NHTSA Complaint #10070623 — 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER

AT AROUND 9500 MILES THE CAR BEGAN STICKING, SLIPPING GEARS, JAMMING INTO GEAR. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAILED BODY VALVE, WHICH THEY ORDERED AND SENT ME HOME FOR 10 DAYS WAITING FOR THE PART--MEANWHILE THE CAR PROGRESSIVELY BECAME WORSE, MAKING ENTERING THE FREEWAY QUESTIONABLE, ETC. AFTER 10 DAYS IT BEGAN DOING THE SAME THING--TOOK CAR BACK IN--THEY SENT ME HOME WHILE THEY TRIED TO REACH MITSUBISHI...WHEN I DEMANDED RENTAL STATING I DID NOT FEEL SAFE (I CALLED MITSUBISHI, WHO INTERVENED AND HAD ME TAKE CAR BACK TO DEALER UNTIL IT IS FIXED). DEALER TOLD ME THEY ARE ORDERING 6 MORE TRANSMISSION PARTS BASED ON MITSUBISHI'S ADVICE. MEANWHILE, I SPOKE WITH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WORKED FOR MITSUBISHI, WHO SAID THAT IF THE BODY VALVE FAILED, THERE IS PROBABLY INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT TALKING ON THE PHONE AND ORDERING PARTS IS NOT FIXING THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM--ALSO THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTER HAVE TO BE IN SYNC, AND A DAMAGED TRANSMISSION COULD AFFECT THE COMPUTER OF THE CAR. SO WE HAVE TECHS TALKING BACK AND FORTH ON THE PHONE, A DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE ANSWERS TALKING TO A TECH HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY, AND NEITHER PARTY HAS SEEN THE INSIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION....I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A DEFECTIVE CAR AND AM RUNNING TO THE SHOP WHICH IS JUST PUTTING BANDAIDS ON THE PROBLEM.