Problems · by component

2002 Mitsubishi Diamante engine and engine cooling problems

43 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante cite engine and engine cooling, 32% of all 133 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
43
32% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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. UPDATED 12/06/12*LJ UPDATED 12/6/2012 *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 1, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, gasoline, Electrical system, Service brakes, EngineCrash reportedODI 10478125
“THE HEATER CORE IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THE WINDOWS IN THE CAR FOG UP SO BAD I COULDNT DRIVE THE CAR...HAD TO PULL OVER AND WIPE THE WINDOWS DOWN. BUT THE THING IS...I DIDNT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEMS WAS...UNTIL I REALIZED THE WINDOWS WERENT JUST BEING FOGGED BY THE COLD, ECT IT WAS A TOXIC MIST FROM A HEATER CORE PROBLEM...I PULLED OVER 2 TIMES BECAUSE I GOT SICK...I NOTICED A MIST COMING OUT OF THE VENTS....SO ALL IN ALL I CALLED MITSUBISHI AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.THIS HEATER CORE PROBLEM CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS, SICKNESS, AND OTHE EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS IN THE CAR! THE FUMES ARE EXTREMELY TOXIC!!! THERE ARE 1000'S OF COMPLAINTS AND BLOGS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM...I'M SURE THERE ARE 100,000+ COMPLAINTS ABPOUT THIS PROBLEM. AND MITSUBISHI REFUSES TO HELP OR DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. I TOLD THEM, IS THIS GONNA TAKE A FATAL ACCIDENT FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING?" THEY REPLIED, "IM NOT ANSWERING THAT!" I TOLD THEM THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THIS PROBLEM. THEY REPLIED, "SORRY BUT YOUR WARRANTY IS UP WE CAN'T DO NOTHING ABOUT IT." THIS HEATER CORE PROBLEMS LEADS TO FAULTY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, HAZERDOUS PROBLEMS, SICKNESS,…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 6, 2010Engine and engine cooling, VisibilityODI 10369327
“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? *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 24, 2010Engine and engine coolingODI 10339881
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 17, 2009Engine and engine cooling, VisibilityODI 10296309
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 17, 2009Engine and engine coolingODI 10292547
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 3, 2009Engine and engine coolingODI 10279201

Showing 6 of 43 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2002 Diamante problem areas