RoadVitals

2001 Mitsubishi Diamante Visibility Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Visibility reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
56
Latest Apr 9, 2009
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
72%
of 78 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
3

What this page shows

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Mitsubishi Diamante submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 56 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming visibility

The 25 most recent of 56, in the owner's own words

Visibility
Filed Apr 9, 2009

WINDOWS ARE FOGGING UP DO T A FAULTY HEATER CORE. I REALLY DON'T MIND REPAIRING THE CAR SEEING THAT IT HAS 120K ON IT.. I PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW AND THIS WILL BE THE 3RD HEATER CORE!!! WHAT'S GOING ON! *TR

NHTSA ID
10264812
Incident
Mar 10, 2008
Visibility
Filed Aug 13, 2008

MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE INFAMOUS HEATER CORE PROBLEM ANTIFREEZE LEAKS INTO INTERIOR OF CAR. HORRIBLE SICKENING ANTI FREEZE SMELL, HAPPENS ON AN ABUNDANCE OF MITSUBISHI CARS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10237949
Incident
Oct 1, 2007
Mileage
75,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Apr 14, 2008

HEATER CORE IS CAUSING THE WINDOWS TO FOG UP, THE CAR TO SMELL LIKE ANTIFREEZE AND MAY BE DAMAGING THE ECU. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF POSTS ONLINE ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM OVER AND OVER WITH THIS CAR. IT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND CUSTOMERS ARE LEFT PAYING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FO THE REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10224497
Incident
Mar 25, 2008
Visibility
Filed Mar 14, 2008

HEATER CORE WENT BAD AT 105,000 MILES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTORING PROBLEM AND MITSUBIHI SHOULD ADRESS THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10221224
Incident
Mar 14, 2008
Mileage
104,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jan 17, 2008

MY 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE'S HEATER CORE WENT UP. I HAVE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF COOLANT LEAKING ON MY PASSENGER SIDE, THICK SMOKE COMING FROM MY VENTS AND A BAD ODOR COMING FROM THE VENTS. I HAVE READ THIS IS A VERY VERY COMMON THING WITH MITSUBISHI'S ESPECIALLY DIAMANTE'S. *TR

NHTSA ID
10215285
Incident
Oct 1, 2007
Visibility
Filed Nov 27, 2007

JUST RECENTLY STARTED HAVING REALLY FOGGY WINDOWS AND STARTED TO NOTICE SWEET SMELL COMING FROM CAR WHEN HEATER/DEFROST WAS TURNED ON. NOTIFIED DEALER OF PROBLEM AND DEALER QUICKLY IDENTIFIED PROBLEM AS HEATER CORE DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10210022
Incident
Nov 23, 2007
Mileage
81,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Nov 13, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE. THE WINDOWS FOGGED UP WHEN THE AIR AND HEAT WERE ACTIVATED. THE PASSENGERS COULD SMELL ANTIFREEZE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE HEATER CORE FAILED DUE TO DEFECTIVE O-RINGS AND NOTICED ANTIFREEZE LEAKING ONTO THE MICRO PROCESSOR. THE MICRO PROCESSOR AND HEATER CORE WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

NHTSA ID
10208833
Incident
Feb 22, 2007
Mileage
70,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Nov 13, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE. THE WINDOWS FOGGED UP WHEN THE AIR AND HEAT WERE ACTIVATED. THE PASSENGERS COULD SMELL ANTIFREEZE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE HEATER CORE FAILED DUE TO DEFECTIVE O-RINGS. THE HEATER CORE WAS REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 65,000.

