Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 80 | 03/01/2002 | 637139 | Bulletin review regarding tsb-02-13-003 - engine electronic control unit (ecu) backup power supply circuit - service manual revision. *tt | 11/20/2002 | |
| 83 | 06/01/2002 | 636917 | Bulletin review regarding instructions for inspecting harness routing for contact with exhaust manifold heat shield and adding a cable tie. *tt | 11/15/2002 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | |||
| 07/26/2012 | 140000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mitsubishi diamante. the contact stated that while driving at 75 mph, the contact attempted to brake but the brakes failed to respond without any warnings. the vehicle crashed into a passenger van. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact mentioned that two months prior to the failure the check engine light had illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and was informed that the vehicle misfires, needed spark plugs, a fuel pump, a fuel injector, an egr valve, and the engine surged erratically. the failure and current mileage was 140,000. | |||
| 07/26/2012 | 140000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 mitsubishi diamante. the contact stated that while driving at 75 mpg, the contact attempted to brake but the brakes failed to respond without any warnings. the vehicle crashed into a passenger van. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact mentioned that two months prior to the failure the check engine light had illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and was informed that the vehicle misfires, needed spark plugs, a fuel pump, a fuel injector, an egr valve, and the engine surged erratically. the failure and current mileage was 140,000. pmb | |||
| 07/26/2012 | 140000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 mitsubishi diamante. the contact stated that while driving at 75 mpg, the contact attempted to brake, depressing the pedal. the vehicle failed to respond. the vehicle crashed into a passenger van. the failure recurred without warning. the vehicle was destroyed. the check engine light had illuminated two months previous to the failure. the vehicle had been taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and was informed that the vehicle misfires, needed spark plugs, a fuel pump, a fuel injector, an egr valve, and the engine surged erratically. the failure and current mileages were 140,000. dt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 08/01/2007 | 80000 | ||
| Just like everyone else with a 2002 mitsubishi diamante, i have had heater core problems. antifreeze leaking/smell and windows fogging up. cost to repair exceeds $1000. if every one of these vehicles has this same issue, why has it never been recalled? and why does mitsubishi get away with all cars having this defect? and why has this investigation not resulted in action? is there another agency that can get recall action from mitsubishi? | |||
| 09/19/2009 | 60000 | 1 | |
| My front windshield was fogging up every time i used the heater and a smell of coolant inside my car--nasty film was left, found out it was a heater core problem. sometimes the fog would take 20 minutes to clear up with defroster on highest settings. these problems are all over the internet with mitsubishi diamantes. i am surprised that these have never been recalled for safety reasons. *tr | |||
| 10/15/2009 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Heater core and o rings. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2008 | 1 | ||
| There should be a recall, own a 2002 mitsubishi diamante. i just found out that the anti-freeze smell and the smoke coming through the vents is because the heater core has gone bad. the quote i received was for $1100. my antenna just stopped working on me also. it doesn't go down anymore, but the motor still sounds like its working. we are all having too many of the same problems. the company should be liable. *tr | |||
| 02/28/2009 | 1 | ||
| Windows fogged up, smell of antifreeze and carpet is wet on front passenger side. *tr | |||
| 02/02/2009 | 74000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2002 mitsubishi diamante with less than 100,000 miles and already i need to replace the heater coil. i guess this is on going problem with mitsubishi. *tr | |||
| 11/15/2008 | 95000 | 1 | |
| The heater core of the 2002 mitsubishi diamante needs to be recalled and/or redesigned by mitsubishi. as it is, just about every single post i see online about this car has the exact same problem. the heater is positioned directly above the car's computer , or ecu , and therefore causing problems with the engine, transmission, suspension, etc.. the entire 80-page thread linked below is almost completely about this issue : http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_76426.html there are many others like it. the issue is mentioned in technical service bulletins by mitsubishi but is not recalled. people are buying this car used and having to replace the heater core (around $1200 repair). *tr | |||
