NHTSA Complaint #10087038 — 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER

FROM THE TIME I PURCHASED MY 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER GT IN JUNE OF 2000 UNTIL I TRADED IT IN MAY OF 2002, I HAD TO REPLACE 5 BENT WHEELS/RIMS AT MY OWN EXPENSE. EACH WHEEL COST $249 PLUS INSTALLATION & TAX. MY LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT ALTHOUGH MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY-THE WHEELS WERE NOT COVERED. I COULD NOT HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR MORE CAREFULLY TO AVOID THE BENT RIMS. WHEN I NO LONGER HAD CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE, I TRADED IT AT A LOSS. THERE IS NO REASON A $28000 VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE WHEEL ISSUES WITHOUT MITSUBISHI TAKING RESPONSIBILITY. I DID NOT CHOOSE THE WHEEL SUPPLIER, THEY DID. WHEN I CALLED THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT IN CA, THEY WERE EVEN LESS HELPFUL THAN MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. AGAIN, THEY REITERATED THAT THE WHEELS WERE MY PROBLEM AND NOT THEIRS. THE INCIDENT DATE IS NOT CORRECT. AS I STATED ABOVE, THE BENT WHEELS OCCURRED THROUGHOUT MY OWNERSHIP OF THE 2001 SPYDER GT. *JB