NHTSA Complaint #767529 — 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE

I AM REPORTING TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS, BOTH INVOLVING THE QUALITY OF THE MANUFACTURER'S RIMS ON THE 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GT. I HAVE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO DENT BOTH THE RIGHT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR RIM ON MY NEW 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GT WITHIN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF DRIVING (ODOMETER READ LESS THAN 3600 MILES AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT). I PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1997 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GST I PURCHASED NEW WITHOUT ANY RIM ISSUES AND TRADED IN AFTER 45,000 MILES FOR THE NEW ECLIPSE. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT A STOP LIGHT DRIVING LESS THAN 10 MPH. I DROVE TOO CLOSE TO A CURB AND MY FRONT TIRE HIT A POTHOLE. THE TIRE INSTANTLY DEFLATED, AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACTUAL TIRE, HOWEVER THE RIM WAS BENT IN AT LEAST 2-3 INCHES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY, SO MY COST FOR A NEW RIM WAS AROUND $300, AND THEN THE DEALER STATED THAT I HAD TO GO ELSEWHERE TO HAVE TIRE AND RIM INSTALLED BECAUSE THEIR TIRE MACHINE WAS BROKEN! TOTAL COST OF THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS APPROXIMATELY $320. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURED ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER, BUT I AM STILL NOT SURE HOW OR WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURED. THE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT REAR RIM IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS AS I AM STILL DRIVING ON THIS RIM TODAY. (THE RIGHT REAR RIM IS DENTED LESS THAN 1/4 INCH AND THERE WAS NO EFFECT ON THE TIRE OR THE STEERING.) NEITHER MY DRIVING SKILLS NOR THE DRIVING CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED SINCE OWNING THE PREVIOUS ECLIPSE TO MERIT THOSE REASONS AS FACTORS FOR THE FAULTY RIMS. *AK