| 09/19/2008 | 1 | ||
| Heater core is leaking car only has 82,000k on the dash. as i have gone through various car forums and have come to realize this is a very common problem. *tr | |||
| 08/08/2008 | 77000 | 1 | |
| I bought my car used from the dealership, and drove about 200 miles before i realized the antifreeze smell as well as my windows began to fog. after reading the vast amount of heater core problems in the mitsubishi diamante, i decided to file a complaint. antifreeze in the cab of the car cold lead to health issues and the consistent fogging of the windows can lead to little to no visibility. the windows will randomly become intensely greasy with antifreeze backup, this can happen at anytime when i am driving. i am extremely concerned about getting into an accident due to my visibility, and am getting my eyes checked out just incase the antifreeze has affected them. thank you *tr | |||
| 07/31/2008 | 20 | 1 | |
| I own a 2002 mitsubishi diamante car, i bought this car in 02 since the 1st day i bought the car there was problems. the computer in the car went crazy my check engine light,,cruise control,anti lock brake, tcl light all started flashing . i took the car back to the dealer & they replaced the computer but it didn't work they put 3 computers in since then, these lights are still on till this day. in 06 my trans blew i took the car back to the dealer they replaced my trans the car still doesn't ride right. my a/c turns on but nothing comes out sometimes. in the winter the inside of my car becomes a fog all over my windows and it wont stop fogging up. a smell is coming out of my vents like a coffee smell & im inhaling this smell whenever im in the car i have to go to a doctor to get checked out to see if i have health issues .my sun roof leaks when it rains,i took my car back to the dealer to have all these issues fixed but they never did i purchased the car in 02 the warranty lasted 02-05 b/c that is when my warranty expired. when i call they tell me i have to pay out of pocket b/c the warranty expired. this isn't fair to any mitsubishi owner i shouldn't have to pay to have my car fixed now after the warranty when all the same problems have been recurring since i purchased the car and they never fixed it to begin with. i can understand if i was the only person with these problems i decided to search the internet to see if anyone else owned my make and model of my car to see if they had similar problems sure enough i came across a website called www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_76426.html there's over 50 people with the same problems i have with my car.mitsubishi should fix these problems and stand by there cars. i called corporate headquarters today & was told there's nothing they can do b/c its out of warranty. *tr | |||
| 04/03/2007 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Noticed faint smell of anti freeze approximately 9 months ago. had problems with defroster clearing windows. also, seemed to get better (or maybe i got used to the smell). now noticed passenger side floor carpet is soaked with anti freeze. obviously a problem with the heater core or the hose(s) which connect to it are leaking. car has 92000 miles, and is well main. *tr | |||
| 05/02/2008 | 63000 | 1 | |
| The heater core. i start smelling an antifreeze smell inside the car then the check engine soon light came on. also the tcl is on. the dealer said that it is a wheel sensor that will run me $625. the heater core is $1,200. every one that i talk to on the email sight is having the same problem. please help! thanks. *tr | |||
| 02/04/2008 | 67800 | 2 | 06/30/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mitsubishi diamante. the check engine light began illuminating, the heater coil was leaking, and the windows were steaming. the contact smelled a foul odor coming from the vehicle. a mechanic diagnosed that the heater core needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was 67,800 and current mileage was 67,990. | |||
| 05/01/2006 | 70000 | 1 | 12/01/2005 |
| Heater core leaking....check engine light came on....well known and documented problem with the diamante....paid close to 800 to have repaired...coolant leaked on the computer and car went into fail safe driving mode. *nm | |||
| 12/28/2005 | 47890 | 1 | 08/06/2005 |
| I purchased a used 2002 mitsubishi diamante in august 2005. the car had 45,000 miles on it. in october when i started to use the heater i could smell an unusual smell inside the car. in january of 2006 my brother rode in the car and told me the smell was anti-freeze. i went on the internet and instantly found out that this model car has a problem with the heater core o-rings failing. the smell in the car got real bad real quick and i had to have the leaking o-rings repaired. i would get sick from the smell and had no choice but to have it fixed. i brought the car to a mitsubishi dealer and had the repair done for $650.the car had 48,000 miles on it when the repair was made. that is alot of money for problem that mitsubishi should have corrected. *jb | |||
