1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Gsx Hatchback 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mitsubishi Motors posts surprise loss as car sales slide

TOKYO — Mitsubishi Motors on Friday posted a surprise operating loss in the third quarter, its worst quarterly performance in more than three years, hurt by falling sales in China, Japan and Southeast Asia, as well as a stronger yen. The carmaker posted an operating loss of 6.6 billion yen ($60.2 million) for the October-December quarter, widely missing an average forecast for a profit of 11.6 billion yen, based on analyst estimates compiled by Refinitiv. It was the firm's biggest loss since the July-September 2016 quarter, when a mileage cheating scandal sapped profits. However, Mitsubishi stuck to an earlier forecast for a 73% drop in full-year operating profit to 30 billion yen in the fiscal year ending in March. The automaker's net loss for the quarter just ended came in at 14.4 billion yen. The fall in quarterly sales was worst in China and at home, while sales also slipped in ASEAN countries, traditionally a stronghold, leading to a 16% fall in global vehicle sales to 320,000 units. The automaker also said it would keep some of its offices in China closed through Feb. 9, as a new coronavirus spreads throughout the country and beyond. The automaking alliance of Mitsubishi, Renault and Nissan on Thursday said they had "no other option" but to drastically improve their joint operations to remain competitive in the fast-changing global auto industry. Related Video:           (Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; editing by Richard Pullin) Earnings/Financials Mitsubishi

2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport recalled over brake lamps

Mitsubishi is recalling certain 2013 Outlander Sport models for a couple of brake-related reasons. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the brake lamps may illuminate continuously or intermittently. On top of that, the NHTSA report states that the vehicle's shift lever could be moved out of the Park position without depressing the brake pedal.
A total of 4,539 Outlander Sport models are being recalled for these issues. All of the affected vehicles were built between June 11 and September 11, 2012.
Obviously, both of these issues can be hazardous. If the brake lamps do not illuminate properly, other vehicles may not realize that the car is stopping. And if the shift lever can be moved from Park without touching the brake pedal, the vehicle could roll away unexpectedly.

Minnesota couple puts 414k miles on a 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage

A couple in Minnesota just traded in their 414,000-mile 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage, which is notable for any car, topping many of the Junkyard Gems we've featured. We were also impressed because that's a lot of miles in a car that we weren't especially fond of. But the couple that owned it, Jerry and Janice Huot, clearly liked it. Dubbed the "Purple Won" in a nod to Prince, the subcompact endured six upper Midwest winters as an all-purpose utility and delivery vehicle. "I always loved the comments at gas stations and grocery stores and waves from people as I’d drive by," Jerry said. "Kids would always stop and point. Everybody seemed to love that car; it would make everyone smile whenever they saw it." The Huots were repeat Mitsubishi buyers in search of something with better fuel efficiency than their Cadillac. While Mitsubishi didn't specify which model the Huots traded in, it's safe to say that whatever it was, the 2014 Mirage would have been a significant upgrade in that respect, as it was rated at 37 mpg in the city, 44 on the highway and 40 combined when it was sold new; the EPA has since re-rated it at 36/42/39.   "Right in the middle of the showroom was this little purple Mirage that got 44 mpg," Janice told Mitsubishi. "IÂ’d had an Outlander Sport and Montero Sport before and loved them, so it seemed like a good choice. We drove the Mirage home that day, right off the showroom floor." "Janice drove it mostly for the first 7,000 miles or so, but when winter came, she wanted all-wheel-drive, so she got a 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport," Jerry says. "But then I started using the Mirage for my business. I am a courier. I deliver samples from various doctorsÂ’ offices to labs, so I drive up and down the state and around town in Minneapolis all the time. The Mirage never missed a beat. It got me up and out of our gravel driveway, even in the middle of winter, when others got stuck in the snow." According to the Huots, the Mirage only needed two noteworthy repairs on its way to 414,000 miles: a replacement starter motor between 200,000 and 300,000 miles and a new set of wheel bearings some time after 150k, both of which they say were addressed under warranty. We checked with Mitsubishi, who confirmed that the Huots purchased an extended warranty from the dealership, hence the coverage of failed items at such high mileage. Apart from that, the Huots say it has needed only regularly scheduled maintenance. What replaced it? Another Mirage, predictably.