NHTSA Complaint #10215748 — 2001 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE

POOR MANUFACTURING LEADING TO EVENTUAL OPERATIONAL FAILURE. THE HOOD HINGE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE HAS SEIZED UP. THIS HAS PLACED A GREAT AMOUNT OF STRESS UPON THE TINY BRACKET ATTACHED TO THE HOOD; CAUSING IT TO BEND AND STRUCTURALLY FAIL. A SIMILAR PROBLEM IS NOW BEGINNING TO PROPAGATE OVER TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HINGE AND BRACKET. THIS MAKES OPENING AND CLOSING THE HOOD EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, ALONG WITH THE HOOD NOT PROPERLY CLOSING. ALSO, THE TOP HINGE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HAS ALSO SEIZED UP PLACING A SEVERE AMOUNT OF STRESS ON THE ATTACHED BRACKET AND BOTTOM HINGE. THE AMOUNT OF STRESS CAUSED BY THE SEIZED HINGE HAS FORCED THE BRACKET THROUGH THE DOOR; PIERCING THE METAL. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALSO CAUSED MISALIGNMENT WITH THE DOOR, RESULTING IN IT NOT CLOSING/SEALING PROPERLY AS WELL AS RUBBING AGAINST THE FRONT RIGHT QUARTER PANEL. THE COST OF THE DAMAGES WILL RESULT IN APPROX $700.00 IN REPAIRS FOR A VEHICLE A BIT OVER 6 YEARS OF AGE. CURRENTLY NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE DAMAGES. WE SPOKE WITH A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE WHO WAS RUDE AND PRETTY MUCH TRIED TO DEFLECT QUESTIONS WITH NO CLEAR ANSWERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO FRUSTRATE US AND MAKE US STOP BOTHERING HIM. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF APPEALING TO THE CORPORATE OFFICE TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE REGARDING THIS OBVIOUS (AS SHOWN ON THIS SITES MANY CONSUMER COMMENTS) MANUFACTURING FLAW. *TR