| 06/10/2005 | 50000 | 1 | 10/10/2003 |
| My wife and i own a 2002 mitsubishi diamante vr-x. this past june 2005 i started noticing the car was overheating when i would stop at lights or in traffic. at first i figured it was the really hot weather we were having. after a day or so i noticed the engine temperature would fluctuate even at higher speeds, so i pulled into a gas station and checked the coolant. it was low. i bought some coolant and filled up the reservoir thinking i had found my problem. the next day i noticed i was having problems again and checked the fluid level, it was low again. i knew something was wrong then and i took it to my mechanic. low and behold i come to find out that the antifreeze, which is poisonous, has leaked all over passenger side floor and was told that it probably had been blowing out of the vents also. this was very disconcerting not just for the health of my wife and myself, but also because we had, at the time, a five month old who also had been breathing this poison. i pray we don't end up having any respiratory problems, especially my daughter, from this in the future. what ended up being the problem was the heater core corroded and was leaking into the car. my mechanic said this is not something that should happen to a car with only 50k miles. actually, they said it generally should never happen to a vehicle. i come to find out that the leak is just above the cars computer system. fortunately the leak didn't affect these electronic components. i see from the http://www.mycarstats.com website that this problem is very prevalent and i'm sure it has happen to others that don't know who to contact about the problem. it ended up costing me $1300 to get it fixed. the problem lies behind the dashboard which ends up creating a lot of labor charges to fix the problem. i hope that there is something done by the odi in response to this costly, unnecessary problem. *nm | |||
| 08/15/2004 | 55000 | 3 | 10/12/2002 |
| While driving engine check light will not illuminate. vehicle stalled. consumer took vehicle to dealer, and was told they could not fix the vehicle because the engine check light did not illuminate. also, was told they replaced the crank sensor. consumer took vehicle to dealer three times for the same problem. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 37000 | 1 | |
| Our 2002 mitsubishis diamante vr-x has been misting from the heater core for a few years. the problem is bad gaskets (o-rings) that join the heater core with the lines for the heater hoses. the heater core is installed right over the pcm unit. if it leaks badly enough, the pcm and transmission relay will be destroyed. it (heater core) failed shortly after the warranty expired and when we went to mitsubishi dealer, they refused to fix it. they quoted us $1400.00 for repairs. on the internet, there are hundreds of complaints for the same problem, but no one has gotten any satisfaction from mitsubishi. i put some radiator stop-leak in and this seemed to help somewhat, but it is starting to mist again with anti-freeze in the passenger compartment. this is a toxin and is dangerous to inhale and will jeopardize my family's health. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2001 | 78000 | 1 | |
| My 2002 mitsubishi diamante has o ring failure in the heater coil. i have read many complaints that this is common on this model and would like a recall on these vehicles due to the extreme nature of the issue. with the failure of the o rings come potential anti freeze vapors entering passenger compartment and causing physical damage to all passengers. it may also cause the car to overheat in the middle of heavy stop and go traffic and cause accidents and/or death. it may also cause the heating element to no longer work and passengers in the extreme winter climates may be susceptible to physical harm or death. lastly, this is a rampant known issue with these vehicles and should be corrected at dealer cost. my car cost originally $30,000. and i would expect the american government to make these companies back up the vehicles they are selling to the american public and make them safe and worth the money that is spent on them. *tr | |||
| 04/11/2006 | 71000 | 1 | |
| Heater core leaks into car steams up windows and leaks on the computer and changes the transmission shifting. *tr | |||
| 02/25/2009 | 103000 | 1 | |
| It happened out of no where. no signs or warnings to help prevent this problem. the heater core leaks uncontrollably. it's a long labor job and happens pretty early in the cars life spans. the parts are cheap to replace but the consequences are drastic. *tr | |||
