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.
Mitsubishi Diamante fire or smoke problems
15 of the 505 owner complaints about the Mitsubishi Diamante describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 15
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical repair cost reported
- $800
- typical mileage
- 70,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20026
- 20014
- 20002
- 19971
- 19922
Often reported together
What owners say
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.
My 2001 mitsubishi diamante's heater core went up. I have massive amounts of coolant leaking on my passenger side, thick smoke coming from my vents and a bad odor coming from the vents. I have read this is a very very common thing with mitsubishi's especially diamante's.
I have a heater core failure in my 2002 diamante. I now have antifreeze leaking into my passenger side floor. I have an antifreeze smell and smoke coming from the vents in the car. I got low on antifreeze and almost overheated on the belt parkway. It is very hard to see at night because windows will fog up and defroster makes problem worse. I have been told the cars computer is positioned under the heater core so I have to hope I do not have a computer issue as my service light has gobne on as well> I have had to replace 3 engine sensors in the last few months ( the heater core issue could be the root cause). This is a very serious situation and needs to be addressed. I see alot of the complaints for this model are for this issue. There are many people with this issue.
Strong coolant (anti-freeze) smell in car. Windows fogged up and could not see and puffs of smoke coming from vents. Dealer informed me heater core needed replacing. Also stated that although it was known issue with vehicle mitsubishi would not take care of cost. Mitsubishi has even issued a tech pub on parts needed to repair this problem because they were experiencing a shortage. It took four days to get a heater core for my vehicle due to a critical shortage of heater cores.
Car smelled of syrup when the heat was on and smoke came from the vents. After breaking down, I was told by the dealership that the o rings/heater core needed to be replaced which cost me $850.00..
In early 2005, I started noticing that my windows were fogging for no reason while driving and it was hard to defrost them. A definite safety hazard, because I could not see that well. Later, I started noticing a weird smell in the cabin. (it turned out to be coolant; it can't be good for your health) in mid 2005, I saw fog/smoke coming from the vents. A repair shop confirmed that it was a problem with the heater core, and it would be at least $800 to fix. The dealer told me that my car is out of warranty. I purchased the vehicle in december 2001, and it now has only 30600 miles.
Windows fogged up and would not clear up. There was a kind of sweet burning smell. Did research on the internet and found that is was the heatercore leaking antifreeze and all the symtoms listed on site matched my car. Checked the passenger side and found puddle of antifreeze soaked in the carpet. Also the antifreeze in the radiator was very low. My wife drives this car and she is 8 months pregnant! She had been unknowingly inhaling the antifreeze vapors since the leakage. Took it to the dealership and it cost me $690 to fix (3/10/05). I had to wait 3 days before the parts came in and 1 day to have it fixed. This car is only a 2002 and has 52,000 miles! What a coincedence that the warranty expired. I am currently driving the car since my wife is pregnant and the car still smells like antifreeze! I have to drive it with the windows down since the smell of antifreeze vapors are still strong. I am very concerned about the affects of breathing the antifreeze vapors.
I purchased a used mitsubishi diamante in october 2003 with 52,000 miles on it. A couple of months later there was a strong odor coming from the vents and the window started fogging up. The transmission started acting strange so I took it back to the dealer and was told that the heater core was leaking and had leaked on the transmissions computer. They told me they could replace the transmission computer under warranty but the heater core was not covered and it would cost me about $668. I had to come up with the money to get the heater core fixed before the could fix the transmission problem. I also noticed smoke coming out of the vents early in the morning and the passenger side mats were also soaked with antifreeze.
My wife noticed little clouds of white smoke coming from the vents when the haeter/defroster was turned on, we could also smell something that smelled like syurp or antifreeze. The windows do not defrost anymore, which is a major safety hazard. I am told that this most likely from a broken heater core. If not replaced antifreeze can leak into the cars computer, which could cause a serious accident by shutting down the entire car. The estimated cost of repair is $400-$1000. I have read many complaints about this problem. I hope something can be done to fix this serious and potentially deadly situation.
Related recalls
Electrical system: wiring: front underhood
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the main under hood electrical wiring harness may have insufficient clearance between the engine control harness and the exhaust heat shield. As a result, the harness could come in contact with the heat shield, which could result in melting of the harness insulation.
- Risk
- The melting of the harness insulation could result in grounding of the crank angle sensor wiring, causing the engine to run erratically or stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the harness for damage and, if none is evident, will tie the harness back to prevent the harness from ever coming into contact with the heat shield. Any harness that shows evidence of damage will be repaired as necessary and then tied back to prevent future damage. Owner notification began may 13, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact mitsubishi at 1‑800‑222‑0037.
Recall number 02V100001 · Recall details
Questions about the Mitsubishi Diamante fire or smoke
Which Mitsubishi Diamante years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (6 complaints), 2001 (4 complaints) and 1992 (2 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix fire, smoke or burning smell on the Mitsubishi Diamante?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $800 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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