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2002 Mitsubishi Diamante

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Diamante years

Owner complaints for the 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante are substantially higher than the model-year median of 31.5.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

92 reports with mileage · 31 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Visibility. Review the 71 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports0 fire reports8 injury reports

Visibility complaints

71 reports
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53,941 miles · Feb 25, 2007
Engine And Engine CoolingVisibility

LEAKAGE OF ANTIFREEZE ( ENGINE COOLANT) INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF VEHICLE. THE COOLANT SMELL WAS APPARENT WITHIN THE CAR. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10183444

Mileage unknown · Feb 22, 2007
Visibility

WINDOWS WILL NOT DEFROST AND ODOR COMING FROM VENTS. ALSO PUDDLE OF ANTI-FREEZE ON PASSENGER FLOOR. DID NOT THINK PROBLEMS WHERE RELATED BUT THEY ARE. HEATER CORE GASKET LEAKING AND CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. $1 GASKET AND $700+ LABOR. THIS IS A SCAM FROM THE DEALERSHIP, EXPLOIT A UNSAFE DEFECT AND THEN CHARGE AN ARM AND A LEG T…

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WINDOWS WILL NOT DEFROST AND ODOR COMING FROM VENTS. ALSO PUDDLE OF ANTI-FREEZE ON PASSENGER FLOOR. DID NOT THINK PROBLEMS WHERE RELATED BUT THEY ARE. HEATER CORE GASKET LEAKING AND CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. $1 GASKET AND $700+ LABOR. THIS IS A SCAM FROM THE DEALERSHIP, EXPLOIT A UNSAFE DEFECT AND THEN CHARGE AN ARM AND A LEG TO GET IT FIXED. NEXT THEY WILL CHARGE FOR THE AIR WE BREATHE. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10183268

42,000 miles · Feb 11, 2007
Visibility

NOTICED ANTI-FREEZE SMELL WITHIN THE VEHICLE. WINDSHIELD FOGGING UP AND HEATER WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD O-RINGS NEEDED REPLACED. ADVISED WORK WAS COMPLETED, CHARGED $652.97, AND THE NEXT DAY STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. THEY ARE GOING TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER…

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NOTICED ANTI-FREEZE SMELL WITHIN THE VEHICLE. WINDSHIELD FOGGING UP AND HEATER WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD O-RINGS NEEDED REPLACED. ADVISED WORK WAS COMPLETED, CHARGED $652.97, AND THE NEXT DAY STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. THEY ARE GOING TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10182254

60,000 miles · Feb 9, 2007
Visibility

I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND OVER 40 OTHER OWNERS OF THE 2002 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE AUTOMOBILE. THE BACK GROUND ON ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS CAN BE VIEWED AT WWW.MYCARSTATS.COM . IT IS MY FEELING THAT THESE MITSUBISHI CUSTOMERS WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT FILING A COMPLAINT ON MYC…

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I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND OVER 40 OTHER OWNERS OF THE 2002 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE AUTOMOBILE. THE BACK GROUND ON ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS CAN BE VIEWED AT WWW.MYCARSTATS.COM . IT IS MY FEELING THAT THESE MITSUBISHI CUSTOMERS WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT FILING A COMPLAINT ON MYCARSTATS.COM WAS THE SAME AS FILING ONE WITH THE NHTSA. IF YOU WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO VIEW THE VARIOUS STORIES UNDER THE COMPLAINTS SECTION, SUB HEADINGS ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS AND VISUAL SYSTEMS, YOU WILL SEE THE MAGNITUDE AND THE SIMILARITIES OF THE PROBLEM. YOU WILL ALSO FIND A SIMILAR COLLECTION OF COMPLAINTS UNDER OTHER VEHICLE MODEL YEARS, AS MITSUBISHI BUILT THIS VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, FOR MANY YEARS. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS IN THE FAULTY DESIGN OF THE O RINGS THAT WERE TO SEAL THE ENGINE COOLANT FROM LEAKAGE AS IT ENTERS THE CABIN HEATER CORE. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT MITSUBISHI RECOGNIZED AND ACTUALLY ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ADVISING DEALERS OF A REPAIR KIT DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE THE LEAKS THAT ARE SURE TO DEVELOP. AS YOU WILL LEARN FROM READING THE COMPLAINTS OF THE MANY OWNERS ON THE WWW.MYCARSTATS.COM WEB SITE, THIS LEAKING PROBLEM HAS CAUSE THESE OWNERS TO SPEND IN THE AREA OF $800 TO $1200 IN REPAIRS ON VEHICLES WITH RELATIVELY LOW MILES. IN MANY CASES THE MILES ARE AS LOW AS 40,000. THE LOWER COSTS OF REPAIR ARE USUALLY FOUND AT INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS WITH THE HIGHER COSTS NORMALLY ATTRIBUTED TO MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIPS. MOST COMPLAINING OWNERS ONLY MENTION THE ACCUMULATION OF ANTI-FREEZE VAPOR ON WINDOWS AND THE SATURATION OF THE VEHICLES FLOOR COVERING. SOME ALSO REPORT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLES COMPUTER SYSTEM. I ASK ONLY THAT YOU VISIT THE WWW.MYCARSTATS.COM WEB SITE AND REVIEW THE EXTENSIVE LIST OF ALMOST IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS. I FEEL THAT AFTER DOING SO YOU WILL FEEL, AS I, THAT MITSUBISHI OWNS THEIR CUSTOMERS REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PROBLEMS THEIR FAULTY DESIGN HAS CAUSED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10182090