NHTSA ID
10208832
Incident
Nov 12, 2007
Mileage
65,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 20, 2007

2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE - HAVE ANTIFREEZE ODOR COMING FROM AC VENTS. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH I FIND THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH SECOND GENERATION DIAMANTES (1997-2004) WITH THE 2001 YEAR MODEL BEING THE MOST EFFECTED. THE ODORS HAVE EVEN CAUSED RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. I MYSELF HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERE HEADACHES AND SLEEPINESS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THE ODOR AT FIRST WAS VERY FAINT BUT BECAME WORSE OVER TIME. WITH AS MANY PROBLEMS THAT HAS OCCURRED AND THE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS RELATED TO THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT, THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE A MANUFACTURERS RECALL TO RESOLVE THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND HEALTH HAZARDOUS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10200085
Incident
Aug 19, 2007
Mileage
84,560 mi
Visibility
Filed May 3, 2007

I HAVE A 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE LS WITH 66,000 MILE AND MY HEATER CORE WENT OUT. I NOTICED MY WINDOW WOULD FOG UP AND YOU CAN SMELL ANTIFREEZE IN THE CAR, TO HAVE THIS REPLACED IS GOING TO COST ME ALMOST $998.00 FOR PART AND LABOR. MOST MECHANICS I HAVE TALKED TO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SAID THAT I SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE HEATER CORE SO EARLY. I KNOW OF NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS DEFECT FOR THIS (NONE OF WHICH I KNEW ABOUT BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR) I KNOW THAT IT IS DANGEROUS FOR THE ANTIFREEZE TO BE INHALED, AND WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. THERE IS HEALTH RISKS WITH THE HEATER CORE GOING OUT AND RELEASING THE ANTIFREEZE NOT TO MENTION THE SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE HEATER CORE BEING SO NEAR IMPORTANT COMPUTER COMPONENTS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10189662
Incident
May 3, 2007
Mileage
64,000 mi
EngineVisibility
Filed Apr 26, 2007

FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON MY CAR FILLS UP WITH THE SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE COOLANT WHEN I TURN ON THE HEATER. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY LEAKING 0-RINGS AND THAT THIS WILL DAMAGE THE COMPUTERS WHICH ARE UNDERNEATH THE LEAK. THE CAR IS A 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE L.S. THE DEALER SAYS IT IS NOT A COMMON ISSUE. GOOGLE SAYS OTHERWISE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10188952
Incident
Apr 25, 2007
Mileage
58,100 mi
Visibility
Filed Apr 22, 2007

MY WINDSHIELD WAS FOGGING UP CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAD TO REPLACE THE HEATER CORE. COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $500. *TR

NHTSA ID
10188549
Incident
Feb 19, 2005
Mileage
50,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Apr 7, 2007

WHEN USING THE DEFROSTER THE WINDOWS INCREASINGLY FOG UP AND IT DOES NOT CLEAR. FROM INVESTIGATING I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THE HEATER CORE OF THIS MODEL OF OF VEHICLE, 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE, IN THIS CASE. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED FROM A LOCAL DEALER APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO. I GUESS LUCKY FOR US THE WEATHER TURNED COLD, FORCING US TO USE THE DEFROSTER, AND THEREBY DISCOVERING THIS PROBLEM. I REALIZE I MOST LIKELY DO NOT HAVE ANY RECOURSE IN MY CASE I WANT TO FILE THIS ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO MIGHT SINCE, AS STATED ABOVE, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE DIAMANTE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10187242
Incident
Mar 31, 2007
Mileage
80,800 mi
Visibility
Filed Feb 2, 2007

DEFROSTER WOULD NOT DEFROST THE WINDOWS. THE TRANSMISSION KEEPS GOING IN AND OUT OF GEAR. WAS TOLD THE HEATER CORE HAS GONE BAD, WHICH THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING IN AND OUT BECAUSE COOLANT WAS DRIPPING ON THE RELAY THAT WAS UNDERNEATH IT. IT IS GOING TO COST $500 DOLLARS FOR THE RELAY, THE RESET OF THE CHECK ENGINE AND HEATER CORE. THEN A ADDITIONAL $600 DOLLARS FOR LABOR SINCE THEY HAVE TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD. *JB

NHTSA ID
10181448
Incident
Jan 31, 2007
EngineVisibility
Filed Jan 26, 2007

ANTI FREEZE ODOR IS OVERWHELMING IN THE CAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE HEATER IS RUN. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE IT WAS NEW, AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE ISSUE BY INSTALLING A NEW GASKET, BUT THE FIX HAS LASTED ONLY A COUPLE OF YEARS. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING A VARIETY OF RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES RECENTLY, AND I BELIEVE THESE FUMES ARE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. *JB