| 08/30/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| At approx 60k (i am the original owner) the car began to emit mist from the vents. the first incident was a near overheating event which caused me to check the coolant. after topping off the level the car operated normally for a few months and then repeated the behavior. the tcl went off, the check engine light came on, the mist got heavier, and the car is a danger to both myself as an operator and others on the highway because the fog from the antifreeze damages visibility. the floor mat on the passenger side has also gathered moisture from the apparent leak. this scenario is well documented by others and demands a recall. *tr | |||
| 11/15/2007 | 1 | ||
| Heater core failure caused failure of power control module. total repair bill > $2,500. mitsubishi is fully aware of the problem and neglects to even inform customers that there are steps that can be taken to remedy the problem before a costly breakdown. defective pcm causes severe drivable problems. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 70000 | 1 | |
| At about 70,000 miles i started to see a very fine mist-like smoke coming from the dash while driving. there were no warning lamps illuminated on the dash. so after the temp gauge started to go up and i could also smell anti-freeze. i checked the radiator area and could find no leak but when i checked the coolant it was low. i topped off the coolant and a couple of months later it did the same thing. i then added stop-leak and the coolant level seems to be staying but i can still smell the anti-freeze and the windows fog up. i understand there is an issue with gaskets on the heater core. i am worried the coolant leaked into my vehicle in the area of the ecm. to me, this is a serious safety issue and mitsubishi should be correcting this problem because it is very common from what i have read on-line. *tr | |||
| 09/23/2008 | 75000 | 1 | |
| I bought a 2002 mitsubishi diamante ls 10/3/07. he had 53,000 miles on it. it now has about 75,000 miles. my problem is the same as hundreds of owner of this car. heater core issues. i recently had the heater core gaskets replaced as i was told that the heater core was ok, still had to pay for labor. it is now leaking again. this is a very common problem and seems that mitsubushi is unwilling to do anything about this. the heater core is right above the computer that runs the car. when the heater core goes bad, its leaks on the computer. what kind of sense does that make? my engine light is constantly on and i have seen the tcl light come on as well. i have searched the internet and all 3 of these problems are very common. i want to know if there is anything that can be done about this or if mitsubushi has addressed the problem and i am not aware of. i cannot afford to fix the car or get a new. please help! *tr | |||
| 01/30/2008 | 80000 | 1 | 05/08/2002 |
| I found postings of the same heater core issue. windshield fog and the awful syrup smell of anitfreeze. there needs to be a recall as you can clearly see the history of complaints dating back to 1995 or earlier. please look into this urgent matter. *tr | |||
| 03/28/2006 | 4 | ||
| Heater core defective and leaked coolant underdash on to transmission ecm and neutral safety switch. because of this very common manufacture defect i had to have my heater core, transmission ecm, neutral safety switch replace. and my transmission rebuild, none of which were warranted by the manufacture and were not cheap. *tr | |||
| 12/05/2007 | 1 | 11/14/2007 | |
| Heater core leaking into passenger side of car, releasing coolant vapor into car cabin. *tr | |||
| 04/04/2006 | 55000 | 1 | 04/04/2006 |
| Recently the windows keep fogging up in my 2002 mitsubishi diamante. i have found through complaints with you and other internet sites that this is a common complaint and very expensive to remedy. is there nothing being done by nhsta to make the manufacture fix this dangerous problem? every day it gets worse. so far i have not noticed a coolant leak, but from what i have read, it is forthcoming is a very dangerous problem that needs to be solved!! *ak | |||
| 02/19/2007 | 53941 | 1 | 03/28/2003 |
| Leakage of antifreeze ( engine coolant) into the passenger compartment of vehicle. the coolant smell was apparent within the car. *nm | |||
| 01/23/2007 | 77000 | 1 | 01/23/2007 |
| Heater leakage from faulty seals, complained of headache for 3 weeks as soon as leak was discovered and fixed headaches have been gone. *nm | |||
| 06/26/2006 | 79000 | 2 | 10/15/2003 |
| This is the second time i am complaining about the same problem. the end of june 2006 i drove to work and reached down to pick some stuff up off the passenger side floor mat. it ended up being soaked. at first i thought some water had come in because the past few days our area had torrential rains. when i got home the next day i took up the floor mat to dry it out and notice all the liquid under it was greenish yellow. in my mind i went crazy because the same thing had happened to me a year and 2 weeks earlier. once again the heater core became faulty and poured the engine coolant into the passenger spaces. wonderful, since my wife was 8 months pregnant, great for her to be breathing those chemicals. i have to say i was fortunate that it didn't leak on any of the computer components, like has happened to others, especially while i was driving. would have definitely caused a safety issue. it just blows my mind that i have had to pay for the same service twice in about a year, on a car that has less than 80,000 miles on it. i really hope the nhtsa looks into making this a recall issue, because it is just happening to too many consumers. just imagine all those people who don't even know they can file a complaint. yes, i know there were no deaths or injuries in my case, but when the coolant leaks on the computer brain of the car, it could become a real issue if driving on the highway or navigating crowded streets in town. the power stearing or antilock brakes would shut down if the computer crashed from getting wet. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 01/14/2005 | 54000 | 1 | 09/15/2002 |
| This heater core leaks directly over computers which control the engine - and could cause it to act unpredictably or cut out altogether when driving. *ak * anti-freeze contains ethylene gylcol which can cause serious respiratory damage * the leaking anti-freeze causes a film to form on the windshield, which can cause the windscreen to fog up suddenly, obscuring the view of the road and potentially causing a collision it will cost me more than 900.00 to repair this item, plus the cost to replace my carpet and to clean the interior of my vehicle. plus i do not know if i will everget rid of the smell and this will most likely lower the resale value costing me even more in the long term.i would expect this kind of thing to happen to a car that is more than 10 years or old. but in a car that was made in 2001 and has only 54,000 miles and was serviced regularly at the company's own dealer service center is absurd. i followed all the manufacturers service intervals and am being told that this usually happens when the coolant is not changed, this makes me question the dealers' and manufacturers' commitment to safety. i am saving the parts that are being replaced and will make them available for inspection if need be. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 10/05/2005 | 1 | 02/04/2003 | |
| Heater core (and possible effect on transmission issues) going up before its time (and this known to be a problem on the diamantes for over 3 years of the model) and causing antifreeze fumes and smoke to fill my car for months unnoticed exposing my family and self to nauseousness, headaches, not to mention expense of repair on a relatively new vehicle. *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 11/24/2007 | 1 | ||
| I have a 2002 mitsubishi diamante. i have kept regular maintenance. i am submitting this form because of a heater core issue i am having. however i have had the following problems with this car. all these problems seem to be recurring problems that happen to many people with this model. at least that is what i find when i search the issues on the internet 1- vibration in steering wheel --this happened multiple times after taking car back to dealer-it appears there is a known issue with the rotors in this car. after having the rotors cut twice by the dealer with no long lasting success. i had to have the brakes and rotors replaced by a mechanic ( car had less the 10,000 miles when issue started happening) 2- rusted muffler--not sure if this issue happens often but after 23,000 miles i had to have my muffler replaced because there was a hole rusted through the top of it-i was told this could happen for not using the car very much in the winter time( road salt can cause the rust) 3- heater core- i know have a heater core problem in this car. i have antifreeze leaking in passenger compartment. i have an antifreeze smell in the cabin of the car. my windows fog and the defroster will not clear the windshield ( makes it worse). i am low in antifreeze because of this. my service engine light has now come on and i am told this can be caused by leaking antifreeze onto the computer which is positioned under the heater core. this issue is widely reported on the internet in many forums and seems everybody with a diamante will eventually have this problem. i am being told this repair can cost over 1,000 dollars 4-i have had to replace 3 sensors in the engine 2 egr and 1 idle sender (cost around 1,500 dollars). this may or may not be because of the heater core issues causing the cars computer to fail. *tr | |||