NHTSA Complaint #10078513 — 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION

I'VE HAD A THROW OUT BEARING METAL TO METAL RUBBING NOISE FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT MY 2003 MITSUBISHI EVOLUTION VIII. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER TO ASK IF I SHOULD BE CONCERNED. I WAS STRAIGHTFORWARD TOLD NOT TO WORRY UNLESS THE NOISE GETS WORSE. SINCE THEN MY CLUTCH HAS BEGUN TO CHATTER IN COLD WEATHER VIOLENTLY, AND OCCATIONALLY IN WARM OR HOT WEATHER. MY PEDAL THROW HAS BEEN VERY FAR FROM THE FLOOR FROM DAY ONE AND I JUST ASSUMED THIS WAS THE NATURE OF THE CAR. I LATER FOUND FROM A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE EXACT SAME DEALERSHIP THAT UPON RECEIVING THE VERY FIRST SHIPMENT OF EVOLUTIONS, BOTH VEHICLES RECEIVED WERE TAKEN OUT AND DRIVEN BY ALL THE MANAGMENT AND EMPLOYEES AT THE DEALERSHIP AND VIOLENTLY ABUSED AND PRESSED FURTHER THEN THEY WERE MENT TO BE USED FOR. I HAVE TWO SEPARATE PEOPLE WITH MATCHING STORIES WHO WORKED AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP TELL ME THAT MY CAR WAS ONE OF THE TWO VEHICLES WHICH THEY TOOK OUT FOR A JOY RIDE. SO MY CLUTCH PROBLEM IS EITHER A: A DEFECTIVE DESIGN, OR B: ABUSE FRO MTHE DEALERSHIP. *AK