2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse

DASHBOARD CRACKS IN MULTIPLES OF AREA'S, WHICH DOES EFFECT THE POSITION OF THE AIRBAG. THE PLASTIC IS VERY BRITTLE TO THE POINT WHEN IT CRACKS IT'S AS SHARP AS A RAZOR. I REVIEWED SEVERAL WEB SITE AND NOTED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL TYPE OF MITSUBISHI'S. I HAVE A 2003 ECLIPSE THAT HAS A CRACKED DASHBOARD SO BAD THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASH BOARD IS SLOPING DOWNWARD, THE CRACKING STARTED 8 YEARS AGO AND CONTINUES TO CRACK MORE AND MORE EVERYDAY, CAUSING STRUCTURE SUPPORT ISSUES AND RAZOR SHARP EDGES. I HAVE CUT MYSELF SEVERAL TIMES ON THE SHARP EDGES. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A ISSUE WITH THE TYPE OF PLASTIC THAT WAS USED TO CONSTRUCTED THESE DASHBOARDS ... I WOULD RATE THIS AS A NEED TO REVIEW ASAP ISSUE... IF MY AIR BAG EVER WENT OFF, SHARP PIECES OF PLASTIC WOULD PROBABLY BE FLYING EVERYWHERE LIKE A KNIFE...

PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED CAUSED ME TO VEER OFF TO THE RIGHT FOR SAFETY.PASSENGER VISOR FLEW OFF HIT MY ARM AND FLEW OUT WINDOW. UNABLE TO SEE WITH AIRBAG IN MY FACE I ENDED UP HALF ON AND HALF OFF A CULVERT WITH CEMENT PIPE.CAR STOPPED AND THEN MY DRIVER AIRBAG SHOT FIRE AND CHEMICALS INTO MY FACE.HORRIBLE STILL AFTER A WHOLE YEAR NOONE CARES NOONE HELPS NO THERAPY FOLLOW UP NONE ONLY ER WHEN I CAN NO LONGER TOLERATE THE EXTREME PAIN.2 TITANIUM RODS N 38 SCREWS HOLD IT TOGETHER. SOME SCREWS ARE COMING OFF AND 3 BONES ARE STILL SHATTERED. SOME ARE EVEN MISSING. PLEASE HELP

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. WHILE ROLLING DOWN THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE WINDOW SWITCH AREA. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT FAULTY WIRING IN THE WINDOW CAUSED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,000.

SEARS AUTO CENTER IN MANASSAS, VA PERFORME AN OIL CHANGE ON MY VEHICLE ON 5/16/2016. THE ENGINE FAILED ON 5/24/2016 DUE TO THE OIL PLUG FALLING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND ALL OF THE OIL DRAINING OUT. SEARS HAS ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. HOWEVER, I HAVE ALSO UNCOVERED A LONG HISTORY OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING SEARS AUTO CENTERS DEFRAUDING CONSUMERS OUT OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR UNNECESSARY REPAIRS, CHARGES FOR REPAIRS NOT DONE, AND FAULTY SERVICE OVERALL. SEARS WS SUED BY NJ ON 46 COUNTS OF AUTO CONSUMER FRAUD, AND I HAVE UNCOVERED HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS REGISTERED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERALS' OFFICES IN MANY STATES.

THE MAIN ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE WAVE/CUSHION SPRING LOCATED IN THE TRANSMISSION. MITSUBISHI HAS DESIGNED THE WAVE SPRING AS A FRAGILE TWO COIL PIECE WHICH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO REPEATEDLY BREAK CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IN TURN POSES A THREAT ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. WHEN THIS WAVE SPRING BREAKS, ACTUAL PIECES OF THE WAVE SPRING MAKE IT THROUGH MITSUBISHI'S ALSO FAULTY TRANSMISSION FILTER AND LODGE THEMSELVES IN THE PUMP GEAR, CAUSING THE GEAR TO ACTUALLY BREAK. AFTER THE PUMP GEAR HAS BEEN BROKEN INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION, ALL FORWARD AND REVERSE GEARS IMMEDIATELY STOP FUNCTION AND IN MOST INSTANCES THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF. THIS COULD RESULT IN POTENTIAL HARM OR EVEN DEATH OF THE DRIVER AND/OR PASSENGER AS THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL MOVING POWER WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WITH OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. MITSUBISHI HAS RECENTLY CREATED AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE WAVE SPRING WITHOUT ISSUING A RECALL, WHICH NOW IS A ONE PIECE INSTEAD OF THE COIL SETUP AND HAS A LESS CHANCE OF BREAKING. TO MANY MITSUBISHI/DODGE OWNERS THIS UPDATE WAS DISCOVERED AFTER THEY HAVE HAD THEIR VEHICLE IN A TRANSMISSION SHOP WITH A HEFTY BILL TO PAY EVEN THOUGH IT WAS MITSUBISHI'S FAULT FOR ENGINEERING A FAULTY PART IN THEIR TRANSMISSION. ALL ONE PERSON WOULD NEED TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS ISSUE IS SEARCH THE INTERNET WITH THE TRANSMISSION CODE (F4A51) AND THIS ISSUE IS WELL DOCUMENTED, EVEN RESEARCHED BY TRANSMISSION DIGEST (A SPECIALTY MAGAZINE). NOT ONLY IS THIS A LARGE INCONVENIENCE TO MOST, IT IS ALSO A HAZARD TO ONES LIFE. MITSUBISHI SHOULD RECALL ALL VEHICLES WHICH CONTAIN THE F4A51 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO PERFORM THE WAVE SPRING AND FILTER UPDATE OR REIMBURSE THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY HAD IT DONE AT THEIR COST. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS IF YOU OWN A VEHICLE WITH THE F4A51

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. WHILE VEERING TO THE LEFT AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THERE WAS AN ODOR OF FUEL PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT WATER HAD LEAKED FROM THE FLOOR BOARD CAUSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BECOME SLIPPERY. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. WHILE CHECKING THE BATTERY CONNECTION THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE BATTERY CABLE WAS SMOKING AND HAD MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING HOSE THAT FAILED CAUSED THE WATER LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY WHEN THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT BODY SHOP FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUFFER ANY INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,845.

RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL FROM MITSUBISHI ON THE PASSENGER SUN VISOR REQUIRING A TETHER STRAP. I CALLED THEIR TOLL FREE NUMBER TO LOCATE A DEALER TO INSTALL THE TETHER STRAP AS DIRECTED BY THE NOTICE. MITSUBISHI DOES NOT HAVE A DEALER IN TUCSON AND INFORMED ME WE NEEDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A PHOENIX DEALER, OVER A 100 MILES AWAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE COST OF GAS AND THE TRAVEL TIME (OFF WORK OR MISSING SCHOOL) IS HIGHER THAN THE PARTS AND LABOR FOR .5 OF AN HOUR LABOR. THEY HAVE NOT MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH A LOCAL TUCSON CAR REPAIR FACILITY TO PERFORM THIS RECALL, NOR DID THEY OFFER TO SEND ME THE PARTS FOR SELF INSTALLATION. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY POOR RESPONSE TO A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE. CAN YOU ASSIST AS I KNOW THERE ARE MORE OF THE SAME VEHICLE IN TUCSON.