Should I return my Mirage?

[ajal87]

Hi, there. I stumbled upon this forum and these threads by searching user reviews on the Mirage. I actually just bought one a couple days ago. So far, I love it, but I'm pretty concerned about this rear tire misalignment defect.

I bought my 2014 from CarMax, which offers a 5-day return window, which I'm still within. I have almost no knowledge of car mechanics and little desire to have to periodically fix an issue caused by a defect. I do not know if my vehicle suffers from this. My steering feels fine as far as I can tell, and I think CarMax put on new tires, so there's no evidence of increased wear. My car has about 32,000 miles on it.

My question is this: is this a serious and pervasive enough defect that you would recommend I return this car given Mitsubishi's lack of willingness to address it?

[inuvik]

You could always have a local tire shop check the alignment if you're concerned. If the Dunlop Enasaves delivered 32k worth of miles then it's probably within specs or very very close. As far as returning it that's a personal call. Yes you could return it and get a Spark or Versa similarly priced but the few problems the Mirage has are nothing like the issues the Sparks & Versas have.

[Cobrajet]

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ This!

[Eggman]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum.

For clarity, would you please further explain exactly what defect you are referring to? Also, if you could describe your perceptions as to how it affects the car you bought, it would be helpful.

[ajal87]

Of course I forgot to even mention it! Yes, Eggman, I am referring to the rear tire misalignment issue everyone has been talking about.

It certainly does affect my perception of the car's quality, reliability, and cost in a negative way, but my knowledge of cars is limited and I don't really know how common defects like this are in other cars. I'm not so much concerned about safety (should I be?) but more about the potential increased cost of maintenance if I have to rotate or replace tires significantly more frequently. I am also concerned about this being a progressive issue that eventually won't be able to be corrected without replacing the axle, and the cost associated with that.

Thanks for the replies so far, everyone.

[Eggman]

Ah, yes. The ol' rear axle alignment issue.

First, get yours checked. Preferably, before purchase if possible. Otherwise, get it documented by the place that sold it and/or by an independent shop (just in case you don't trust the place you bought it from.)

If the alignment is within specifications, then you are good to go.

If the alignment shows it is out of spec, then there is a problem to be had. I won't even say worry about, because that depends on the level of concern of the owner. Some owners might not care so much - just put on cheap tires with the expectation that they will wear quickly. After all, it is a cheap little car.

Others have tried various methods to correct this, which is documented in another thread. I could help you find it, if needed. It's a lot of reading.

Hopefully, Mitsubishi will step up and take care of the axle alignment issue to everyone's satisfaction. That is up to Mitsubishi to answer to.

It can be hard to give advice to another Mirage owner over the internet . Not knowing some details such as your mechanical aptitude, level of concern, or even if your axle is in or out of spec, it's tough to tell you how to proceed.

I can wish you all the best outcomes, regardless of which you decide. I hope that makes sense.

PS: Inuvik said it best above:

You could always have a local tire shop check the alignment if you're concerned. If the Dunlop Enasaves delivered 32k worth of miles then it's probably within specs or very very close. As far as returning it that's a personal call. Yes you could return it and get a Spark or Versa similarly priced but the few problems the Mirage has are nothing like the issues the Sparks & Versas have.

As was said, get it checked.

[cyclopathic]

I would say if it is out of alignment it will be up to you to either return or negotiate a discount, but it also depends on how bad it is off.

With respect to as Walrus (sorry Eggman) says the tires are cheap, and if you don't drive alot it may not be an issue at all.

We put a set of General RT-43, warranted for 70k. However this car is light, after 11k they look hardly broken in. Will probably go well over 100k. If you drive 10k a year you will never see the bottom of it. Rubber dries out and hardens, looses grip so it is unwise to keep the same set of tires for 10 years. I usually replace them after 2-3 years, and FHWA recommends 5-6 years.

[ajal87]

Thanks for all the insight, everyone. I hadn't considered negotiating a discount, though I'm not sure how amenable CarMax would be to that proposition. But I may give it a try to help offset the possibility of increased costs.

I am scheduled for an alignment check for tomorrow and will report back with my findings. I am leaning toward keeping the vehicle, though I am concerned about how progressive a problem this could be. Can I expect the deviation from spec to get much worse over time?

Eggman: to answer your question, my mechanical aptitude for cars is about equal to Danny Devito's likely aptitude for basketball.

[Speedracer]

You could always have a local tire shop check the alignment if you're concerned. If the Dunlop Enasaves delivered 32k worth of miles then it's probably within specs or very very close. As far as returning it that's a personal call. Yes you could return it and get a Spark or Versa similarly priced but the few problems the Mirage has are nothing like the issues the Sparks & Versas have.

I can't vouch for the Versa, but what problems are the Sparks having? We own two Chevy Sparks, 60k and 75k. Bulletproof and still going strong, no alignment or premature tire wear issues.

[Eggman]

I am scheduled for an alignment check for tomorrow and will report back with my findings.

Consider posting your results in this thread:

Rear Wheel Misaligned? (UPDATE: some rear axles out of spec; warranty replacement)

Lots of members with your concerns have shared their alignment readouts there.