NHTSA Complaint #10238488 — 2002 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE

AFTER HAVING MY CAR WASHED AND DETAILED IN LATE MAY OF 2008, I NOTICED A WHITE DETERIORATION OF PAINT ON THE HOOD. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS THE DAMAGE HAS SPREAD OVER THE HOOD AND THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE LIKE A FUNGUS. I RECENTLY WENT ONLINE TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED HUNDREDS OF MITSUBISHI OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. MOST HAVE STATED THAT MITSUBISHI HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECT AS THE CAR IS "NO LONGER UNDER THE 36 MONTH WARRANTY PERIOD". MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS HAVE NOTED THE COST OF REPAIR AS HIGH AS $3,500 - 9,000 TO REPAINT THE CAR. TO REPAIR THE CAR COULD BE MORE THAN THE KELLEY BLUE BOOK VALUE FOR SOME OWNERS. I HAVE FOUND NO INFORMATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED, HOWEVER, A GENTLEMAN IN PA IS ORGANIZING CONSUMERS TO INITIATE A CASE. THERE ARE SEVERAL WEBSITES THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED (IE: DEADECLIPSE.COM; MITSUBISHISUCKS.COM) AS A FORUM FOR HUNDREDS OF DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS TO VOICE THEIR DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE COMPANY/PRODUCT. IT SEEMS UNUSUAL THAT WITH HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS CIRCULATING ABOUT THE MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT (CLEAR COAT PAINT) ON MANY OF ITS MODELS, THE NHTSA HAS NO RECORD OF INVESTIGATION OR RECALLS. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS A FORMAL COMPLAINT AND INITIATE A FORMAL INVESTIGATION. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. *TR