2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder

2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Convertible

Overall

Not Rated

Front Crash

Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL RETURN LINE HOSE FITTING ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP MAY BE RESTRICTED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE FUEL PRESSURE TO BUILD UP IN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. EXCESSIVE FUEL PRESSURE MAY RESULT IN A LEAK IN THE FUEL RETURN HOSE.

Campaign: 03V442000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

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.

Campaign: 04V428000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2000-2005 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 5, 1999, to December 17, 2004, 2001-2005 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured January 19, 2000, to March 18, 2005, 2001-2005 Chrysler Sebring vehicles manufactured April 17, 2000, to February 21, 2005, and 2001-2005 Dodge Stratus vehicles manufactured April 17, 2000, to February 22, 2005. In the affected vehicles, the passenger side sun visor may be folded down in such a position that, if the passenger frontal air bag deploys, the passenger side sun visor may detach.

Campaign: 15V338000

POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE

TAKATA AIRBAG: MY INCIDENT HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED. I AM ADDING THE POLICE REPORT. I AM STILL REQUIRING SURGERY AND UNABLE TO USE MY LEFT ARM 10 MONTHS LATER.

AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER

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.

AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR IMPACT. WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, THE VISOR ON THE VEHICLE DETACHED. THE VEHICLE'S TOP WAS DOWN AT THE TIME AND CAUSED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG TO BLOW IN THE WIND, WHICH HINDERED THE CONTACT'S VIEW OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER BUT, DUE TO THE DISTRACTION OF THE AIR BAG BLOWING, THE CONTACT STRUCK A CULVERT, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, IT RELEASED A SMALL SPARK AND THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A AAA TRANSMISSION APPROVED SHOP WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED SEVERAL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT BROKE SEVERAL BONES IN HER LEFT HAND THROUGH THE FOREARM. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NEEDED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000. UPDATED 10/26/17*LJ *JS

TIRES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TRIPLETRED TIRES, SIZE P215/55R16. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO DRIVE OVER A CURB. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE TIRE AND FOUND THAT THE TIRE TREAD WAS SEPARATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE TIRE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

TIRES,WHEELS

ON NOVEMBER 28, 2015 MY PASSENGER FRONT TIRE EXPLOSIVELY FAILED COMING OUT OF A LEFT TURN AT ABOUT 25 MPH CAUSING MY CAR TO DROP AND SWERVE, CRASHING INTO A TALL STREET CURB AND STORM SEWER DRAIN CAUSING $2000 DAMAGE TO MY CAR. THE OUTER SIDEWALL SEPARATED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY FROM THE TREAD. THIS PREMIUM TIRE WAS ONLY SEVEN MONTHS OLD WITH MINIMAL WEAR. I CHECK MY TIRE PRESSURE AND FLUIDS EVERY TIME I BUY GAS, OVERHAULED THE SUSPENSION THAT SUMMER AND DIDN'T BELIEVE IT WAS MY FAULT. I TOOK THE TIRE STILL ON THE DAMAGED WHEEL TO A TIRE FAILURE EXPERT WHO RULED OUT PRE-EXISTING DAMAGE, UNUSUAL WEAR OR SIGNS OF DRIVING WITH LOW OR HIGH TIRE PRESSURE; HE STATED THERE WAS A ZIPPER FAILURE RESULTING FROM A BAD TIRE. THIS WAS THE SECOND GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TRIPLETRED TO FAIL ON MY CAR. I CONTACTED GOODYEAR AND FILED A CLAIM WITH THEIR PROPERTY CLAIMS TEAM. I HAD REPLACED THE WHEEL AND TIRE AND GOT TWO CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES. THEY REQUIRED THE TIRE TO BE TAKEN OFF THE WHEEL AND SHIPPED TO THEM FOR INSPECTION. WITHOUT EXPLANATION, IT SAT DELAYED AT THE GOODYEAR TIRE AND SERVICE CENTER FOR WEEKS. THE CLAIM, #492513, WAS QUICKLY DENIED; I RECEIVED A LETTER WHICH I FOLLOWED UP WITH A PHONE CALL TO CLARIFY. GOODRICH CLAIM'S TEAM STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE TIRE BLEW OUT SO THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE WARRANTY. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF IT BEING MY FAULT BUT THEY ALSO DIDN'T FIND AN OBVIOUS DEFECT THAT WOULD CAUSE THE BLOWOUT SO THEY CONVENIENTLY DENIED TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR TIRE OR THE DAMAGE FROM THE CRASH THAT RESULTED FROM IT'S FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER OF A CRITICAL COMPONENT LIKE A TIRE CAN'T JUST REFUSE TO BE RESPONSIBLE WHEN IT FAILS AND THEY DON'T TO KNOW WHY. I WAS A LIFETIME LOYAL GOODYEAR CUSTOMER UNTIL THIS. I HAVE THE TIRE AND WHEEL AND PHOTOS AND WON'T GIVE UP UNTIL THEY PAY FOR THE DAMAGES.

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

STRUCTURE

I BOUGHT AN USED 2003 ECLIPSE AND AT THE TIME I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW BADLY CRACKED THE DASHBOARD WAS. TO MY SURPRISE, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND AN USED DASHBOARD IN GOOD CONDITION...EVERY SINGLE 2003 ECLIPSE I'VE FOUND AND SEEN HAS THE SAME ISSUE AND AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE ONLY SOLUTION MITSUBISHI OFFERS IS TO REPLACE IT WITH A BRAND NEW (YET SAME POOR QUALITY) PART. HOW CAN WE (ECLIPSE OWNERS) GET A FULL OR PARTIAL CREDIT FROM MITSUBISHI, EVEN IF THE TEMPORARY SOLUTION IS TO INSTALL A SIMILAR PART? *TR

AIR BAGS

DRIVERS AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING SPACE. AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT CAUSED BRUISING AND LACERATIONS TO NECK AND CHEST. *TR

STRUCTURE

PASSENGER SIDE DOOR BY SIDE MIRROR WATER LEAKS IN. WATER FOULS DOWN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR AND MAKES A PUDDLE INFRONT OF PASSENGER SEAT. THERE ARE NO CRACKS LOOSE SEALS THAT COULD BE FOUND OR SEEN. IT SEEMS AS IF THE POUNDING OF WATER ON THE SIDE CAUSES WATER TO LEAK IN. *TR

TIRES

I HAD A NAIL IN MY TIRE AND WENT TO HAVE IT FIXED. UPON REMOVING TIRE THE TECH INFORMED ME AND SHOWED ME THAT THE INNER PART OF THE GOOD YEAR TIRE 215/50R17 WAS CRACKED. I HAD TIRE REPLACED WITH 2007 GOOD YEAR TIRE I HAD SAVED FROM MY LAST PURCHASE, THAT HAD SIDE WALL ISSUES ALSO. I REPLACED ALL TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND, DID NOT KEEP THE TIRES. MY PREVIOUS TIRES WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 2003 WERE ALSO GOOD YEAR AND THEY HAD DRY-ROT ( I WAS LED TO BELIEVE AT THE TIME) I GOT THEM WITH THE VEHICLE WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED AT THAT TIME 2007 WITH ANOTHER SET OF GOOD YEAR 215/50R17. NOW I HAVE DUNLOPS 215/50R17 PURCHASED 7/21/2011 HOPING TO DO BETTER. I HOPE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS OF HELP IN POSSIBLY PREVENTING A SERIOUS INJURY TO SOMEONE. UPDATED 09/06/11 *TR