Mitsubishi Repair: clutch, worn clutch, clutch assembly

Question
1999 Eclipse, 2.0, GS
My brother just bought this eclipse almost 3 months ago.  It was running fine until recently. (the weather got a lot colder in the past couple of weeks). It will only start if it is in neutral but will not go into gear.  When it is turned off the gears will shift fine.  There was also a burning smell when he was trying to get it into gear when the heater was on.  About 6 weeks ago he had it inspected and everthing seemed to be fine.  Any idea what might be wrong and how much it will cost to fix it?  Thanks!

Answer
Gina,
You should confirm your mechanic checked your clutch and transmission fluid levels.  You may have a worn out clutch disc.  If your car has around 80k-100k miles, and you have the original clutch, it may need to be replaced.  

Other possible culprits to this problem are a worn master cylinder, worn slave (release) cylinder, or even a worn clutch pedal.  Replacing the clutch assembly would be most costly.  The clutch itself would be a few hundred, and labor cost could be another few hundred. Replacing the slave cylinder would be around $100, and rebuilding the master cylinder may cost around $100.  Prices will vary based on mechanic labor costs and time they take.  It's always a good idea to have a couple mechanics inspect your car to get more than one opinion.  
Good luck!