This is a picture of my wife and me. I would have posted a picture of my car, but it's in the shop.
In the summer of 1995 I purchased a brand new
Mitsubishi Eclipse RS. I had dreamed of owning one for years, since the
first time I saw one sitting in a car lot. I felt this was a dream come
true. What I didn't know then was that the dream was to become a nightmare.
The tale that follows is true. There are no exaggerations and no omissions.
This is all taken right from the documentation which I was given by the
service department at my local dealership where I made the purchase.
I began pricing the car under a semi-lease
financing plan. The sales manager assured me that not only was this not
a lease, but (according to the numbers he showed me) it would make virtually
no difference in the price. I later discovered (after the purchase- I had
to refinance) that the difference between their plan and actually financing
the car for 5 years was several thousand dollars. First lie.
My car's first trip to the shop. This
was a scheduled trip, involving the rustproofing and sound proofing of
the car, as well as the paint protection. Everything went well, or so I
thought...
When
I tried to unlock the driver's side door with my key; it wouldn't unlock.
As it turned out, when the mechanic inserted the rustproofing wand in the
door, he knocked something loose, preventing me from being able to unlock
the door from the outside. This was a simple mistake, and easily corrected,
albeit at a cost of my time.
This
was my first major repair trip. The list began with a speedometer problem.
After checking the speedometer against several cars and against the highway
mile markers, I determined that the speedometer was running about 10% fast.
Their answer: they test drove the car, and the speedometer was 100% perfect.
Second problem: the car was pulling to the right. Their answer: I was wrong.
Next issue: the check engine light was coming on. Their answer: reset the
computer. Fourth problem: on the console between the seats, the color had
faded and the plastic was melting. They ordered a new console part. Fifth:
the trim surrounding the door handles on the inside were coming off. Their
answer: I was wrong. Sixth: the clutch pedal would rattle when I released
it. They fixed the clutch inhibitor switch. Seventh: the third brake light
in the back window was hanging down from the glass by two inches. Their
answer: I was wrong. Eigth: the struts that hold open the rear hatch were
leaking a fluid into my trunk. Their answer: I was wrong. Ninth: there
was a rattle in the driver's side door. Their answer: unable to duplicate
the problem.
My return trip to get the console piece they
ordered (keep track of this... this would be my second console). In addition,
there were other complaints again. First: the trim around the inside door
handles was still loose (to be sure that this was not the way the car was
made, I compared it to an identical car on their lot). This time, they
ordered new trim for me. The third brake light was still loose. They adjusted
it. The driver's side door still rattled. They had to make some adjustments
to some mechanisms and tighten some screws. The car still pulled to the
right. It turns out that some parts in the front suspension were bad and
had to be replaced. I guess I wasn't as wrong as they thought. I did make
one mistake, however. I almost forgot to tell them that the speedometer
was still running fast. My mistake was that I didn't watch them write it
down, so it didn't get looked at by the mechanic. I realize that I should
have verified that they had it in writing.
The
car went back in to have the lower tension arms replaced in the suspension
(fixing the problem which caused the car to pull to the right... oh, wait,
I was wrong; the car wasn't pulling to the right...they checked that the
month before!). They also replaced the trim on the inside door handles
which was loose. This time, I made sure that they wrote down that the speedometer
was running 10% fast. Their answer: they assured me that in the road test,
the speedometer was 100% accurate. The console piece was deformed again.
They had to order my third console. They informed me that it was an engineering
defect; the rest of the interior was leather but this piece, right where
the driver's right arm would be rubbing it, was plastic.
Told
them the speedometer still reads too fast by 10% (this was the third official
time this was reported). Their answer: I was still wrong. They replaced
my console piece, but with one that still hadn't been painted. It didn't
quite match my interior. The third brake light was still loose. This time
I took someone out to the lot and showed them both my light (two inches
from the glass) and another Eclipse (the light was right against the glass).
This time they fixed it.
After
a pleasant 6 month leave of absence from the repair shop, my car was back.
