NHTSA Complaint #10052636 — 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER

AT 1000 MILES THE CLUTCH IN MY 03 LANCER EVO BEGAN TO SLIP OCCASIONALLY. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE MITSUBISHI SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP ME UNLESS THE PROBLEM COULD BE RECREATED. AT 3000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO GRIND INTO 5TH GEAR OCCASIONALLY. AGAIN I WAS TOLD NOT TO BRING IT IN UNTIL IT COULD BE RECREATED. AT 4000 MILES I WAS ABLE TO RECREATE THE CONDITION. MITSUBISHI AGREED TO REPAIRING THE TRANSMISSION UNDER THE TERMS OF THE WARRANTY. A CONVENIENCE INSPECTION OF THE CLUTCH WAS ALSO PERFORMED AT THIS TIME. THE INITIAL RESPONSE FROM MITSUBISHI WAS THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO REPAIR THE CLUTCH EVEN THOUGH IT SHOWED SIGNS OF SLIPPAGE, AND THEY ATTRIBUTED IT TO ABUSE. THE CLAIM WAS UNFOUNDED AND EVENTUALLY REVERSED BY THE DISTRICT PARTS REPRESENTATIVE FOR MITSUBISHI AND THE REPAIRS WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS THAT WITHOUT MY DILIGENCE MY CLAIM WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RESOLVED AND MORE IMPORTANTLY HAD I NOT CONVINCED THEM TO PERFORM THE INSPECTION THE INEVITABLE FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH MAY HAVE MANIFESTED ITSELF IN SUCH A MANNER TO CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE FAILURE RATES FOR THE DRIVETRAIN OF THIS VEHICLE SEEM VERY SUSPECT TO ME AND MAY WARRANT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELIABILITY OF THOSE COMPONENTS. THESE ITEMS SHOULD NOT FAIL SO EARLY IN THEIR SERVICE LIFE OR WITH SUCH FREQUENCY UNLESS THERE WAS A MECHANICAL DEFECT THAT REQUIRED A RECALL. I AM ALSO SUSPICIOUS THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS SEEM TO HAVE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO DISMISS CLAIMS REGARDING WARRANTY DRIVETRAIN REPAIRS. I WAS WARNED NUMEROUS TIMES THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE THAT IF ANY SIGN OF ABUSE WAS PRESENT MY WARRANTY WOULD BE VOIDED AND ALL THE CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE INSPECTION AND REPAIR WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. THIS FELT MORE LIKE A TACTIC TO DETER OR SCARE ME INTO CONTINUING TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT WAS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. *LA