Excellent!
Too bad probably 95% of Mirage owners will never know about the potential issue, or think to have it checked from tire wear.
Rear axle replaced under warranty; new axle within specs
Rear axle replaced under warranty; alignment is still off
Waiting for warranty replacement axle
Axle temporarily or permanently aligned with DIY fix
Rear alignment inspected & deemed within specs by dealer
Excellent!
Too bad probably 95% of Mirage owners will never know about the potential issue, or think to have it checked from tire wear.
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View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 62.4 mpg (US) ... 26.5 km/L ... 3.8 L/100 km ... 74.9 mpg (Imp)
I'm buying the mirage today.....should I bother with the checking the alignment? The service department will be closed. If I try to rush it into the service department at closing time, some technician will probably scratch/dent it or they might even mess the alignment.
Is it a big problem? On my corolla, I drove the same tires for 5 years....in fact, the last alignment I did was in 2013 (when I bought the tires). I think my parents 2000 corolla....they haven't done an alignment for almost 10 years.
Is it really a problem?
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 40.5 mpg (US) ... 17.2 km/L ... 5.8 L/100 km ... 48.6 mpg (Imp)
Well, it is a real problem but I haven't heard of it with many 2017 & newer Mirages. That doesn't mean the problem is gone.
I got my alignment checked with my first free oil change. When the rear axle was discovered to be out of specifications a new one was ordered and installed with no out of pocket expense to me, including the new Outlander the service department provided as a loaner.
Definitely share your alignment results here so others may benefit.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)
If you're talking about buying a new one...then you don't need to sweat bullets over it. It's covered under warranty.
But definitely get a 4-wheel alignment check ASAP...especially if you can find a place that will check it for free (like NTB). You're not only worried about your rear alignment being out of whack...you want to make sure your front end is aligned properly, too. Lots of these cars rolled out of the factory where the front end was out of spec (including my own car).
The OEM tires on these cars don't seem to last long to begin with...so do yourself a favor and make sure they are aligned properly for maximum tire life (and a littl mpg boost to go with it).
The rear alignment issue IS a real problem that has affected a significant number of cars. But a little due diligence will take care of it. Just don't stick your head in the sand and come back here 18 months from now and tell us your rear tires are worn out after 12,000 miles...
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)
morse got three quick responses in short order. This forum is great...
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)
Top_Fuel (04-05-2018)
Look at this post: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/3rd-...ml#post1302460
He says it's not really a problem if it's a bit out of spec. This seems to correlate with what I experience with my corolla...I never aligned it over 5 years and hit some major potholes. Last year, the steering would pull to the left slightly.
If it lasts 5 years with bad alignment, I mean...is it really a problem? (I know alignment companies will say otherwise).
No need to go to the Fit forum for answers. Just make sure you read the Rear Alignment Problem FAQ
This is anecdotal evidence...but I'm not sure newer Mirages are any less prone to the problem. I surf CarMax a lot, and I still see low-mileage Mirages showing up with 2 new tires. Hmmm...there could be a legit reason a car with super-low miles needs 2 new tires...but when it's a Mirage, you tend to assume there's a problem.
Here are 2 examples I just found a minute ago...
Last edited by Top_Fuel; 04-05-2018 at 08:18 PM.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)
Daox (04-05-2018)
I found 100s of used low mileage mirages from carmax that don't have new tires. In fact, I saw only 2 that had new tires. In science, when you want to prove all swans are black...you don't look for white swans, you look for black swans.
Mitsubishi and Ford has not fixed this problem for 5 model years (yes, some years didn't have the torsion axle design). It only takes a very minor change at the factory to fix it (nth of degree adjustment etc). There could be some sort of miscommunication in the spec sheets vs factory manufactering/engineers (happens all the time in IT industry)
I think maybe Mitsubishi corporate just says "yes" to anybody with this particular problem just to satisfy within the warranty period,
The "honda fit" guy's reply makes a lot of sense....they don't consider it a problem, it's designed to "toe out" when hard braking etc.
Also consider the fact that the new torsion bar replacements they sent could also have the problem. That means they designed it with a varying degree....all within the "spec" (just not the specs they published). What is the chance mitsubishi and ford uses the same exact torsion bar from the same factory?!?!
There are millions of mirages sold every year, we the forum won't even be 1% of that. The complaints regarding this particular problem is less than 1%.
Is this REALLY a problem?
Last edited by morse; 04-05-2018 at 10:18 PM.
yes, it is.
2014 White SE with CVT