1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER Recalls, Complaints & Safety

FLEX PLATE BROKE

THE SPYDER GS HAS ALWAYS LEAKED FROM THE SOFT TOP SEALS SPECIALLY FROM THE TOP RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE. IT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE IN THE 2ND GENERATION SPYDER GS WHICH IM SUPRISED IT HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL FOR THE WEATHER STRIPPING. DEALERSHIP CHARGES 300 FOR THE WEATHERSTRIPPING AND THEY STILL LEAK AFTER A COUPLE YEARS. I DONT HAVE PICTURES BUT AFTER RAIN, THE WHOLD CAR IS WET AND AS I DRIVE AND TAKE MY FIRST TURN, THE VEHICLE STARTS TO LEAK FROM THE CORNER AND GETS CENTER CONSOLE AND RADIO WET. ALL OVER THE ECLIPSE FORUMS YOU WILL SEE THE ISSUE WITHOUT A RECALL. MITSUBISHI HAS NOT YET GIVEN ADVICE ON HOW GO FIX THIS. CAR CANT BE DRIVEN IN THE RAIN WITHOUT HAVING TO LEAK.

BOTH MY HANDLES BROKE OFF, THE DRIVERS SIDE ARM REST,( WHERE THE BUTTONS FOR THE WINDOWS ARE), FELL OFF AND INTO THE CAVITY BELOW. THE CONVERTIBLE TOP LEAKS BADLY ALONG THE POINT WHERE THE TOP MEETS THE CAR WINDSHIELD,WINDOWS,AND BACK WINDOW. VERY UPSET THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM YET NO ONE WANTS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE...MITSUBISHI SHOULD PAY FOR REPAIRS... *TR

CONVERTIBLE ROOF DOES NOT FOLD DOWN DUE TO BENT FRAME MEMBERS ON EACH SIDE - CALLED "BENT TOP STACK CONTROL LINKS". THIS PREVENTS THE TOP FRONT BOW FROM CLOSING TIGHTLY AND ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER THE CAB CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE FROM MOLD AND MILDEW - HEALTH HAZARDS. THE HEAD LINER PULLS 1-1/2" FROM THE FRONT BOW AND SAGS SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO THE SLACK DISTORTING THE VIEW FORWARD AND LIMITS THE VIEW IN THE MIRROR - A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. THE REPAIR SHOULD BE A FACTORY ISSUE AND NOT COST ME MORE THAN $500 FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR. IF THIS BAR BREAKS IT WILL FURTHER DAMAGE THE RAG TOP AND QUADRUPLE THE REPAIR COST. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH MANY MITZU ECCLIPSE SPYDERS SINCE THEY WERE INTRODUCED. RECALL - RECALL - RECALL. THANKS *TR

I PURCHASED MY CAR NEW IN FEBRUARY 1998. AFTER 9 YEARS I ONLY HAVE 43,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I LIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SO THERE IS NO EXTREME TEMPERATURE CHANGES WHICH MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE DOOR HANDLE TO BE COMPROMISED, NOR ABUSE AS I SEE OTHERS ARE BEING TOLD BY SERVICE SHOPS. I DID NOT EXPECT TO OPEN MY DRIVERS SIDE CAR DOOR LAST WEEK AND HAVE IT COME OFF IN MY HAND. THE REASON I BOUGHT THIS CAR WAS THAT A FRIEND HAD JUST BOUGHT ONE FOR HIMSELF THE MONTH BEFORE I DID. I WAS VISITING HIM YESTERDAY AND ASKED HIM TO GUESS WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR AND HE BEAT ME TO IT. HIS DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE HAD COME OFF IN HIS HAND 2 WEEKS AGO. I WAS FIRST CHECKING FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL BEFORE BRINGING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. RIGHT NOW, I HAVE TO CLIMB THROUGH FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE TO POP OPEN MY DOOR OR LEAVE THE WINDOW DOWN WHEN RUNNING ERRANDS. I THINK THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS SEEMS TO WARRANT SOME SORT OF A RESPONSE TO THIS FROM MITSUBISHI. *JB