The weather strip on the driver's door was broken, and leaking water. They
ordered the weatherstrip. The new console was deformed again. Ordered console
number four. The speedometer was still fast (fourth chance) by 10%. This
time the speedometer was removed from the car and tested on a machine.
At 55 mph, the speedomter was running fast by 5 mph (does this sound like
10%?). They replaced the speedometer. REMEMBER THIS PART... IT GETS BETTER!!!
This
was a simple trip. They replaced the weatherstrip and the console piece
which they had ordered.
The
sunroof cover was off its track. They fixed this problem, and one of the
salesmen told me that this, too, was an engineering defect. I began to
wonder if "Eclipse" is Latin for "Engineering Defect." The trunk was getting
very hard to open with a key, sometimes requiring me to put weight on the
hatch before I could turn the key. They fixed the lock. The fuel door cover,
which opens remotely from the driver's seat, would not open. They replaced
the broken lanyard. The driver's side door was still leaking, with a gap
of about a quarter of an inch between the window and the weatherstripping
at the rear of the door. They made some adjustments. The console piece
was wearing again. Console number five.
The horn stopped working. They fixed the horn. The driver's door was still
leaking. They replaced the molding over the door. The passenger side seat
would no longer slide front to back. They had to replace the rails which
support the seat.
I
began to notice that I had been sick for a long time... headaches, runny
nose, dizziness nausea, etc. What caught my attention was when I realized
that the symptoms were always worse after driving my car. I began to suspect
carbon monoxide poisoning. Soon after that, the check engine light again
started coming on. I bought a carbon monoxide detector which, in my mother's
car, was silent. I drove with it in my car and couldn't get the alarm to
shut off. It was indicating dangerous, and potentially deadly, levels of
carbon monoxide in my car.
The
new molding over the driver's side door had already broken again. They
replaced the molding again. The driver's door was still not sealing, but
they said that this was due to the molding. My brother, a skilled mechanic,
had noticed that if you shut the door while pressing in on the top of the
glass, the door would get a good seal. The service department was not interested
in this. The fuel door wouldn't open again. They again replaced the broken
clip. And as for the check engine light... there was a cracked air flow
control valve and some bad wiring, which they replaced. I wonder what the
deal was when they "reset" the computer the year before...
The
check engine light was on AGAIN. They checked the engine, then reset the
computer again. I'm scared. The battery light was coming on. They were
unable to duplicate the problem. The fuel pump was whining. They were unable
to duplicate this problem, either. To their credit, the fuel pump problem
may have been caused by our wonderful winter weather we have here in Peoria.
As I recall, the temperature was down around -20 degrees. Of course, in
October, I would find out that this was not the case...
I thought I had found an escape from this car. There was a dealership for
a different car company (which shall remain anonymous) where I had arranged
a very acceptable trade to another car of my liking. Unfortunately, I am
unable to sell this car now. When the speedometer was replaced, the mileage
was not marked down anywhere on the car. This was revealed to me by the
salesman, and by another dealership I took the car to for verification.
According to the dealers, IT IS AGAINST FEDERAL LAW to replace a speedometer
without indicating the mileage on the car.
Surprise,
surprise. Console piece number six. The paint was peeling off the side
mirrors. They had to order the mirrors and have them painted. The check
engine light was coming on. They checked it, then reset the computer. Does
this sound familiar?
They replaced the bad mirrors with
the mirrors which they had ordered. Console piece number six was a surprise...
they finally started making this with a leather cover instead of plastic!
Hopefully, this will be the last I see of this issue. The check engine
light was coming on again. This time, they found a corroded air flow control
valve, which had to be replaced. What, you didn't just reset my computer?
The
check engine light was on. This time they replaced a sensor. Wow! Two times
in a row that they didn't just reset the computer! Also, when they replaced
the mirrors, one of them was not sealed properly, and was leaking. They
reseated the assembly. The passenger seat was getting stuck again. They
called me at work to ask some questions, and during that conversation they
told me that the seat was working. I explained to them, as I had on the
form I filled out, that the problem was intermittent, and that the last
time it happened a ball bearing fell out of the rails. They still couldn't
find a problem.
This was a neat problem. Having done all the mundane issues like cosmetic
problems and carbon monxide poisoning, my car decided to get creative.
The dashboard lights started flickering and the needles on the dashboard
gauges started swinging wildly through their range of motion. They were
unable to duplicate the problem. From talking to the mechanic, it appears
that all they checked were the various electrical grounds in the engine.
The center cap on one of my rims broke off due to the rusty condition of
the clamp which holds it in place. They replaced the clamp.
No,
this is not a typo... the car went in twice in the same day! After leaving
the dealership, I drove for a few miles and the dashboard did its neat
little trick again with the lights and the needles. This time, the car
actually died while rolling forward at about 20 mph while in gear (this
car has a manual transmission; for those of you who don't know cars, it
is a very bad thing when a car with a manual transmission dies while rolling
in gear). I took the car back to the dealership, where they miraculously
discovered that the screw holding the power cable to my computer had come
loose.
The
car continues to do its neat little trick with the dashboard. The car is
now in the shop for this, and also because the molding over the driver's
door is broken. Also, I just received word that the alternator is bad,
which they are replacing, and that the battery is bad, for which they will
charge me $80. As you may recall, I reported battery problems a long time
ago. Also, a bad alternator can kill a good battery (yes, a battery can
also kill an alternator). I would think that in the name of customer service,
a good company would waive this fee, knowing the service history of this
car.
More
wonderful news from the dealership. After 3 visits and 3 phone calls, it
appears that I will still have to pay for the battery. The battery carries
a prorated warranty (as do all batteries), but I was told that $83 for
a battery is a discounted price, and that if they were to use the warranty
it would cost me more because they would have to charge the full retail
price, then subtract the remainder of the warranty, which would cost me
more than $83. When I suggested that the fee should be waived due to the
service history of the car and the fact that the battery light came on
and was reported a year ago, I was told by the Service Department Manager
"I'm sorry, but Mitsubishi cannot stand behind the batteries as a warranty
repair." Mitsubishi can't stand behind a part costing less than $100 on
an $18,000 car? I guess that says something about their quality... That
night, when I went to pay for the battery, I found that the fee had actually
been waived, apparently in an attempt at customer service. Thats's like
bringing a cup of water to a forest fire.
As
I was out driving last night, the dash board lights started doing their
little trick again, joined soon thereafter by the dancing needles on the
dashboard instruments. Back to the shop goes the car. They also still have
not fixed the broken trim over the driver's side door. If this surprises
you, you haven't read my whole page yet.
Today
was the big day. After having been in repair 4 times on the dashboard lights
and gauges issue, my car finally lost the battle today. As I was driving
along, the dashboard did its neat trick, then the car died and now it will
not start. It was starting to rain, and I couldn't get power to the sunroof
to close it (I had to find the crank in the trunk and close it manually.
Back to the shop, this time in a tow truck.
When I got home last night, there were two messages waiting for me. Message 1: my car was ready. Message 2: my car was not ready. This afternoon, however, they called again to tell me car car was done. My coworkers wonder what I mean by "done." This time, they replaced the ignition fuse and the fuel pump relay. It seems to be working so far. A few days later, I would find out that they also bypassed my alram, saying that this was the cause of the problems. The service department never mentioned this; I heard it during my discussion with the District Customer Service Manager.
After numerous faxes to the alleged customer service line, I received a callback from the customer service department, and eventually from the regional customer service manager. He promised to fix any current issues I am experiencing (sunroof cover and weatherstripping over the driver's side door), but told me he could not guarantee that these would be issues covered under warranty, since my warranty has expired. Never mind that these were issues reported during the warranty period. He said that the illegal replacement of my speedometer was "neither here nor there." I had to abandon the appointment to get the two issues fixed due to a lack of transportation.
I mailed a letter to the corporate offices in California. I'll just keep writing until someone listens. By the way, the cover on my sunroof is even more broken than before, if that's possible.
