NHTSA Complaint #10202258 — 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE RIGHT MOLDING ON THE FRONT WINDOW FLEW OFF THE CAR.(IT IS CALLED THE A PILLAR.) IT SHOT BACK, BANGING AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE CAR DENTED THE DOOR. WHEN WE GOT TO OUR DESTINATION I LOOKED AND THE BOLTS WERE STILL IN THE FRAME, BUT THE MOLDING WAS GONE. THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO THE DEALER (COCONUT CREEK MITSUBISHI IN COCONUT CREEK, FLORIDA) TO ASK IF THIS WAS NORMAL. THEY OF COURSE SAID NO. I ASKED WHAT THEY WOULD DO TO GET IT REPLACED. THEIR FIRST RESPONSE WAS TO SELL ME A NEW ONE AT A COST OF $163.70 PLUS TAX, BUT THEY WOULD INSTALL IT FOR FREE BECAUSE THEY ADMITTED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. A WEEK LATER I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER MICHAEL SEE AT COCONUT CREEK MITSUBISHI AND FIND OUT WHAT THE FACTORY REP TOLD HIM. MICHAEL TOLD ME THAT JOHN HACKWORTH THE FACTORY REP SAID I'M NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING. THE FACTORY REP NEVER LOOKED AT THE CAR OR INSPECTED THE BOLTS TO SEE WHY THE MOLDING FLEW OFF. HE HEARD THE AGE OF THE CAR AND THE MILEAGE AND THAT WAS THE BASIS FOR HIS FINAL DECISION. THE STORY THAT MICHAEL SEE AND THE ASSISTANT MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP STANLY ANDERS KEEP TELLING ME IS THAT THE CAR IS SIX YEARS OLD AND HAS 95,000 MILES ON IT AND THINGS BREAK. FIRST MR. ANDERS SAID THAT IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE FACT THAT THE FACTORY REP NEVER CALLED TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AND INSPECT THE BOLTS TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED, IN MY OPINION IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE FACT THAT MITSUBISHI MOTORS OF NORTH AMERICA HAS NO INFLUENCE OVER THE DECISIONS OF A FACTORY REP IS ABSURD. IN ADDITION, THE DASHBOARD IS SLOWLY FALLING APART. THE DASHBOARD HAD APPROXIMATELY SEVEN CRACKS IN IT WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE DEALER SAID THAT THIS IS NORMAL ON CONVERTIBLES AND THAT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE IT. YOUR CAR, YOUR PROBLEM WE DID MORE THEN ENOUGH FOR A USED CAR. TODAY THERE ARE ABOUT ELEVEN OR TWELVE CRACKS AND I SUPPOSE THAT ONE DAY IT WILL JUST FALL APART COMPLETELY, BUT ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THAT'S NORMAL. *TR