IN THE SUMMER OF 2003 MY CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER STARTED LEAKING SO IREPLACED IT. THEN IN MAY OF 2004 MY CLUTCH FAILED SO I HAD IT REPLACED WITH A STOCK CLUTCH. TWO MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE DEVELOPED SIGNS OF "CRANKWALK", WHICH HAPPENS TO ALOT OF 95-99 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSES. I HAD IT FORMALLY DIAGNOSED WITH CRANKWALK AND NOW I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE MY CAR. I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE MY MOTOR WITH A NEW ONE THAT WILL COST $3000 AND IT MIGHT END AT THE SAME FATE. I HAVE DONE ALOT OF RESEARCH AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS WHO HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN BUT, MITSUBISHI WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL FOR THEIR PRODUCT. *AK

THE CONVERTIBLE TOP MOTORS HAVE GONE OUT AGAIN. I HAVE HAD THE MOTORS SERVICED SEVERAL TIME OVER 4 TIMES IN TWO YEARS. APPARNETLY THE GEAR PINS BREAK WITHIN THE MOTORS AND CAUSE THEM TO FAIL. I CANNOT OPEN NOR CLOSE MY CONVERTIBLE TOP.*AK

CONVERTIBLE TOP DOES NOT GO DOWN ALL THE WAY. DESIGN FLAW CAUSES THE TOP STACK CONTROL LINKS TO BEND UPON OPENING AND CLOSING THE TOP. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ALONG WITH LABOR IS RIDICULOUSLY HIGH OVER $650. MITSUBISHI WHO IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS DESIGN FLAW, REFUSES TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY.*AK

RECALL WORK THAT WOULD NOT BE COMPLETED, UNLESS ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTICS WERE PURCHASED AND PAID FOR. SUBSEQUENTLY, I CONTINUE TO DRIVE AROUND WITH THE DEFECTIVE CONTROL-ARM BALL JOINTS ON MY 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. I HAVE NO OTHER DEALERSHIPS WITHIN 25 MILES OF MY TOWN, AND I BELIEVE CONCORD MITSUBISHI USES THIS FACT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. *NM

MY 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER IS DEFECTIVE. THE CONVERTIBLE ROOF DOES NOT FOLD INTO THE DOWN POSITION UNLESS I GUIDE IT BY HAND. THERE ARE TWO METAL BRACKETS ON EACH SIDE OF THE ROOF THAT ARE BENDING AND CAUSING THE TOP TO HANG UP WHEN YOU PUT THE TOP DOWN. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID IT WAS THE BOW THAT WAS CAUSING THE ROOF TO LOOK LIKE IT WAS COLLAPSING IN,AND CAUSING THE RAIN TO LEAK IN, THEY PUT IN A NEW BOW, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS STILL PRESENT. NOW THEY WANT ANOTHER $315.00 PLUS THE COST OF LABOR TO FIX THE BRACKETS. IT SEEMS LIKE A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED AT NO COST. I AM AFRAID THE METAL BRACKET IS GOING TO SNAP AND HIT ME OR A INNOCENT BYSTANDER IN THE HEAD. WHILE I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP, A GENTLEMAN TOLD ME HIS BROTHER HAS A 1997 MITSIBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER AND HIS DID THE SAME THING ONLY IT DID SNAP. THE RAGTOP COULD BE DAMAGED BY THE BROKEN METAL. SOMEONE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS!! THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN!*AK

