2001 Mitsubishi Mirage

POOR MANUFACTURING LEADING TO EVENTUAL OPERATIONAL FAILURE. THE HOOD HINGE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE HAS SEIZED UP. THIS HAS PLACED A GREAT AMOUNT OF STRESS UPON THE TINY BRACKET ATTACHED TO THE HOOD; CAUSING IT TO BEND AND STRUCTURALLY FAIL. A SIMILAR PROBLEM IS NOW BEGINNING TO PROPAGATE OVER TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HINGE AND BRACKET. THIS MAKES OPENING AND CLOSING THE HOOD EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, ALONG WITH THE HOOD NOT PROPERLY CLOSING. ALSO, THE TOP HINGE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HAS ALSO SEIZED UP PLACING A SEVERE AMOUNT OF STRESS ON THE ATTACHED BRACKET AND BOTTOM HINGE. THE AMOUNT OF STRESS CAUSED BY THE SEIZED HINGE HAS FORCED THE BRACKET THROUGH THE DOOR; PIERCING THE METAL. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALSO CAUSED MISALIGNMENT WITH THE DOOR, RESULTING IN IT NOT CLOSING/SEALING PROPERLY AS WELL AS RUBBING AGAINST THE FRONT RIGHT QUARTER PANEL. THE COST OF THE DAMAGES WILL RESULT IN APPROX $700.00 IN REPAIRS FOR A VEHICLE A BIT OVER 6 YEARS OF AGE. CURRENTLY NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE DAMAGES. WE SPOKE WITH A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE WHO WAS RUDE AND PRETTY MUCH TRIED TO DEFLECT QUESTIONS WITH NO CLEAR ANSWERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO FRUSTRATE US AND MAKE US STOP BOTHERING HIM. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF APPEALING TO THE CORPORATE OFFICE TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE REGARDING THIS OBVIOUS (AS SHOWN ON THIS SITES MANY CONSUMER COMMENTS) MANUFACTURING FLAW. *TR

A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR STARTED BECOMING DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. I THOUGHT AT FIRST THE HINGE NEEDED TO OIL, BUT THAT DID NOT HELP. SOON, THE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE AT ALL UNLESS I LIFTED IT UP AND SLAMMED IT. TWICE MY WIFE ALMOST FELL OUT BECAUSE THE DOOR WAS NOT CLOSED ALL THE WAY. TODAY I TOOK THE FENDER OFF TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND THE BOTTOM HINGE HAS COMPLETELY BUSTED THROUGH THE DOOR! WHEN OPENED, THE DOOR HANGS DOWN TWO TO THREE INCHES BECAUSE THE BOTTOM HINGE IS SHOT. THEN I FIND OUT FROM OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH PREVIOUS YEARS OF THIS MODEL AND WITH THIS ONE ALSO. WHY HASN'T NHTSA FORCED A RECALL ON THOSE PROBLEM? THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND ONE THAT I HAVE DISCUSSED WITH A LAWYER. COULD SOMEONE RESPOND TO ME PLEASE? *NM

ON 9/3/03 MY 2001 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE WOULD NOT IDLE AND KEPT CUTTING OUT EVERY TIME YOU CAME TO A STOP. I TOOK IT TO RICK CASE @ 18300 ROCKSIDE ROAD, BEDFORD, OH 44146 BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE CAR HAD 30563 MILES. THEY REPLACED THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL MOTOR AND VALVE, FAST IDLE AIR WHICH WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THEN ON 10/6/04 THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO THE CAR. THIS TIME THE CAR ONLY HAD 46013 MILES. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE SAME EXACT REPAIR WHICH COST ME $520.39 WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS. THEY SAY IT WAS DIFFERENT BUT WHEN I GOT THE INVOICE BOTH INVOICES HAVE THE SAME PARTS AND SAME DESCRIPTION ON WHAT THEY REPLACED. I HAVE BOTH RECEIPTS. I THINK I WAS RIPPED OFF AND THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED IT SINCE IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR HOPING I COULD AT LEAST GET SEVERAL YEARS WITHOUT HEADACHES BUT THAT'S ALL THIS CAR IS AND I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER MITSUBISHI AND ESPECIALLY FROM RICK CASE IN BEDFORD OHIO. ALSO, ON 6/11/03 I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR FRONT DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS DOOR HINGES TO BE REPLACED AND THE REAR DOOR BELT MOLDING TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS COMING OFF. BOTH DOOR HINGES WERE REPLACED BUT THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR 3 DAYS. NOW ITS JULY 2005 AND MY DRIVERS DOOR WON'T SHUT AND THE DOOR LIGHT STAYS ON AND THE DOOR IS OFF ALIGNMENT. THE DOOR HINGE IS GONE AGAIN. I HATE TO TAKE MY CAR IN AGAIN AND BE CHARGED AGAIN AND AGAIN. SHOULDN'T THIS BE COVERED BECAUSE THEY DID THE SAME EXACT WORK IN 2003. *NM

THE AIRCONDITIONER COMPRESSOR BLEW A PRESSURE VALVE BECAUSE ONE OF THE VALVES STUCK. THIS CAR IS A 2001 MISTUBISHI MIRAGE IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD WITH 67,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING IS ONLY USED FOR HALF THE YEAR AS I LIVE IN THE MIDWEST. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT WILL COST BETWEEN $1,200 AND $1,600 DOLLARS, WHICH IS ABOUT HALF OF THE TRADE-IN VALUE. I CALLED MITSUBISHI AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE A FEELING I AM NOT THE ONLY CUSTOMER WHO HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM.*AK