NHTSA Complaint #10184218 — 1998 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER

I PURCHASED MY CAR NEW IN FEBRUARY 1998. AFTER 9 YEARS I ONLY HAVE 43,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I LIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SO THERE IS NO EXTREME TEMPERATURE CHANGES WHICH MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE DOOR HANDLE TO BE COMPROMISED, NOR ABUSE AS I SEE OTHERS ARE BEING TOLD BY SERVICE SHOPS. I DID NOT EXPECT TO OPEN MY DRIVERS SIDE CAR DOOR LAST WEEK AND HAVE IT COME OFF IN MY HAND. THE REASON I BOUGHT THIS CAR WAS THAT A FRIEND HAD JUST BOUGHT ONE FOR HIMSELF THE MONTH BEFORE I DID. I WAS VISITING HIM YESTERDAY AND ASKED HIM TO GUESS WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR AND HE BEAT ME TO IT. HIS DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE HAD COME OFF IN HIS HAND 2 WEEKS AGO. I WAS FIRST CHECKING FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL BEFORE BRINGING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. RIGHT NOW, I HAVE TO CLIMB THROUGH FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE TO POP OPEN MY DOOR OR LEAVE THE WINDOW DOWN WHEN RUNNING ERRANDS. I THINK THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS SEEMS TO WARRANT SOME SORT OF A RESPONSE TO THIS FROM MITSUBISHI. *JB