1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse

ON JANUARY 14 I TOOK MY CAR TO PUNTE HILLS MITSUBISHI FOR A RECALL ON THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. SINCE I WAS THERE I ASKED THEM TO INSPECT MY CAR FOR ANYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT THIS POINT THEY RECOMMENDED THE TIMING AND BALANCER BELTS, TENSIONERS, LEFT TIE ROD, AND A BROKEN AIR VALVE WHICH I DID AT A COST OF $736.52. UPON RECEIVING MY CAR I HEARD A CHIRPING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHICH THEY TOLD ME WAS THE TIMING BELT WAS NEW AND NEEDED TO BE BROKEN IN, WHICH I TOOK THEIR WORD FOR. WITHIN THE FOLLOWING MONTH THE CHIRPING BECAME LOUDER AND LOUDER TO THE POINT I CALLED AND REQUESTED THEY LOOK AT IT AGAIN. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER MY CAR JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT . AFTER LIFTING THE HOOD I NOTICED THE TIMING BELT COVER SPLIT OPEN ON THE TOP REVEALING THE TIMING BELT WAS NOT ON PROPERLY. AFTER TOWING MY CAR TO THE DEALER A QUICK INSPECTION CONCLUDED THAT MY CRANK PULLEY HAS "WALKED" INTO THE TIMING BELT COVER BURNING A HOLE THROUGH IT CAUSING THE DISASSEMBLING OF THE TIMING UNIT AND MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE HEADS, PISTONS, ETC...I ASKED THE MECHANIC WHY WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR IN JUST A LITTLE MORE THAN A MONTH AGO THEY DIDN'T LET ME KNOW MY CRANK PULLEY HAD SUCH SIGNIFICANT WEAR. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL A CRANK PULLEY IS GOING BAD. I DID RESEARCH OF MY OWN AND FOUND OUT THIS IS HAPPENING TO MOST ECLILPSE, ALL YEARS AND THAT THERE IS A WAY TO TELL IF THE CRANK PULLEY IS GOING BAD BY MEASURING THE AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT SIDE TO SIDE MAKING SURE IT MEET THE MANUFACTURER REQUIREMENTS. OBVIOUSLY THE CRANK PULLEY HAD VERY SIGNIFICANT WEAR SEEING THAT THE PULLEY CAME APART. I DID RESEARCH ON THIS MATTER AND FOUND OUT MITSUBISHI KNOWS THESE PARTS ARE DEFECTED BUT COVERS MOST OF THEM UNDER WARRANTY SO IT BRINGS DOWN THE NUMBERS. I FEEL THE REPAIRS SHOULD BE COVERED AND WOULD LIKE TO OPEN AND INVESTIGATION ON "CRANKPULLEY/SHAFT WALKING" HOPEFULLY LEADING TO A RECALL. THANK YOU.

RECALL IN NOVEMBER ON BALL JOINT, HAD AUTO CO. CHECK, SAID IT WAS NO PROBLEM. SUNDAY WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM CURB, HEARD LOUD POPPING SOUND, GOT OUT AND LOOKED, DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG, WENT TO BACK UP, AND BALL JOINT BROKE, CAR CRASHED ON TO PAVEMENT. LEFT TIRE WENT INTO FENDER. THIS VEHICLE WAS USED ON NORMAL PAVED ROADS ONLY. VEH. IS 4 YEARS OLD, 71,000 MILES. COMPANY IS DENYING FAULT. WHY RECALL IN NOV. ON BALL JOINTS IF THERE ISN'T A PROBLEM. THIS SITUATION, WITH COLLAPSING BALL JOINT, COULD INJURY OR KILL SOMEONE. I AM VERY LUCKY. MITSUBISHI, WHO DESIGNED THESE BALL JOINTS FOR THE ECLIPSE, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR DESIGN. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I AM EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT I WASN'T KILLED OR INJURED. THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE IS SEVERE. I CALLED MITSUBISHI, AND EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL, AND THEY SAID SINCE IT WAS CHECKED THEN IT WAS ALRIGHT. BALL JOINTS JUST DON'T BREAK FROM NORMAL DRIVING. THERE WAS 17,000 MILES PUT ON SINCE THEY CHECK IT. TO SAY THAT IT BROKE BECAUSE OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR IS RIDICULOUS. BALL JOINTS JUST TO BREAK WITH ONLY 17,000 MILES ON THEM. THERE IS A FLAW, OR BAD DESIGN WITH THEIR BALL JOINT. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, AND THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR DESIGN OF THE BALL JOINTS. NUMEROUS OTHER MAKES AND MODELS OF CARS' BALL JOINTS DON'T BREAK IN 4 YEARS AFTER IT WAS MADE. PLEASE ADVISE ME AS TO WHAT I SHOULD DO. THANK YOU.*AK