Trouble again, this time involving a thumping and whining noise coming from the vicinity of the fuel pump. Since I'm out of my warranty, I'm not even going to call Mitsubishi. My brother will be handling the repairs on this one. I'll bet money that he fixes it the first try! Of course, you may recall that the car was sent in last winter with a whining fuel pump, but I was told that I was wrong...
Well, here we are several days later, and I still haven't heard back from Mitsubishi, after writing to two of their executives in California. I guess it's time to go higher. By the way, my brother, who is not a Mitsubishi-trained mechanic, fixed my car on his first try. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my brother for fixing my car, and to thank Mitsubishi for not fixing it so that I could spend $250 of my own money to get it fixed.
Back again! If I were reading this, I'd think it was the plot for a cheap sit-com. When my brother was replacing the fuel pump, we noticed that the car had intermittent problems starting. We chalked it up to the dying fuel pump, but after the replacement this problem with starting the car continued (yes, the pump was bad, because it was making those noise and shaking the car). Took it back to Mitsubishi, found out it's a bad relay switch. Hmmm... the power to the computer was loose a while back, which they failed to notice on the first attempt... since that time (with power to my electrical system being turned off and on rapidly by virtue of the loose connection at the computer) I have lost my battery, alternator, after market alarm, fuel pump, and now a relay switch; all electronic items, all sensitive to these rapid power fluctuations. I contacted the Better Business Bureau. BTW, they are replacing this under warranty.
I received a call last night that my car is ready. Also, having discovered that the info I received from our State's Attorney's office on the Lemon Law was incorrect, and that my car has qualified for replacement under the lemon law, I am beginning pursuit of the replacement of my car.
Please don't laugh at me. I picked up the car from the dealership on my lunch hour, all happy that now, whenever I turn the key, I could count on the engine starting. Ha, ha. A couple of short trips later, it stranded me, causing me (once again) to miss time at work. Back to Mitsubishi again.
Back again, but this time at Mitsubishi's request. They "voluntarily" replaced my sunroof cover. Of course, the fact that this has broken a couple of times before means nothing. They responded to my Better Business Bureau request by explaining that there were "many" items that they had good willed on my car. If you have read this page, you know how much of a stretch this is! At least all of my complaining has done SOME good...
New one! I went through a car wash on my lunch today. Right at the end of it, about a half gallon of water came in through my factory-installed sunroof. I had to go home and change, again missing time at work. I don't think I'll take it over to the dealership, though. At least it still runs for now.
You know, I think that the irony of this whole situation is lost on me. The check engine light is on again, along with all the wonderful carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms. This is the seventh time that the car has been in for repairs on this particular issue. Seven... hmmmm.... I seem to remember something about that number from the Book of Revelations. The car was actually finished on Wednesdeay, 11-26-97. They had to replace the evaporative purge solenoid, whatever that is. And (drum roll please!!)... they did it under warranty! Let it not be said that complaining loudly accomplishes nothing. Now if I can only get them to replace the car.
My first service call of the new year! It seems fitting that it should be my worst problem, the check engine light. This time they replaced an air flow solenoid, again under warranty. This just never ends!
It should be noted that with very few exceptions, the staff at the service department has been very courteous. I am on a first name basis with most of them. Despite this, I find it totally unacceptable that a car should EVER have to spend this much time in the shop. Even if the issues had all been resolved on their first visit, I would still find this unbelievable. Adding insult to injury is the problem with the replacement of the speedometer. I could probably take it in and have this fixed, but I am too thoroughly disgusted with the whole situation right now. I welcome your comments! I will be posting some of them on this site.
E-mail I have received:
"Your tale of extreme woe has moved me to buy
American. Mitsubishi will not be getting my business."
-Conrad, Compuserve
"I guess you figured out that 'nice guys finish
last'!!"
-Todd, AOL
"I think the dealership and their repair department
would probably be out of jobs if anyone at the factory heard about it,
and if not, then Japan probably would get on them."