108,000 miles · Jan 24, 2007
Visibility

2002 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE - HEATER CORE, BOUGHT USED FROM MITSU DEALER, FOUND HEATER CORE HOSES DISCONNECTED & BYPASSED. EVIDENCE OF PAST LEAK ON/NEAR ECU. $1000.00 TO REPAIR AT INDEPENDENT GARAGE. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10180637

45,000 miles · Jan 17, 2007
Visibility

WINDOWS WERE NOT CLEARING PROPERLY AND SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE WAS VERY STRONG. UPON CALLING THE MITSUBISHI DEALER, I WAS TOLD, IT'S PROBABLY THE HEATER CORE. I ASK IF THIS IS NORMAL FOR A CAR THREE YEARS OLDS WITH APPROXIMATELY 45,000 MILES. DEALER SAID THEY HAD SEEN A FEW. THEY HAVEN'T BEEN MUCH HELP YET. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10178941

67,500 miles · Dec 28, 2006
Visibility

WINDOWS FOGGED UP, MAPLE SYRUP SMELL COMING FROM HEATER. RESPIRATORY SICKNESS AFTER INCIDENT. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10177274

99,000 miles · Dec 15, 2006
Visibility

HEATER CORE IN '02 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE LEAKED CAUSING WINDOWS TO FOG AND ANTI-FREEZE TO LEAK INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10176262

57,000 miles · Nov 4, 2006
Visibility

I HAVE A 2002 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE WITH A FAILED HEATER CORE. SMELLED ANTIFREEZE FOR AWHILE, THEN ONE EVENING, IT WAS COMING OUT OF MY AIR VENTS AND FOGGING UP MY WINDSHIELD - EXCEPT IT WASN'T "FOG" BUT ANTIFREEZE MIST THAT WOULD NOT GO AWAY, SO I HAVE TO DRIVE WITH MY HEAD OUT THE WINDOW TILL I GOT IT HOME AND WIPED IT DOWN. APP…

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I HAVE A 2002 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE WITH A FAILED HEATER CORE. SMELLED ANTIFREEZE FOR AWHILE, THEN ONE EVENING, IT WAS COMING OUT OF MY AIR VENTS AND FOGGING UP MY WINDSHIELD - EXCEPT IT WASN'T "FOG" BUT ANTIFREEZE MIST THAT WOULD NOT GO AWAY, SO I HAVE TO DRIVE WITH MY HEAD OUT THE WINDOW TILL I GOT IT HOME AND WIPED IT DOWN. APPARENTLY THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AND I BELIEVE MITSUBISHI IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REFUNDING MY 800+ DOLLAR SHOP BILL FOR REPAIRING THIS DEFECT. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10172629

70,000 miles · Nov 1, 2006
Engine And Engine CoolingVisibility

HEATER CORE LEAKING....CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON....WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THE DIAMANTE....PAID CLOSE TO 800 TO HAVE REPAIRED...COOLANT LEAKED ON THE COMPUTER AND CAR WENT INTO FAIL SAFE DRIVING MODE. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10172385

Official recalls

3

04V428000 · Equipment:other:labels

Sep 1, 2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH REMOVABLE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS AFFIXED TO THE DASH AND TO THE SUNVISOR DO NOT MEET THE SIZE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

Remedy: MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN WILL MAIL A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTER CONTAINING A WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND A GRAPHIC OF THE BI-LINGUAL DASHBOARD AIR BAG WARNING LABEL. IN ADDITION, ALL CURRENT 2000-2004 NATIVA OWNERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE REPLACEMENT AIR BAG ALERT LABELS FOR THE SUN VISORS. THIS RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH OR APRIL 2005. THE NOTIFICATION TO THE NATIVA OWNERS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL OR MAY 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN AT 1-787-251-8715.

04V067000 · Equipment:other:owners/service/other Manual

Feb 11, 2004

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 225, "CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS." THE OWNER'S MANUAL DOES NOT CONTAIN A STEP-BY-STEP DESCRIPTION FOR HEADREST ADJUSTMENT WHEN INSTALLING A CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM (CRS) TETHER STRAP.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE TETHER STRAP IS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED TO THE TETHER ANCHOR, THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT RESTRAINED. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE CHILD COULD BE INJURED.

Remedy: A LETTER OUTLINING THE PROBLEM WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS ALONG WITH A STICKER CONTAINING THE CORRECT INSTRUCTIONS AS WELL AS INSTRUCTIONS ON WHERE TO AFFIX THE STICKER IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 29, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI AT 1-888-648-7820.

02V100001 · Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood

Apr 7, 2002

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE MAIN UNDER HOOD ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS MAY HAVE INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE ENGINE CONTROL HARNESS AND THE EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD. AS A RESULT, THE HARNESS COULD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE HEAT SHIELD, WHICH COULD RESULT IN MELTING OF THE HARNESS INSULATION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE MELTING OF THE HARNESS INSULATION COULD RESULT IN GROUNDING OF THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR WIRING, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RUN ERRATICALLY OR STOP SUDDENLY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE HARNESS FOR DAMAGE AND, IF NONE IS EVIDENT, WILL TIE THE HARNESS BACK TO PREVENT THE HARNESS FROM EVER COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE HEAT SHIELD. ANY HARNESS THAT SHOWS EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE WILL BE REPAIRED AS NECESSARY AND THEN TIED BACK TO PREVENT FUTURE DAMAGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 13, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI AT 1-800-222-0037.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.