2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder

TAKATA RECALL: MY VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 15V338000.ON OCTOBER 29, 2016, I WAS DRIVING TOWARDS MY HOME. AFTER BEING IN THE STOPPED POSITION FOR THE DURATION OF THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL AT THE INTERSECTION OF FM 518 AND FM 1128 IN PEARLAND, TEXAS, THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I PROCEEDED DOWN 1128 TOWARD MY HOME. AFTER PROCEEDING ABOUT1 BLOCK, MY PASSENGER AIRBAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO PASSENGER IN MY VEHICLE AND NOTHING ON THE PASSENGER SEAT, EITHER.THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD. I HAD THE WINDOWS OPEN AND THE TOP DOWN. THE AIRBAG WAS BLOWING IN FRONT OF MY FACE, BLOCKING MY VISION. THE PASSENGER VISOR FLEW OFF, HITTING MY LEFT ARM, AS I WAS TRYING TO KEEP THE AIRBAG OUT OF MY FACE TO GET SAFELY OFF THE ROAD.I PULLED OVER TO THE RIGHT, INTO A PARKING LOT. MY VEHICLE STOPPED ON THE EDGE OF A DITCH AT THE SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT, DUE TO MY VISION BEING BLOCKED. MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG WENT OFF WHEN I HIT THE CULVERT OF THE DITCH. FIRE CAME OUT OF MY STEERING WHEEL AND I SMELLED CHEMICALS. THE FIRE PROMPTLY WENT OUT. MY LEFT ARM WAS ON THE ARMREST OF THE DOOR WITH BOTH FOREARM BONES VISIBLY BROKEN. THE ARM WAS SWOLLEN AND DEFORMED. I ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE 26 DAYS. I WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST TRAUMA UNIT.THE RADIA AND ULNA IN MY FOREARM HAVE BEEN PUT BACK TOGETHER WITH RODS AND SCREWS. MY VEHICLE HAS MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END, RADIATOR, TRANSMISSION, STEERING, AXLE, ETC. 9 MONTHS LATER MY ARMIS NOT HEALED AND I AM STILL WITHOUT A VEHICLE.

APPROXIMATELY 1-YEAR AGO, I PURCHASED A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SYDER FORM A DEALERSHIP WITH APPROXIMATELY 65,000 MILES ON IT. I CHECKED THE RECORDS AND CONTACTED THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER. THE CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR IT HAD A MINOR CRACK IN THE DASH BOARD. IT WAS ABOUT 1 INCH LONG. WEEKS LATER, IT GREW. ALSO OTHER CRACKS STARTED TO APPEAR. WHILE IN THE GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, I PARKED NEXT TO ANOTHER SPYDER AND NOTICED IT'S DASH WAS CRACKED IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATIONS. AFTERWARDS, I NOTICED THAT EVERY MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE 2003 AND NEWER HAVE CRACKED DASH BOARDS IN THE SAME LOCATION. I RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND WEBSITES AND MESSAGE BOARDS WHERE OWNERS OF MITSUBISHI ECLIPSES COMPLAIN ABOUT CRACKING DASHBOARDS. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL MITSUBISHI SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE SERVICE MANGER TOLD ME TO CONTACT MITSUBISHI USA. HE SAID THIS PROBLEM IS ENDEMIC OF MITSUBISHI ECLIPSES AND SPYDERS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL THE DASH IS MADE OF AND THE WAY THE DASH BOARD IS MOUNTED TO THE FRAME OF THE CAR. THERE IS NO AFTER-MARKET SOLUTION. A NEW DASHBOARD (INSTALLATION AND PARTS) AT A DISCOUNT IS OVER $1,000. MITSUBISHI USA WILL NOT HELP ME. THEY SAY THIS IS BECAUSE MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I AM NOT SEEKING WARRANTY WORK. OTHER VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS MAKE "DASH CAPS" - MOLDED ABS PLASTIC COVERS TO FIX THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. NO SUCH PRODUCT IS MADE FOR THIS VEHICLE. FURTHER, MITSUBISHI USA WANTS ME TO PAY $1000.00 FOR THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART THAT WILL CRACK THE SAME WAY. MITSUBISHI SAYS THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THIS IS NOT A "DEFECT". THE ALSO STATE THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP MY CAR, BUT THE DASH BOARD IS FALLING APART. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL AND UNSAFE. BECAUSE MY CAR IS A CONVERTIBLE, IF WATER GETS INTO THE DASH BOARD, MY ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS COULD SHORT OUT (INCLUDING MY AIRBAGS, HORN, LIGHTS, ETC.) PLEASE HELP! *JB

I HAVE A BLACK 2003 SPYDER GTS AND THE CLEAR COAT IS BUBBLING AND TURNING WHITE. IT STARTED ON THE HOOD AND HAS PROGRESSED TO THE TRUNK, THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SIDE, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD TRIM AND THE SPOILER. THE PROBLEM STARTED IN JUNE 06 AND CONTINUES. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE HOOD. I TALKED TO THE DEALER AND THEY WANT ME TO WAIT, IS THIS SOME KIND OF PLOY TO ALLOW THE WARRANTY TO EXPIRE; THEREFORE AVOIDING WARRANTY WORK? IT KEEPS GETTING WORSE AND I'M TRYING TO GET THEM TO CORRECT A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL MITSUBISHI CUSTOMER (5) BUT OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE NOT LOYAL TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. *NM