING PROPERLY WITH DEFROSTER. WINDOWS SEEMED TO FROST UP AND STRONG SMELL LIKE BURNING WIRES. FOUND OUT THAT ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR AND HEATER CORE AND SEALS NEED TO BE REPLACED. $900 TO REPAIR WITH 75% OF THIS AMOUNT IN LABOR! APPARENTLY THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS SINCE 1998. THE SMELL IN THE CAR CAN'T BE GOOD FOR YOU AND I FEEL NAUSEATED AND DIZZY WHILE DRIVING. HAVE TO KEEP THE WINDOWS OPEN IN 32 DEGREE WEATHER IN ORDER TO USE THE CAR. DEALER SAYS THE SMELL WILL REMAIN FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS. SEEMS THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. *NM

ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO I NOTICED AN ODD SMELL IN MY CAR. NOT REALIZING WHAT IT WAS I CONTINUED TO DRIVE MY CAR. THEN A WEEK AGO MY CAR STARTED TO OVER HEAT BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY COOLANT. I ALSO NOTICED A FILM ON MY WINDOWS. I HAVE A MAT UNDER THE CAR AND HAVEN'T NOTICED ANYTHING LEAKING ON TO THE GROUND. MY CAR IS A 2003 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE WITH 59,0000. AFTER HAVING MY CAR LOOKED AT FURTHER IT IS APPARENT MY HEATER CORE HAS FAILED. *JB