1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE REAR WHEELS SEIZED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,200.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE TRANSFER CASE SUDDENLY STALLED AND LOCKED ALL FOUR WHEELS; HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE TRANSFER CASE AND THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST WITH REPAIR EXPENSES AS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 98V069001 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT AN ABNORMAL VIBRATION AND IT MADE AN UNUSUAL NOISE. THE CONTACT DROVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, FOUND THAT THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT HAD FRACTURED FROM THE TRANSFER CASE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE DRIVE SHAFT YOKE AND REAR TRANSFER HOUSING WERE REPLACED AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE RECURRED 1,500 MILES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER HAD POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT INQUIRED ABOUT NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID 98V069001 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) AND WHEN CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER IN 1998. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 124,000.

10/26/01 L FRONT LWR CONTROL ARM BROKE, THE CAR BOUNCED DOWN THE ROAD WHEN SUSP CAME APART. GVILLE MITZ REPLACED THE PARTS AT THE COST OF THE MANF. THE VEHICLE HAD 104000 MI AT THAT TIME. ITEMS LISTED ON REPAIR INVOICE: ARM ASSY (FR SUSP), SHAFT ASSY (FR AXL), SHIELD KIT SPLASH, AIR DAM SIDE FR LH, END ASSY, TIE ROD, FENDER FR LH 12/8/07 SUSP BROKE AGAIN. WHILE DRIVING I THOUGHT THE DRV SIDE FRONT TIRE HAD POPPED. I LET OFF THE GAS/ TRIED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER. I WAS IN THE L LANE NEAR AN INTERSTATE ENTRANCE. WHEN I WAS NEAR THE BARRIER THE VEHICLE JUMPED LEFT. IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE CONCRETE WALL, I PULLED THE WHEEL BACK TOWARDS THE RIGHT. WHEN I DID THIS THE BROKEN LEFT FRONT SUSP/TIRE WENT BENEATH THE CAR. THE AUTO WAS CATAPULTED ONTO THE CONCRETE BARRIER ON IT'S NOSE. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY AIRBORNE AT THIS TIME (FOR APPX 150-200 FT) PART OF THE CAR HIT THE CONCRETE PILLAR OF THE UNDERPASS AND FLUNG MY CAR BACK TO THE GROUND. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME DOWN. EVEN WITH MY RESTRAINT ON MY BODY SLID UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN THE CAR CATAPULTED ON THE CONCRETE LEDGE. WHEN THE DRIVERSIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED THE GOT THE LEFT SIDE OF MY HEAD WHERE MY ABDOMEN SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THE DAMAGES: BUMPER ASSEMBLY, FRONT, COVER, FRONT BUMPER, HEADLAMP ASSY, HALOG HEADLAMPS AIM/LAMP, SIDE MARKER, FENDER FRONT, SKIRT, INNER FENDERT WHEEL, FRONT L, KNUCKLE, STEERING L/F, ARM, LOWER CONTROL L/F WINDSHIELD, AIRBAG, STEERING WHEEL, AIRBAG, INSTRUMENT PNL PANEL, ROCKER LT, PNL, FRONT DOOR OUT, REPAIR I RECEIVED A CONCUSSION FROM THE AIRBAG/BACK PROBLEMS ETC THIS CAR IS UP FOR AUCTION ON THE 18TH, IT IS MY HOPES THAT IT IS NOT PLACED BACK ON THE ROADWAYS. WHO KNOWS WHAT OTHER TYPES OF DAMAGE THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED, THE CRASH WAS NEVER CORRECTLY EVALUATED. THE LOCAL POLICE LISTED I HIT A METAL GUARD RAIL. THE VEHICLE DAMAGES DOES NOT INDICATE CONTACT WITH A METAL GUARD RAIL(IT DOES NOT HAVE MARKS ON IT). APPX 50 PICS AVAIL. *TR

I WAS GOING ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR ON THE FREEWAY, WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD REVVING NOISE AND BEGAN TO DOWN SHIFT AT AN ACCELERATED RATE. THE ECLIPSE NOW HAS A SHIFTING PROBLEM TO WHERE THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE THE DRIVE TO MOVE FORWARDS NOR BACKWARDS. I WAS TOLD BY A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AND CLOSE FRIEND, THAT ALL MY GEARS WERE ALL WIPED OUT ALL AT THE SAME TIME AND THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS EITHER LOOSE OR BROKEN. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE FOUND IN THE TRANSFER CASE, OF THE TRANSMISSION, SHAVINGS OR LITTLE PIECES OF METAL OR ALUMINUM. *TR

DRIVING ON HWY. 80 ON DRY ROAD AT APPROX. 60-65 MPH, IN FAST LANE, CAR STARTED TO SHAKE, AS WE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF FREEWAY, TIRE BLEW OUT...COMPLETE SEPARATION OF BELT FROM SIDEWALLS,BOTH SIDE WALLS STILL ON RIM, BELT (INTACT) ROLLED DOWN FREEWAY. TIRES LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD, AND LOTS OF TREAD LEFT ON TIRE. THIS CAUSED DAMAGED TO THE RIM WHICH IS NO LONGER USABLE. WE WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE TIRE AND RIM, BUT THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS NEEDED REPLACED. A NHTSA RECALL, #00V421001 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE SUSPENSION HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR WITHOUT CHARGE UNDER THE RECALL.

RE: DEALERSHIP COMPLAINT: REFUSAL TO HONOR EXISTING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS: 00V421001, 99V066001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE, SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT I RECENTLY TOOK MY 1996 ECLIPSE TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP (ARNOLD MITSUBISHI, ROSEVILLE, MI) TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THIS RECALL AS THERE IS SERIOUS 'CLUNKING' IN MY FRONT BALL JOINTS. I WAS TOLD MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS. YOUR DATABASE SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THIS WAS AN 'ACROSS THE BOARD' RECALL. I'VE BEEN WARNED THAT THIS IS A LOUSY DEALERSHIP. ARE THEY CORRECT, OR AM I? AND WHAT SHOULD I DO? *NM