-Dave, Juno
"This is atrocious! I didn't know Mitsubishi made
"Pinto's". If Mitsubishi expects us to purchase this kind of high price
garbage, they are in for an awakening...To top it all off, the battery
bit proves to me this company is not interested at all in customer satisfaction,
or even decent manufacturing...Thanks for the head's up. I am most certain
I will not be owning a Mitsubishi Motors product."
-Rob, Juno
"I read with much pain the agony which you have
been put through...I would not wish that on anyone. I have kept a copy
of this so that when I begin car shopping, I will not give Mistsubishi
my business."
-Anne, Juno
"I enjoy the unfolding story of agony and stupidity
displayed by said car manufacturer. It seems there is a new section to
groan over every morning."
-Juan, (company name deleted)
"Good customer service is like making love to
a gorilla. You don't stop when you're satisfied; you stop when the gorilla
is satisfied."
-Vicki, (Company name deleted)
"I found your web page while out surfing for info
on a new sportscar. After reading your web page, Mitsubishi is off my list!
Due to the fact your's is not the first (all be it the worst) Mitshbishi
horror story I have heard it will be back to the good old Chevorlet products
for me."
-David, Sprynet
"I actually live in the same geographical area
as you, and if you're referring to the Mitsubishi that always advertises
their exceptional deals, I'm glad I found this page. Customer service is
THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY when purchasing a new car, and I'm glad I see from
your experiences what to expect. I've been through their lot, and talked
to them a couple times, was actually making plans to purchase. Finding
this site is unbelievable good luck. If they would do that to you, I don't
want to go through it. Neither do my wife or friends, who have also seen
this site (a friend actually pointed it out for me because he knew I was
getting ready to buy from them). Thanks for posting this information; just
think of the numbers of people who have access to this exposure. You're
doing us a service. Maybe they should open their eyes to the damage their
service department can do."
-Chris, AOL
" Dude, it sucks to be you, thanks for the page.
I was thinking of buying a used 95 Eclipse, I know now that I won't.
-- It's the end of the world as we know it and
I feel fine...... <REM>"
-James, Geocities
" I was just reading about your 95
Eclipse, as it turns out I have a 95 Mirage. And guess what? Well I'm sure
you can.hehe The latest involves the car leaking oil. I mean all
of it. No telling when it started, the check engine or oil lights never
came on, I almost wish my dash lights acted up like yours. "
-Mike, AOL
"Thanks for the tip. I WILL NOT be looking at
a Mitsubishi afterall. Looks like it's back to the Dodge cars and trucks
for me. They're better looking anyway."
-Tom, AOL
"When I read your article regarding the RS I nearly
pissed my pants. I am serious. I too dreamed of owning an eclipse and obtained
the opportunity on April 1996. All went well for a few months until I had
to take it back for service..." (Edward goes on to describe 2 pages worth
of repeated trips in a vain effort to get a set of problems resolved).
-Edward, Sprintmail
"I e-mailed you about this once before. This is
an update. My wife and I were about to buy a Chrysler Sebring until we
found out that the motor is made by Mitsubishi. No way."
-Rob, Juno
"I just found your web site by accident. I was
looking for someone to complain to about my mitsubishi nightmare and your
story hit the spot!!! Now my story doesn't seem so bad..." (She goes on
to describe her own horror story.)
-Liz, Bell-Atlantic
"I bought a 91 Eclipse GSX, and had similiar problems.
The car was in the shop every other week. 1st a bad turbo, then I needed
a new transfer case, next a new syncro, then a new 1st and rev gear, waterpump,
cracked rotors, etc... Thankfully I had an extended warranty. After expiration
of the warranty I traded the car in. (It was burning alot of oil). It seemed
that the mechanics could never duplicate the problem I was having. They
were full of crap."
-Patrick, NOLN
"I heard of your woebegone tale and had to read
it twice. My fiancee and I considered buying Mitsubishi after getting married
but after reading of your troubles, we both say NUKE the DAMN CAR!!!!!!!!"
-George, NTSLINK
"My husband and I have just read your "Horror"
story... We're sorry to hear about the problems you've been having with
your car.. We hope that your next major investment will be a better one...
