NHTSA Complaint #10130707 — 2005 MITSUBISHI GALANT

BOUGHT A NEW MITSUBISHI GALANT 2005. AT ABOUT 150 MILES DURING THE BREAK IN PERIOD I STARTED TO NOTICE A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT. AFTER THE BREAK IN PERIOD WHEN I COULD TAKE IT TO A HIGHER SPEED I ALSO NOTICED A DISTINCT SHIMMY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VIBRATION IS VERY PRONOUNCED BETWEEN 70 AND 80 MPH. AT THIS SPEED THE VIBRATION IS NOTICEABLE ON JUST ABOUT ANY ROAD SURFACE. THE VIBRATION IS FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL SHIMMY AND IN THE SEAT OF THE PANTS VIBRATION EMANATING FROM THE FRONT. THE COMPLAINT WAS INITIALLY ADDRESSED BY THE MITSUBISHI DEALER BY NOTING THAT TWO TIRES WERE OUT OF BALANCE AND RE-BALANCING. THIS DID NOT WORK. THEN THE VEHICLE WAS SENT TO A TIRE SPECIALIST WHERE A ROAD BALANCE WAS DONE AND ONE TIRE WHEEL COMBINATION THAT COULD NOT BE BALANCED THE TIRE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY THROUGH YOKOHAMA. THE PROBLEM DID NOT GO AWAY. MITSUBISHI WAS CONTACTED AND THE REGIONAL MANAGER FOR MITSUBISHI ORDERED TO REPLACE THE YOKOHAMA TIRES WITH MICHELIN. I ALLOWED A BREAK IN PERIOD FOR THE TIRES AND THIS HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. THE TIRE SPECIALIST NOTED THAT IT COULD BE A BAD FRONT AXEL OR TRANSMISSION ENGINE MOUNTS. AT THIS POINT I FEEL IT IS A DEFECT SINCE THE WORK DONE WHILE CONSISTENT WITH BAD TIRES OR UNBALANCED TIRES HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL RE-BALANCINGS AND A NEW SET OF TIRES BY MICHELIN. THE PROBLEM OF FRONT VIBRATION AND THE SHIMMY IN THE STEERING WHEEL CONTINUES. *NM