NHTSA Complaint #10047641 — 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE

MY CLUTCH ON MY 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER STARTED TO SHOW SIGNS OF SLIPPING AT AROUND 11,000 MILES. I THOUGHT IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY AND DID NOT GET IT FIXED RIGHT AWAY AS MY DEALERSHIP IS ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY. IT FINALLY BECAME SO BAD THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT 19500 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH AND WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE DRIVEN STICK SHIFTS ALL MY LIFE AND NEVER HAD ONE FAIL, EVEN AFTER 85,000 MILES. THE CAR WAS NEVER RACED OR DRIVEN ABUSIVELY. NOW, THE SECOND CLUTCH IS AT 11,000 MILES AND THE PROBLEM IS BEGINNING AGAIN. I HAVE READ ON AN INTERNET FORUM FOR ECLIPSE OWNERS, REPORTS OF MANY OTHERS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CLUTCHES ON THE 2003 ECLIPSE GTS MODELS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECTIFIED. I CANNOT SPEND $1000 EVERY 6 - 12 MONTHS TO KEEP REPLACING CLUTCHES IN THIS CAR. *LA