NHTSA Complaint #10428608 — 2003 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE

THIS VEHICLE SUDDENLY STARTED STALLING WHETHER IDLING, ACCELORATING, OR COASTING. IT WOULD THEN HAVE TROUBLE STARTING AND RUN FINE AGAIN. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE MITSUBSHI DEALERSHIP ON WESTERN BLVD IN JACKSONVILLE, NC, THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE IT BUT FOUND IN THEIR DATA BASE THAT THERE IS A TINY PART IN THE CRANK SHAFT THAT COULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. AFTER WAITING A WEEK FOR PARTS THEY REALIZED THEY HAD THE WRONG TOOL. ANOTHER WEEK WAITING FOR THE TOOL AND THE NEW PART DDID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. ANOTHER WEEK OF KEEPING MY CAR THEY REPLACED THE FUEL INJECTION REGULATOR WITH A USED PART, THIS DID NOT FIX IT. ANOTHER WEEK WITH A NEW FUEL INJECTOR. NOW IT DOES NOT STALL BUT I CANT GET GAS IN THE GAS TANK, THE CAR SMELLS LIKE GAS, THERE IS STILL OCCASIONAL STALLING, AND THE NEW TIMING BELT THEY PUT ON SCREECHES WITH THE FIRST START OF THE DAY EVERYDAY. THE GAS TANK PROBLEM IS FOUND TO BE THAT THE VALVE IS STUCK IN THE FULL AND CLOSED POSITION AND WHOLE NEW GAS TANKIS RECOMMENDED. ANOTHER TWO WEEKS AND STILL WAITING ON THE GAS TANK. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE AUGUST 22ND AND IT IS NOW OCTOBER FIRST AND MY CAR IS STILL UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND WAITING FOR PARTS. HOW IS IT THAT MITSUBISHI CAN ALLOW THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO TAKE THIS LONG, COST THIS MUCH, AND TO RETURN A VEHICLE TO THE CUSTOMER IN WORSE SHAPE THAN IT WAS GIVEN? I PAID FOR ALL OF THESE NEW PARTS AND LABOR, AND STILL HAVE A VEHICLE THAT I CANT USE. ALSO, AS A SIDE NOTE, IT IS BLACK WHICH MEANS THE CHEAP FACTORY CLEAR COAT IS COMING OFF, THE AC LEAKS ON THE DRIVERSIDE FLOOR, THE TRUNK DOES NOT OPEN WHEN YOU PULL THE LEVER...THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT SHOULD NOT BE EXPIRED ON AN 03 VEHICLE AND ARE SO COMMON WITH THIS VEHICLE. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.