BOTH OF MY OUTSIDE HANDLES ON MY CAR FELL OFF WITHIN A COUPLE MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT MY PASSENGER SIDE HANDLE FELL OFF UNTIL I SAW IT MISSING ON DAY. THE DRIVER SIDE HANDLE FELL OFF AS I WENT OUT TO MY CAR ONE MORNING TO LEAVE FOR WORK. I WENT TO LIFT UP ON THE HANDLE AND IT CAME RIGHT OFF. THERE WAS NO VANDALISIM, JUST A FAULTY PRODUCT. I HAD TO PAY $367 TO GET NEW HANDLES PUT BACK ON THE CAR, PLUS $22.50 FOR TOWING THE CAR TO A MITSUBISHI DEALER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET INTO A CAR IF YOU HAVE NO HANDLE TO LIFT.*AK

I RECENTLY SENT A LETTER TO THE MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION REGARDING MY 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER (PLEASE RE-READ ATTACHED). I WAS CONTACTED BY THE CORPORATE OFFICE REGARDING MY ERRATIC SHIFT PROBLEM IN MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND WAS EVENTUALLY TOLD THAT I WOULDNT BE PROVIDED ANY SORT OF ASSISTANCE ON MY VEHICLE. I FIND IT APPALLING THAT THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES TO MY CAR WHEN I WAS WELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR MY CAR (BEFORE 50,000 MILES). I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE MITSUBISHI SERVICE CENTER, AND GOT THE RESPONSE: TECHNICIAN CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. IF PROBLEMS PERSIST, PLEASE BEING THE VEHICLE BACK. I TOOK THE CAR TO DIFFERENT MITSUBISHI SERVICE CENTERS SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THAT, AND GOT THE SAME RESPONSE ( I HAVE DOCUMENTATION ON THIS). NOW, BECAUSE YOUR SERVICE TECHNICIANS COULDNT IDENTIFY MY CARS PROBLEM WHEN I WAS IN THE WARRANTY PERIOD, I AM BEING HELD LIABLE. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS WEB SITES DOCUMENTING PROBLEMS WITH MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE VEHICLES, RANGING FROM THE YEARS 1990-PRESENT. I HAVE FOUND A GREAT DEAL OF MITSUBISHI ECLIPSES WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR OR DRIVER RELATED ISSUES, IT IS AN ISSUE WITH THE ENGINEERING OF THE TRANSMISSION IN THE VEHICLE (SEVERAL MECHANICS WILL SWEAR TO THIS STATEMENT, SINCE THEY HAVE WORKED ON SEVERAL CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM). BELOW ARE SOME QUOTES FROM THE WEBSITES PROVING THAT THIS PROBLEM IS CONSISTENT WITH MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE VEHICLES: TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AT 50,000. CAR WOULD POP OUT OF 4TH GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING TO GET ON HIGHWAY. " <HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/REVIEW_32883.HTML> 1991 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE MILEAGE: 73000. THE CAR IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. IT IS HAVING ERRATIC SHIFTING PROBLEMS ALTHOUGH THEY ONLY OCCUR WHEN THE CAR IS NOT AT THE MECHANICS. " <HTTP://WWW.2CARPROS.COM/MAKES/MITSUBISHI/ECLIPSE.HTM>*AK

THE ROOF OF MY 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY DUE TO TWO BRACKETS BENDING WHEN YOU OPEN THE ROOF. I HAD THIS FIXED AT THE DEALER IN SEPTEMBER 2002 AND THEN IT JUST HAPPENED AGAIN THE FIRST TIME THAT I OPENED THE ROOF THIS SPRING (MARCH 14, 2003). *NLM

CONSUMER STATES THAT WATER LEAKS FROM CONVERTIBLE TOP RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE FLOODING. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE PULLS EXCESSIVELY TO THE RIGHT. VEHICLE CHECKED BY DEALER WHO RULED OUT THE TIRES OR VEHICLE'S ALIGNMENT AS CAUSES. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER ISSUE IS PART OF VEHICLE'S NORMAL OPERATION. TS

CONVERTIBLE TOP IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. ADHESIVE IS LOOSENING, CREATING A STRAIN ON THE STRAPS. TWO LEVERS THAT HELP TOP FOLD ARE BENDING, SO TOP DOES NOT CLOSE PROPERLY.*AK