NHTSA Complaint #10082254 — 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION

CLUTCH FAILURE AFTER 2778 MILES OF DRIVING A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION VIII. PURCHASED NEW VEHICLE (USED BROKER JIM ESTRADA AUTOBROKER 602-683-2120) FROM MARK MITSUBISHI WITH 1586 MILES. AFTER DRIVING 1192 ADDTIONAL MILES THE CLUTCH STARTED SLIPPING. RETURNED CAR TO MARK MITSUBISHI TO FIND THAT CLUTCH PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED BY AUTO WARRANTY. AFTER RESEARCHING NHTSA WEBSITE I FOUND 13 SIMILAR FAILURES OF CLUTCH PROBLEMS WITH SAME RESULT WITH DEALERS. THERE ARE NOW 30 REPORTED INCIDENTS. I TRIED TO HAVE PROBLEM REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS MY PROBLEM. WHILE NEGOTIATING REPAIR MY DAUGHTER WAS TOLD BY SALESPERSON HE KNEW OF CLUTCH PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL CAR. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THIS SAME SALESPERSON THAT THEY HAD PROBLEMS. HIS REPLY WHEN ASKED WHY BUYER IS NOT INFORMED WAS THAT I SHOULD DO MY HOMEWORK. I DO NOT THINK A NEW CAR SHOULD HAVE A PROBLEM AT 2778 MILES OF DRIVING. MITSUBISHI HAD TROUBLES WITH THEIR TRUCK CLUTCHES SENDING ONE OF THEIR EXCUTIVES TO JAIL IN JAPAN. I HAD TO PAY $889.89 TO HAVE CLUTCH REPLACED. *LA