We had similar problems with our [non-mitsubishi] we bought back in 1990...
I won't go into the details, it was also a nightmare that you couldn't
imagine... We're sticking to Chevrolet's.. Thanks for the tip on Mitsubishi...
We WON'T even go there..... Does Mitsubishi know about this site? Hopefully
they do.. Good Luck!!!!!"
-Charles and Melanie, cyberhighway
"I recently purchased a 1997 Mitsubishi Mirage
Coupe DE. The problems started about two weeks after I purchased the car,
Oct. 18 '97. Every time I go over a small bump in the road or a speed bump
the front suspension on the right hand side makes a very loud WHUMP sound,
like it's bottoming out. Also, the car pulls to the right , [and the] trim
on driver window is leaking. Keep in mind that this car isn't even a month
old yet and only has 750 miles on it!!! It scares me to think what will
go wrong at 10,000 miles. If I had only stumbled across your site sooner
I wouldn't have even considered Mitsubishi."
-Trek, AOL
-By the way, did any of these problems sound
familiar? Scott
"Well, here I am again. I have more woes to tell.
When we last spoke I had a problem with a clicking noise coming out of
my rs eclipse. Well after they installed a new rack&Pinion power steering
unit (direct from the factory) and new struts and springs the problem never
went away. I entered into IRC join a car channel and explained my problems.
Someone advised me to add more power steering fluid in the car. Well you
already know that the stick itself only reads min/max. To make a long story
short, all the car ever needed was power steering fluid. I added enough
so it would read Max. I went back to the dealership on 11-14-97. I noticed
that anti-freeze was leaking out of the car. I had the water pump release
via warranty. Now, the freak'n oil is leaking. I am taking it back to them
on 11-18-97. They did something wrong. The car never leaked oil before."
-Edward III, Sprintmail
"I bought a 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX in September.
About two days after the clutch started to make a loud popping noise whenever
pressed it in or released it. I took it in for service and they said they
fixed it. About two hours later it started doing it again. I had to take
in two more times after that for them to finally fix it. Then my check
engine light came on. I left my car at the service department from 8:00am
to 6:00pm. When I came to pick it up I was told that they were not sure
[what the problem was]. Two days later, after hearing no word from them,
I called to find out what was going on. They said they would call me back.
I did not hear from them. I traded in the car about a month ago and I am
glad to be rid of it. The funny thing is that the service department still
has not called about my check engine light."
-Dimitrios, MSN
"Thanks a lot for putting up on the Web your horrible experience. It's very informative. The Internet is just so liberating, isn't it?" -Alberto, (company name deleted)
"All I can say is DAAANG !!! I read your web page.
I think that qualifies as a lemon. My story is totally different. I also
own a Mitsubishi Eclipse. Mine is a 1996 RS (no sunroof). I have had my
car since September 1996. I have never had any problems with it at all.
The only time it has ever been in the shop was for regular service maintenance.
I love my car. Your story made me nervous..."
-David, Police Officer
"I can appreciate the Mitsubishi problem. I 've
a 91 Buick Regal..." He also goes on to describe the dealer problems he
has experienced as well.
-Jack, Flash.net
"Although I, like many of the people you posted
responding to your story about your car, don't have anything really constructive
to offer, I can deeply sympathize with your problems..." He describes his
own experiences with a new Pontiac.
-Ian, Cnet.com
"Sorry about your troubles. Ditch the thing in a lake and claim it, take the money and buy a honda."
-Daniel, Hfma.com
"I really do think that you have a LEMON on your hands. I have a 95 GS Eclipse and have had some problems with it during
the past three years and 55K miles, but nothing near your nightmare.
Please let me say first that I love my car! The story you tell is of great exception and should not be the basis for judgement of
all Mitsu products."
"Wow. To think that Mitsubishi hasn't read this and sent you a brand new
vehicle of your choice to buy your silence...it is horribly
disheartening to think that amends have not been made. Well, no
Mitsubishi for me, thanks!"
-Eric, Worldnet.net
-Mike, Telusplanet.net
