NHTSA Complaint #11173039 — 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE

WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND CAME TO A STOP. TRIED TO SHIFT INTO 1ST AND COULD NOT DO SO. HAD TO TURN OFF MY CAR TO SHIFT INTO GEAR TO AVOID GRINDING. HAD A HARD TIME GOING FROM 1ST TO 2ND AS WELL. ONCE ARRIVING HOME COULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. SEEMS LIKE THE GEARS WERE TRYING TO STRIP AND A HORRIBLE GRINDING WAS OCCURRING. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A STICK SHIFT FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. HAD TO TURN OFF MY CAR TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE TO GET INTO MY DRIVEWAY TO PARK. TRIED THE NEXT DAY TO DRIVE MY CAR...DID THE WARM UP DUE TO COLD WEATHER, AND AGAIN COULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY GEARS WHILE MY CAR WAS RUNNING. AS SOON AS I TURN THE IGNITION OFF I COULD SHIFT JUST FINE. I'VE RESEARCHED TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM AND EACH SOLUTION EQUATES TO PAYING A LOT FOR REPAIRS. I'M UPSET BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD A NEW CAR AT THIS TIME AND I NEED A RELIABLE VEHICLE FOR MY JOB. SEEMS THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR YEAR THE ECLIPSE WAS MANUFACTORED, AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE. A DEFINITE RECALL IS NEEDED FOR THIS WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM.