2001 Mitsubishi Mirage Air Bags & Restraints Problems

The contact owns a 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt failed to retract, and the driver was unable to remove the seat belt from the buckle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a retraction failure and that the seat belt needed to be replaced. The seat belt was not repaired nor replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

MY REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT DID NOT FUNCTION SO WHEN I WENT TO GET MY SAFETY CHECK FROM MITSUBISHI HAWAII THEY CHARGED ME TO REPLACE IT, STATING THEY COULD NOT COMPLETE MY SAFETY CHECK SINCE THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. AT THE TIME OF SERVICE, MY 5 YEAR MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED BY ONE WEEK. WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO ANOTHER SERVICE COMPANY TO GET A TUNE-UP (THAT MITSUBISHI SAID I NEEDED EVEN THOUGH I JUST HAD ONE SIX MONTHS PRIOR), THEY TOLD ME IT WAS ILLEGAL FOR THE DEALER TO CHARGE ME TO REPLACE MY PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM THAT WAS DEALER ISSUED AND FAULTY. I CALLED MITSUBISHI AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS LAW AND THAT I WAS CHARGED BECAUSE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED BY A WEEK. NO ONE BOTHERED TO CONSIDER IT TOOK TWO WEEKS TO GET AN APPT AND MY WARRANTY WAS IN EFFECT WHEN I REQUESTED THE APPT. THIS CHARGE DOES NOT SEEM FAIR SINCE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED ON FEB 22, 2006 AND THE EARLIEST APPT I COULD GET WAS ON MAR 1, 2006. *NM

2001 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE INVOLVED IN HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH 1994 FORD EXPLORER. BOTH VEHICLES ESTIMATED TO BE TRAVELING 35 MILES PER HOUR. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN 2001 MITSUBISHI. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. ADJUSTERS FOR BOTH INSURANCE COMPANIES INVOLVED COMMENTED THAT THEY WERE SURPRISED THAT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONTACTED MITSUBISHI BECAUSE OF MY CONCERN THAT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ASKED IF THEY COULD HAVE REPRESENTATIVE INSPECT VEHICLE. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THERE WAS PROBABLY TOO LITTLE IMPACT TO DEPLOY AIR BAGS. WHEN I EXPLAINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS THEY SAID I COULD DO WHATEVER I WANTED AT MY OWN EXPENSE AND THEY WOULD SEND ME A BROCHURE ON AIR BAGS.

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 50 MPH AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY SEMI TRAVELING 20 MILES PER HOUR, SEAT BELTS FAILED TO HOLD DRIVER AND PASSENGER IN PLACE, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, DRIVER SUFFERED BACK, CHEST, KNEE AND ANKLE INJURIES, PASSENGER INJURIED SPINITIS TENDON, BUCKET SEATS COLLAPSED BACKWARDS TOUCHING REAR BENCH SEATS. *TT

WHILE CONSUMER WAS STANDING STILL AT A RED LIGHT VEHICLE WAS REARENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AT ABOUT 30 MPH.. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WENT INTO A SPIN, AND STOPPED AFTER HITTING A FIRE HYDRANT HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HAS NOT CONTACTED DEALER.*AK