Faults:

Glove box lock cylinder fell out after 2 years. Replaced under warranty.

Speaker grille rattles in the back seats.

Shake/shimmy in steering wheel while braking at 50+MPH after 16,000 miles.

Requires resurfacing of rotors and costs $150+. Not covered under warranty after 12,000 miles.

Bad strut at 16,000 miles. Dealer was very surprised to see this occur at such a low mileage. Replaced under warranty.

Immediately after my first fuel injector cleaning at the dealership which was recommended by them, experienced hard starting and hesitation on the first attempt. I had no problems like this before the cleaning. They said the battery was bad and replaced it. Problem resumed and took car back 3 more times in 1 month. Dealer could not duplicate and fix problem. There was nothing else they could do so I almost reported the car as a lemon. After 3 months and 2 bottles of STP fuel injector cleaner recommended by a friend, the problem was resolved.

Popping noises in front end while braking at 20,000+ miles. Dealer said two engine mounts were cracked in the front right side. They were replaced and noise resumed. Dealer said left front strut mount was dry and needed lubrication. Noise still resumes. Dealer said they checked all other possibilities including brakes and can't figure out problem. They stated they need more time so I'm bringing car back. Fortunately, I haven't had to pay for anything because I'm under warranty.

Squeal noises from the rear tires heard after 20,000 miles.

General Comments:

Blind spots due to placement of pillars and spoiler.

This car handles well and quick. It has gotten me out of some close calls when other drivers have cut in front of me.

Engine revs too long before switching to first gear (automatic).

The cabin is bleak and cheaply made. It takes up too much room and leaves hardly any space for your legs.

The plastic material on the back of the seats scratch and scuff easily.

The front grille is too low and can't park in places with curbs without scratching it.

I haven't had any problems with A/C and heater so far.

It has a great sporty body design. The fins on the sides are a unique touch.

No major engine or transmission problems yet.

The seats are comfortable, but material is wearing already.

Faults:

Most recently, I hit a pothole, had a blowout, and my 17" aluminum rim bent. There is a class action lawsuit pending against Mitsubishi for this.

I had a bad wheel bearing at about 24,000 miles. It manifested itself as a squeak coming from the front driver's side wheel. When I took it in the first time, they said I needed front brake pads. I thought this was a little odd for a car with relatively low mileage, and a manual transmission (I frequently downshift). The second time I took it in, I don't think they could determine where the noise was coming from, so they said they could not replicate the problem. The third time, they finally diagnosed and replaced the wheel bearing. Spent over $200 unnecessarily on a front brake job.

Climate control has acted strange intermittently. When the knob it set to defrost, the A/C light would blink green/orange, and it felt like the A/C compressor was turning on/off.

The rear hatch pistons have had to be replaced. There was not enough pressure to lift the hatch off the latch. I had to go to the back of the car, unlock the hatch, and keep the key turned while lifting the hatch in order to open it. It doesn't seem to be a major thing until you only have 1 free hand to try and do all that.

The rear struts seemed to make a clunky noise over bumps from about the time the car had 20,000 miles on it. My local dealership has yet to solve that mystery.

General Comments:

Generally, the car lacks body/trim integrity. There seems to be new squeak/creak/rattle every week.

The car looks great. They did a pretty good job on the aesthetics inside and out. The instrument panel looks cool, as do the leather seats. It is pretty comfortable to drive too; kind of gives you the feeling of being in the cockpit of a fighter jet.

Don't bother trying to sit in the back seat if you are over 5'6" though.

It's not a horrible car for the money, if you buy it pre-owned. But if you buy it new, but you are overpaying for a cheaply built car whose reliability I have found to be very questionable. I will never buy another Mitsubishi, and would not recommend them to anyone who can afford better. I'm going back to Nissan's - I never should have left.