2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE EXPERIENCED MANY DIFFERENT UNUSUAL INCIDENTS WITH THE 2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE, BEGINNING WITH IGNITION. ALSO STATES THAT WHEN SHE DRIVES 35 - 40 MPH THE VEHICLE DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR CONSISTENTLY. THE WEATHER DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A FACTOR. THE CONTACT REPORTS THAT THE MOST RECENT TRANSMISSION HESITANCY FAILURE WAS ON 12/27/06.

WHEN DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH WHILE IN MOTION THE GEAR WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY OR NOT AT ALL INTO FIRST/SECOND OR THIRD GEAR. THIS ALMOST CAUSED A VEHICLE CRASH. THEY INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. *AK THE CLUTCH PROBLEM WAS A DAILY INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE A/C HAD GONE OUT AS WELL. *SC *JB

THE DESIGN OF THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THE TRANSMISSION SYNCHROS AND THE CLUTCH MECHANISM HAS BEEN FAULTY WHICH CAUSES THE FOLLOWING PARTS TO FAIL A LOT EARLIER THAN ANY NORMAL VEHICLE. - THE CLUTCH PLATE GETS WORN BEFORE TIME - THE THROW OUT BEARING (TOB) HAS A RATTLE - THE CLUTCH HAS A RATTLE - THERE IS VERY HARD GEAR SHIFT INTO THE 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. THE 2ND GEAR IS VERY HARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS COLD START.(THAT IS NOT PARTICULARLY COLD AT THE END OF THE MONTH OF MARCH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS) - IT IS ALSO DUE TO THE "POOR" SYNCHRONIZERS IN THE TRANSMISSION BOX - THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED BY A LOT OF MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GT V6 USERS FOR THE 3RD GENERATION I.E. 2000+ MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE CARS WITH A MANUAL SHIFT - THIS IS DUE TO SUBSTANDARD TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH QUALITY FROM MITSUBISHI

BOTH REAR HUB & BEARING ASSEMBLYS WERE CAUSING VIBRATIONS IN THE CAR. CAR IS 3 YEARS OLD AND THE MECHANIC CLAIMED HE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE BOTH REAR HUB ASSEMBLYS ON SUCH A NEW VEHICLE. THE ASSEMBLY LEFT NO ROOM TO LUBRICATE THE BEARINGS WHICH CAUSED THEM TO KEEP IN MOISTURE AND RUST PREMATURELY. MECHANIC SAID THE PARTS WERE FILLED WITH RUST FRAGMENTS TO THE POINT HE WAS SURPRISED THE TIRES STAYED ATTACHED TO THE AXLE. MITSUBISHI PARTS SUPPLIER SAID THIS WASN'T A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THAT MODEL YEAR BUT SAID THERE WAS A LOT OF REPLACEMENT PARTS BEING SOLD.

THE RIMS ON MY 2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE HAVE BECOME DENTED UNDER WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED LESS THAN NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I HAVE TAKEN EXCEPTIONAL CARE TO PROTECT THIS CAR FROM DAMAGE. AS AN EXAMPLE, AFTER THREE YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, THERE IS STILL NOT A SINGLE DOOR DENT OR CHIP, DUE TO THE FACT THAT I EXERCISE THE EXTRA EFFORT TO PARK FAR AWAY FROM OTHER VEHICLES AND WALK THE EXTRA DISTANCE TO MY DESTINATION. THEREFORE IT'S REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT I WOULD ALSO STEER CLEAR OF POTHOLES, ETC., AND I HAVE THE PAPER WORK TO PROVE THAT I HAVE MAINTAINED MY CAR ACCORDING TO STANDARDS SET BY MITSUBISHI. YET DESPITE THIS LEVEL OF CARE, THE RIMS HAVE BECOME DAMAGED. IRONICALLY, AS THIS IS MY FIRST NEW CAR, I TAKE BETTER CARE OF IT THAN ANY CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED, AND YET IT IS THE FIRST CAR I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH. WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE FACTORY REP SAID IT WAS BECAUSE THE AIR PRESSURE MUST HAVE BEEN LOW AND I HIT A POTHOLE. BUT YET HE WON'T TELL ME HOW HE CAME TO THAT DETERMINATION. AT THE SAME TIME I BROUGHT THE CAR I FOR THE RIMS, I HAD BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THE CLUTCH NOISE ISSUE, AND NOWHERE ON THE REPAIR ORDER IS IT MENTIONED THAT I REQUESTED TO HAVE THE RIMS REPLACED AND THAT MY REQUEST WAS DENIED. NOR CAN I GET IT FROM MITSUBISHI IN WRITING. ALSO, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE TIRES WERE NEVER REMOVED FROM MY CAR DURING THE "INSPECTION", SO I QUESTION ITS SINCERITY. I HAVE LEFT TWO MESSAGES WITH THE FACTORY REP TO EXPLAIN TO ME HOW HE ARRIVED AT HIS DETERMINATION, AND HE HAS STILL NOT RETURNED MY CALL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MITSUBISHI HAS SPENT THE TIME AND MONEY MAKING A ONE-PIECE RIM TO REPLACE THE TWO-PIECE RIM IF THEY DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT THE RIMS AREN'T AN ISSUE, AND WHY THEY ARE REPLACING SOME PEOPLE'S RIMS AND NOT OTHERS. HOPEFULLY THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CURRENTLY UNDERWAY WILL HELP ME OUT, BECAUSE MITSUBISHI IS NOT BEING VERY RESPONSIVE. *JB

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY POORLY INTO THE SECOND GEAR WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD. IT WAS ALREADY REBUILT 4K MILES AGO AND NOW IT STARTS TO FAIL FOR THE SEOCND TIME, DEALERSHIPS REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT STATING THAT THEY CAN NOT REPORDUCE THE PROBLEM. CAR IS VERY HARD AND UNPLEASANT TO DRIVE WHEN NOT FULLY WARMED UP. MORE DETAILS AT WWW.DEADECLIPSE.COM. *AK