Mitsubishi Colt 2004 News

In extreme situations, owners have been warned their vehicles may catch fire.Mitsubishi was hit with the biggest safety recall for the three month period. It has written to owners of Pajeros built between 2000 and 2003 to warn them of a potential brake problem. As many as 13,400 vehicles may need to be checked.The company also recalled 4400 of its now-defunct 380 sedan, built between 2006 and 2007, which may have a faulty fuel tank retaining strap. In a severe collision the tank may be dislodged and spill fuel.Mitsubishi is also checking more than 8300 Colts built this year which may have a problem with door windows which may drop and unlock or open the door while the car is being driven.Honda has recalled 11,800 of its 2004-05 Jazz to check whether they have a faulty handbrake, while Mazda needs to look at 1770 of its B4000 utes built between 2005-2006 because the bonnet may open unexpectedly.Subaru has recalled 5380 of its Imprezas, built between 2001 and 2003 because of a faulty rear tailgate which may suddenly drop.Subaru Australia spokesman, Dave Rowley, said many of the recalls were to check for "minor or niggling" faults."We have had no incidents of anyone being injured in Australia and we found only six cars which had the faulty (tailgate strut) connection."Many recalls are done as a pre-emptive measure to avoid possible problems further down the track, " he said.Other potential faults include electrical short circuits, which in extreme circumstances, may start a cabin fire in Landrover Freelander diesels built since 2007. Landrover warns the fault may occur when the vehicle is parked and unattended.Other recalls were to check for short circuits in Fiat's Grande Punto; and a chance that the panoramic glass roof in a small number of Citroen's Picasso could be dislodged.Suzuki has warned of potential fire risk in its 3-door Suzuki Grand Vitara (2006-07) because of a possible cracked fuel pipe, while the 2005-08 Vitara diesel has a remote fire risk in a filter because of a problem with the intercooler outlet pipe insulator.Other problems include faulty rear seat belt D-loop attachments in the current Jaguar XF, and the potential for a loss of steering in Chrysler's 300C built last year because of a problem with rear axle hub nuts which could see the half shaft disengage from the wheel hub.Mercedes Benz wants to look at axles, springs and the park brake in its Sprinter or Vito vans.Jayco has recalled some of its motor homes to check and fix awning and exhaust pipe problems.Of the 1500 motorcycles recalled, safety issues to be fixed include a faulty fuel filler on Kawasaki models, a windshield which may come off Buell bikes if ridden at high speed and a rear view mirror which may fall off on certain Yamaha models.An ACCC spokeswoman said this year's figures were actually less than last year but the number has been steadily rising over the past 20 years.The ACCC says there have been 52 individual recalls this year compared to 171 last year.Full details of the recalls can be found at www.recalls.gov.au 

It was the price leader for the Japanese brand before it was put out to pasture, but returns as a premium hatch to take on the Honda Jazz and the Mazda2. The five-door Colt replaces the $13,990 "drive-away" Mirage, but is a totally different type of car with a much heftier price. With a starting mark of $18,990, the Colt costs more than the base Jazz ($15,990) and Mazda2 ($16,990). Mitsubishi says the Colt might cost more, but comes with much more gear standard. Mitsubishi Australia president Tom Phillips says it would be nice to have a cheaper Colt to lure buyers, but believes customers will recognise the value. "We don't have a 1.3-litre (engine) like the Jazz that they sell at a certain price, so it is up to us to get the message across about how good this car is," Phillips says. "It is a bit like the Magna. You look at the value and specification in that and it is second to none." The Colt LS comes standard with continuously variable automatic transmission, airconditioning, anti-skid brakes, CD sound and dual airbags. Surprisingly, the LS misses out on a tacho or a centre console (between the seats) which is a $110 option. The XLS model costs $3000 more and comes with all the LS gear, plus alloy wheels, fog-lights, mild body-kit and leather steering wheel cover, tacho and centre console. Both Colt models are powered by the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with dual overhead camshafts and variable valve timing. It has 72kW of power, 132Nm of torque and has an official combined fuel economy figure of 6.4 litres per 100km. There is no manual version. Just like its competitors, the Colt has disc brakes on the front and drums on the rear. Side curtain airbags are available for $1200 for buyers who are safety conscious. Unfortunately, the seatbelt on the middle seat of the back row has only a lap belt rather than the safer lap sash belt. Mitsubishi says the Colt will be most often bought as a second vehicle and will "hardly ever" carry five people – but what about when it does? The rear seats can be folded into a variety of positions to maximise boot space and there are several hidey-holes around the car for storage. Mitsubishi expects the Colt to outsell the Mirage and plans to shift about 400 a month. ON THE ROAD IF YOU are still reading this report, Mitsubishi might have a chance of selling a reasonable number of Colts. I'm sure many potential buyers would have lost interest once they saw the $18,990 starting price. That's the problem Mitsubishi faces. The Aussie arm of the Japanese carmaker brokered a deal at the last minute to avoid a starting price of $19,990. That would have been way too much and $18,990 is still pricey. Sure, if you bought a Mazda2 or a Honda Jazz with the same level of equipment, you would have to pay more than $18,990, but many people are attracted by the cheaper base prices, even if they end up handing over more cash. As for the car itself, it is surprisingly spacious with heaps of headroom and legroom). The engine is sprightly and it is comfortable to drive. The electric-assisted (instead of hydraulic-assisted) power steering is nice and light and the car turns easily into tight spaces. Its CVT automatic works well enough – though, like all CVTs, it sounds as if it is constantly slipping the clutch. The noise is annoying when you are pushing the car hard, but not around town where the smooth CVT is in its element. Handling is very low on the list of priorities of Colt buyers according to Mitsubishi, but it's nice to know the Colt feels solid and sure even on wet and bumpy roads. It certainly doesn't skip and bounce over bumps like the Honda Jazz does. The Colt does feel a bit cheap inside, though, with hard plastic surfaces that belong on a less expensive car and don't match the Jazz or Mazda2. That is a real problem, because it is the first thing you notice when you jump in. The styling is what you expect from a fresh new light car such as the Colt and Mitsubishi is offering some cool colours, including an orange and a yellow, that will really stand out on the street. Do your homework and the Colt is worth considering if you want a capable well-equipped light car. But with a starting price of $18,990 it could struggle for attention.