NHTSA ID
10180810
Incident
Jan 24, 2007
Mileage
75,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Dec 24, 2006

2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE WITH 44K MILES - HEATER CORE FAILED AND A FEW WEEKS LATER THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL DEVICE FAILED. THIS IS DUE TO LEAKING FLUID FROM THE HEATER CORE DIRECTLY ONTO A COMPUTER COMPONENT THAT HAS NO COVER. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED AND MITSUBISHI SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS (ABOUT $2000). *NM

NHTSA ID
10176887
Incident
Dec 14, 2006
Other / unspecifiedVisibility
Filed Oct 12, 2006

RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE WITH 62K MILES. ADMITTEDLY, I AM NOT CAR "SAVVY" RELATED TO THE WELL BEING OF THE CAR. WHEN PURCHASED, THE CAR HAD A "MAPLE SYRUP" TYPE SMELL. ALSO, THE WINDOWS FOGGED UP VERY QUICKLY AND EVENTUALLY I REALIZED THE HEAT TOOK A LONG TIME TO WARM UP. AS I PURCHASED THE CAR IN THE SUMMER, THE FOGGING AND HEAT PROBLEM WAS NOT NOTICED FOR TWO MONTHS. I HAVE NOW REALIZED THAT THE PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH THE HEATER CORE. I HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE CAR "SAVY" AND THEY SAY CARS SHOULDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS WITH A HEATER CORE UNTIL LATE IN THEIR LIVES (ABOVE 120K MILES), IF EVER. AS I DISCOVERED MY PROBLEM, I REALIZE THAT I HAVE BEEN INHALING ANTI FREEZE GAS THROUGH THE HEAT VENTS. I'M WORRIED THAT I WILL HAVE RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THIS. HAS MITSUBISHI TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SEVERE MISHAP? I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY PREVALENT PROBLEM IN MOST DIAMANTES. NOT ONLY IS THIS EXTREMELY DETRIMENTAL TO ONES HEALTH, IT'S AN EXPENSIVE FIX. IS THERE ANY HOPE FOR A RECALL HERE? *JB

NHTSA ID
10170698
Incident
Aug 24, 2006
Visibility
Filed Feb 27, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AN ODOR OF ANTIFREEZE ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND THE WINDOW WERE FOGGING UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE HEATER CORE O-RINGS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. UPDATED 3/28/2006 - *NM

NHTSA ID
10151331
Incident
Feb 1, 2006
Mileage
86,300 mi
Visibility
Filed Feb 18, 2006

AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES, MY 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE HEATER CORE STARTED LEAKING. THE FIRST INDICATION WAS THAT THE WINDSHIELD STARTED FOGGING UP IMMEDIATELY. THIS WAS IN THE WINTER (FEBRUARY, MINNESOTA) AND THE DEFROSTER MADE IT WORSE, DRIVING WAS DIFFICULT AT BEST. I WAS LUCKY IN THAT I WAS CLOSE TO HOME. HAD I BEEN ON THE FREEWAY, IT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE DANGEROUS. A CALL TO ONE OF THE LOCAL DEALERS INFORMED ME THAT THE COST FOR THE FIX WAS OVER $1000. RESEARCH THAT I DID ON THE INTERNET SHOWED THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON FAILURE AND THAT MOST DEALERSHIPS PREFER TO CHARGE THE CUSTOMER OUTRAGEOUS BILLS FOR FIXING WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD A BILL OF THIS SIZE, I FOUND A WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM MYSELF, BUT IT WAS NOT EASY. I'VE FOUND MITSUBISHI IS NOT EASY TO DEAL WITH. MY GUESS IS THAT BECAUSE THEY NO LONGER SELL THIS MODEL, THEY WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CUSTOMERS THAT ARE OWNERS OF THE DIAMANTE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CAR FROM THIS MANUFACTURER. *NM

NHTSA ID
10150578
Incident
Feb 20, 2005
Mileage
40,500 mi
Visibility
Filed Jan 26, 2006

WE NOTICED BLACK RESIDUE ON THE REAR WINDSHIELD OF 2001 DIAMANTE. THE NEXT DAY WHEN THE DEFROSTER WAS TURNED ON BLACK SMOKE FILLED THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. THE FOLLOWING DAY BLACK SMOKE FILLED THE CAR WITHOUT THE DEFROSTER BEING ON. HAD THE CAR TOWED, AND THEY TOLD US IT WAS THE HEATER CORE HAVING A HOLE IN IT. THEY HAD ANOTHER 2001 DIAMANTE SITTING THERE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. SINCE IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY, WE BOUGHT IT CERTIFIED IN DECEMBER, IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $875 TO FIX IT. *AK

NHTSA ID
10148783
Incident
Jan 25, 2006
Visibility
Filed Nov 6, 2005
3 injuries reported

ABNORMAL SMELL COMING FROM VENTS, MADE ME, AND MY TWO SONS FEEL NAUSEOUS, CREATED A HEADACHE FOR ME. I HAD TO OPEN WINDOWS IN ORDER TO DRIVE CAR DUE TO FUMES. BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER, AND HEATER CORE WAS IDENTIFIED AS PROBLEM AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER RECALL AND HE SAID NO, THEY ONLY HAD TO DO A RECALL IF IT WAS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THIS COST $802.37 TO REPAIR. THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. NOT ONLY HEALTH, BUT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO FOGGING OF WINDOWS, ETC. I AM SURE MITSUBISHI KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM. SEEMS AS THOUGH A CLASS ACTION SUIT SHOULD BE FILED AGAINST THEM FOR THIS ISSUE. MY CAR ONLY HAS 47K MILES, I PURCHASED NEW AND IT HAS HAD ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE REQUIRED. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER MITSUBISHI, JUST BECAUSE THEY DO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *NM

NHTSA ID
10141862
Incident
Oct 25, 2005
Mileage
47,971 mi
Visibility
Filed Oct 30, 2005

NOTICED SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. FRONT WINDSHIELD FOGS UP AFTER CAR IS DRIVEN AND THE MOTOR IS TURNED OFF. WIPING OFF THE MOISTURE IS THE ONLY WAY TO REMOVE IT. READ ABOUT THE HEATER CORE PROBLEMS ON THE WEB AND TOOK THE CAR IN TO BE REPAIRED FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. CORE SEALS WERE REPLACED OCT 2003, THE FIRST REPAIR, BUT SMELL OF COOLANT REMAINED. TWO ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS AT REPAIR WERE MADE, INCLUDING "CLEANING" OF THE CORE, BUT SMELL REMAINS TO THIS DAY. *NM

NHTSA ID
10141241
Incident
Oct 21, 2003
Mileage
30,162 mi
Visibility
Filed Oct 23, 2005

VEHICLE IS 2001 DIAMANTE LS WITH 72,000 VIN # [XXX]. DEFROSTER NOT WORKING PROPERLY WINDOW FOG SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE AND PUDDLE OF ANTIFREEZE UNDER PASSENGER RUG. HAVE ESTIMATE OF $800 TO FIX. *NM UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
10140531
Incident
Oct 13, 2005
Mileage
72,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Oct 20, 2005

I HAVE A 2001 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE LS THAT REQUIRES I REPLACE THE HEATER CORE, THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. I ALSO OWNED A 1998 DIAMANTE LS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID
10140320
Incident
Feb 28, 2004
Mileage
42,853 mi
Visibility
Filed Oct 3, 2005

CAR SMELLED OF SYRUP WHEN THE HEAT WAS ON AND SMOKE CAME FROM THE VENTS. AFTER BREAKING DOWN, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE O RINGS/HEATER CORE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHICH COST ME $850.00.. *JB

NHTSA ID
10138419
Incident
Jul 15, 2005
Mileage
72,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .