1999 Mitsubishi Mirage

I OWN A 1999 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE DE, WHICH I PURCHASED 3/8/02; IT HAS A 1.5 LITER ENGINE AND AN AUTOMATIC 4 SPEED TRANSMISSION. WITHIN DAYS, I NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ABNORMALLY FROM THE 1ST TO THE 2ND GEARS WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. THIS ABNORMALITY CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A HESITATION OR SLIPPING AT SOME TIMES, OR A POPPING, LIKE GUNFIRE, AT OTHERS. AGAIN, THIS SHIFTING SENSATION IS MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER FROM WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED OF THIS PROBLEM ON 3/19/02. THEY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND INDICATED ON THE REPAIR SLIP THAT THEY WERE UNSURE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A PROBLEM EXISTED. ON APRIL 5, 2002, I DISCUSSED THIS MATTER AGAIN WITH ROME FORD, WHERE THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED. IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION, THEY SENT THE VEHICLE TO OUR LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALER, PAOLOZZI MITSUBISHI IN MARCY, NY, FOR AN EVALUATION. THE EVALUATION RESULTED IN THE STATEMENT TO ROME FORD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. ON 2/27/03, I ENCOUNTERED YET ANOTHER UNRELATED PROBLEM WITH THE FAN BELT LOOSENING AND GETTING CHEWED UP BY THE PULLEYS, FOR WHICH I BROUGHT THE CAR DIRECTLY TO PAOLOZZI; FOR THIS, THEY CHARGED ME $119.48 FOR CHECKING THE BELTS AND PULLEYS, AND FOUND THE POWER STEERING PUMP PULLEY MISALIGNED. THEY REMOVED THE PUMP AND BRACKET, REMOUNTED IT AND INSTALLED A NEW BELT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHARGED FOR THIS SERVICE, AS THIS PROBLEM IS OUTLINED ON A WEB SITE AS RECALL #00V311001. I MENTIONED THE FAN BELT PROBLEM BECAUSE ON THAT SAME DATE, I AGAIN COMPLAINED ABOUT HOW THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS. I WAS CHARGED $18.00 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS, FOR WHICH PAOLOZZI STATED ON THE INVOICE THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING IS CONSISTENT WITH SPECIFICATIONS AND THAT NO PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION WERE EVIDENT. TO DATE, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, AND I AM NEARING THE END OF THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, AS I NOW HAVE ABOUT 57,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THE WARRANTY ENDS AT 60,000 MILES. *LA

TRANSMISSION COMPUTER FEEDS A TOO LEAN GASOLINE MIXTURE CAUSING THE CAR TO RUN ROUGH WHEN ACCELERATING WHEN ENGINE IS COLD. IT RUNS LIKE AN OLDER CAR WOULD THAT NEEDED SPARK PLUGS. IT HAS STALLED OUT ONCE FROM THIS PROBLEM AND EVERY MORNING IT IS A STRUGGLE FOR THE CAR TO BACK UP THE SMALL INCLINE IN MY DRIVEWAY. I AM AFRAID THAT WHEN I AM TRYING TO TURN LEFT IN TRAFFIC IT WILL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I AM VERY CAREFUL WHEN I DO PULL OUT. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE THE CAR WAS ONLY FOUR MONTHS OLD & MITSUBISHI HAS YET TOO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX IT. THE DEALER HAS TOLD ME THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS PROBLEM, YET I SEE THAT THEY ARE STILL SELLING NEW MIRAGES LIKE NOTHING IS WRONG. I HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT ON SEPTEMBER 9TH FOR THEM TO TRY AGAIN TO REPAIR IT.