NHTSA Complaint #759789 — 2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE

I LEASED A '00 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GT IN NOVEMBER OF 1999 FROM POTAMKIN MITSUBISHI, IN MANHATTAN NY FOR A THREE YEAR TERM. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, PARTICULARLY WITH THE RIMS THAT CAME WITH THE CAR AND THE REPLACEMENTS I'VE HAD TO BUY. I HAVE GONE THOUGH THE ENTIRE ORIGINAL SET OF 4 "10 SPOKE" RIMS ON THE CAR AFTER THEY WERE BENT WHILE DRIVING. I FIRST REPLACED TWO OF THEM WITH THE SAME TYPE OF "10 SPOKE" RIMS. FINALLY WHEN THESE TWO ALSO INCURRED DAMAGE, I REPLACED THE TWO REPLACEMENTS AND THE ORIGINAL TWO RIMS WITH 4 OF THE 6 SPOKE RIMS, AND THESE TOO HAVE REPEATEDLY BENT WHILE DRIVING. THE LOSS OF AIR FROM THE BENT RIMS HAS LED TO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE HAD 3 FLAT TIRES THAT HAVE OCCURRED WHEN RIM DAMAGE CREATED A BAD SEAL AND CAUSED SLOW UNDETECTABLE AIR LEAKS. ALL THREE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE DAMAGE CAUSED TO THEM WAS UNREPEATABLE. I HAVE KEPT ALL 6 OF THE RIMS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE IN THE LAST 2 YEARS SINCE I LEASED THE CAR. (THEY TAKE UP A LOT OF CLOSET SPACE) I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK SO MANY TIMES TO THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE RIMS AND DEMANDED THAT THEY REPLACE THEM FOR FREE BECAUSE HOW BADLY THEY HELD UP ON THE ROAD. I OFFERED IN WRITING TO CHANGE THE TYPE OF TIRES, OR PRETTY MUCH DO ANYTHING TO GET AROUND THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD A REGIONAL MANAGER FINALLY LOOKED AT MY CAR BUT DECIDED AGAINST REPLACING THEM CITING ROAD DAMAGE FROM DRIVING IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA AND BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS ALL MY FAULT. I KNOW THAT HE NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT THE NOTE I LEFT HIM BECAUSE THE ENVELOPE WAS STILL SEALED AND ATTACHED TO MY INVOICE THAT THEY KEPT. I CALLED THE COMPANY NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY REFERRED ME TO THE REGIONAL MANAGER WHO NEVER EVEN TOOK THE TIME TO TALK TO ME. HOW COULD THEY MARKET TO SELL AND LEASE A CAR IN A CITY THAT THEY THEN BLAME FOR CAUSING THE DAMAGE? SHOULDN'T THE TIRES OR RIMS OF A CAR BE SUITED TO BE DRIVEN IN THE AREA THAT IS MARKETED AND SOLD OR LEASED? FRONT AND REAR BOTH SIDES.