1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Interior & seats Problems

MY 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GSX HATCH WILL RELEASE BUT WILL NOT OPEN WHEN RELEASE FROM RELEASING HANDLE ON THE SIDE OF THE DRIVER SEAT FLOOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10258509

Incident

Jan 9, 2009

Mileage

163,000 mi

TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE OF VEHICLE OF MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE 1999 GS DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF FROM THE INSIDE AND NOW I HAVE TO OPEN DOOR FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. CAR WAS TAKING BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHO DIRECTED ME TO THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX THE DOOR LATCH STATING THAT IT WAS UNDER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR CONDITIONS. THERE ARE TOO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE TO BE CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS ITEM I AM HAVING BACK ISSUES DUE TO OPENING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10212440

Incident

Sep 10, 2005

I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE NEW. THE DRIVER DOOR HANDLE WOULD NOT "CATCH" SOMETIMES WHEN I TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY FIXED IT. A FEW WEEKS AFTER THAT I CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. SINCE THE DOOR HANDLE DID NOT ALWAYS DO THIS I JUST DEALT WITH IT AND DID NOT TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER. AFTER THE WARRANTY WAS UP THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLE COMPLETELY BROKE OFF AND NOW THE DRIVER SIDE HANDLE DOES NOT "CATCH" SO I CANNOT OPEN EITHER DOOR--I HAD TO CLIMB IN THROUGH THE HATCHBACK!! IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE DOOR HANDLES. ALSO, THE TRUNK/HATCH LOCK IS WEIRD, I HAVE TO TURN THE KEY TWICE EVERY TIME TO OPEN THE TRUNK--THE FIRST TIME THE TRUNK OPENS SLIGHTLY BUT REMAINS LOCKED...*NM

NHTSA ID

10171584

Incident

Sep 22, 2006

THE DRIVER'S SEAT IN MY 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SNAPPED AT THE RECLINING MECHANISM,STAYEDN ANY UPRIGHT POSITION WHICH IS A SAFETY CONCERN MUCH LESS INTOLERABLE TO DRIVE. I CONTACTED A DEALER WHO SAID THE SEAT IS NOT COVERED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10098473

Incident

Oct 27, 2004

Mileage

64,868 mi

BOTH DOOR HANDLES ON MY CAR ARE BROKEN AND I CAN NO LONGER USE THEM TO ENTER MY 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. I HAVE CALLED LOCAL JUNK YARDS TO FIND IF THEY HAVE THE CAR THEY HAVE ALREADY STRIPPED THE DOOR HANDLES, B/C THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH OTHER ECLIPSE CAR OWNERS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10090754

Incident

Sep 2, 2004

WHILE TRYING TO OPEN THE DRIVERS DOOR ON MY SON'S 1999 ECLIPSE THE DOOR HANDLE JUST BROKE OFF IN MY HAND CAUSING MY SON TO HAVE TO ENTER THE CAR FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. I QUESTIONED OTHER PEOPLE WITH ECLIPSES AND FOUND THAT 3 OF 5 EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM! I WENT TO THE DEALER FOR A NEW HANDLE AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST ME $80 PLUS PAINT AND INSTALLATION. EVEN THE PARTS SHOP WAS OUT OF DOOR HANDLES DUE TO THE CURRENT DEMAND FOR THEM. THE EMPLOYEE BEHIND THE COUNTER SAYS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. IF HE CAN SEE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM, THEN WHY CANT MITSUBISHI SEE THIS TOO? THE ANSWER IS, THEY KNOW BUT ARE NOT INTENDING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL OUR GREAT GOVERNMENT(?) STEPS IN AND FORCES THEM TO! THEN I STARTED LOOKING AT OTHER CARS ON THE STREET AND WAS AMAZED TO SEE HOW MANY ECLIPSES HAD BLACK ( THATS THE COLOR THE REPLACEMENTS ARE ) DOOR HANDLES ON THEM. THIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY A MASSIVE PROBLEM AND MITSUBISHI NEEDS TO STEP UP AND START TREATING THEIR CUSTOMERS FAIRLY AND REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE DOOR HANDLES, AT LEAST AS THEY BREAK. MITSUBISHI DOESNT SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM PROMISING THEIR CUSTOMERS VALUE FOR THEIR MONEY UNTIL THERE IS A PROBLEM SUCH AS THIS THEN THEY JUST TURN THEIR BACK ON THE VERY PEOPLE THAT KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS! THEIR CUSTOMERS!*AK

NHTSA ID

10083194

Incident

Jun 29, 2004

Mileage

65,000 mi

AS I WAS GETTING INTO MY CAR, MY DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE FELL OFF INTO MY HAND. I AM NOW HAVING TO OPEN THE DOOR BY GETTING IN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND OPENING MY DOOR THROUGH THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET AN ESTIMATE AND THEY SAID THAT LABOR ALONE WILL BE $90.00. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE ECLIPSE. *LA

NHTSA ID

10082279

Incident

Jul 12, 2004

MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. STICK SHIFT WOULD POP OUT OF 5TH GEAR ON OCCASSION AND THEN STARTED TO POP OUT OF GEAR IN 4TH THEN COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CAR HAS LESS THAN 43000 MILES ON IT. I'VE HEARD OF SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. ALSO DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE FELL OFF, AGAIN HEARD SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10029320

Incident

May 20, 2003

Mileage

42,500 mi

DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. SHORTLY AFTER HIGHLIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THEN VEHICLES LIGHTS IN DASH TURN ON AND OFF, WIPERS TURN ON AND OFF, AND VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOSES POWER AT 75 MPH. BATTERY APPEARED TO HAVE EXPLODED. BATTERY ACID OVER ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WILL NOT START AFTER NEW BATTERY IS TRIED.

NHTSA ID

762328

Incident

May 19, 2002

THE SEAT BROKE WHILE DRIVER WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SERVICE PERSON INDICATED THAT SEAT BROKE DUE TO OVER HEATING DURING THE WELDING. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE WELDING IS PERFORMED BY ROBOTS, AND I WONDER HOW MANY SEATS WILL BREAK BEFORE THE THREE YEAR PERIOD. ****DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****760780. *AK

NHTSA ID

10008782

Incident

Apr 12, 2000

Mileage

62,000 mi

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED, IT APPEARS THAT THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS LOCATED. NLM

NHTSA ID

561286

Incident

Apr 24, 2001

CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE. THE DRIVER GOT OUT OF THE CAR WHEN IT SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHTON FIRE. TRUE CAUSE AND ORIGIN OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOW AS MITSUBISHI DOES NOT WISH TO SPEAK WITH US, OR EXAMINE THE CAR.*AK

NHTSA ID

744080

Incident

Apr 8, 2000

DUE TO DESIGN OF SEAT BELTS WHEN IN USE FABRIC WOULD FOLD & BIND UP & GET INTO THE LOCKING MECHANISM,CAUSING IT TO JAM SOLID, RESULTING IN NO MOVEMENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

852567

Incident

Jun 11, 1999