NHTSA Complaint #10187145 — 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER

APPROXIMATELY 1-YEAR AGO, I PURCHASED A 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SYDER FORM A DEALERSHIP WITH APPROXIMATELY 65,000 MILES ON IT. I CHECKED THE RECORDS AND CONTACTED THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER. THE CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR IT HAD A MINOR CRACK IN THE DASH BOARD. IT WAS ABOUT 1 INCH LONG. WEEKS LATER, IT GREW. ALSO OTHER CRACKS STARTED TO APPEAR. WHILE IN THE GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, I PARKED NEXT TO ANOTHER SPYDER AND NOTICED IT'S DASH WAS CRACKED IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATIONS. AFTERWARDS, I NOTICED THAT EVERY MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE 2003 AND NEWER HAVE CRACKED DASH BOARDS IN THE SAME LOCATION. I RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND WEBSITES AND MESSAGE BOARDS WHERE OWNERS OF MITSUBISHI ECLIPSES COMPLAIN ABOUT CRACKING DASHBOARDS. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL MITSUBISHI SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE SERVICE MANGER TOLD ME TO CONTACT MITSUBISHI USA. HE SAID THIS PROBLEM IS ENDEMIC OF MITSUBISHI ECLIPSES AND SPYDERS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL THE DASH IS MADE OF AND THE WAY THE DASH BOARD IS MOUNTED TO THE FRAME OF THE CAR. THERE IS NO AFTER-MARKET SOLUTION. A NEW DASHBOARD (INSTALLATION AND PARTS) AT A DISCOUNT IS OVER $1,000. MITSUBISHI USA WILL NOT HELP ME. THEY SAY THIS IS BECAUSE MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I AM NOT SEEKING WARRANTY WORK. OTHER VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS MAKE "DASH CAPS" - MOLDED ABS PLASTIC COVERS TO FIX THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. NO SUCH PRODUCT IS MADE FOR THIS VEHICLE. FURTHER, MITSUBISHI USA WANTS ME TO PAY $1000.00 FOR THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART THAT WILL CRACK THE SAME WAY. MITSUBISHI SAYS THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THIS IS NOT A "DEFECT". THE ALSO STATE THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP MY CAR, BUT THE DASH BOARD IS FALLING APART. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL AND UNSAFE. BECAUSE MY CAR IS A CONVERTIBLE, IF WATER GETS INTO THE DASH BOARD, MY ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS COULD SHORT OUT (INCLUDING MY AIRBAGS, HORN, LIGHTS, ETC.) PLEASE HELP! *JB