NHTSA Complaint #10159827 — 2002 MITSUBISHI GALANT

I CONTINUE TO BATTLE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. THE CAR IS TYPICALLY USED WITH ONE OCCUPANT AND NO OR VERY LITTLE (20LBS OR LESS) CARGO. IN THE APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPAIRED 3 TIMES AND HAS NOW FAILED THE 4TH TIME. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED MORE TIMES IF I COULD AFFORD IT. MORE THAN 10,000 OF THESE 20,000 MILES HAVE BEEN DRIVEN WITH THE BRAKES SQUEALING OR CHATTERING. EVENTUALLY THE BRAKING POWER FADES AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES TOO MUCH TO HOLD ONTO. WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THE DEALER REFUSED TO DO ANY REPAIR COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER WOULD NOT INSPECT OR REPAIR THE CALIPERS IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE TYPE OF SQUEALING INDICATED POOR CONTACT OF THE PADS WITH THE ROTORS DUE TO STICKING CALIPERS AND THE FACT THAT HEAT WARPAGE OF THE ROTORS INDICATES STICKING CALIPERS. CALIPERS WERE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. INSTEAD, THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT I NEEDED TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT AT THE SAME INTERVAL AS AN OIL CHANGE; HOWEVER, RESEARCH TELLS ME THAT THIS CAR HAS AUTO ADJUSTING REAR BRAKES! THIS TIME I TOOK IT ON MYSELF TO SERVICE THE FRONT BRAKES AS I COULDN'T AFFORD TO HAVE THEM SERVICED, MY WIFE AND I WERE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE SHAKING DURING BRAKING WAS SO BAD, AND SEARS TOLD US THAT ROTORS HAD WORN TOO THIN TO RESURFACE. AT THE TIME I DID THIS SERVICE, I FOUND THE SLIDE PINS OF THE CALIPERS TO BE BADLY WORN. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE WILL CAUSE CALIPERS TO STICK, PREMATURELY WEAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS, OVERHEAT ROTORS AND PADS CAUSING WARPAGE OF THE ROTORS AND REDUCED BRAKING POWER, AND REDUCE BRAKING POWER BY CAUSING THE CALIPER TO CATCH RATHER THAN SLIDE ON THE SLIDE PIN AND THEREBY PREVENT PROPER PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PADS. THIS IS A FAILURE OF THE CALIPER, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO DETECT AND COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, WHICH SPECIFICALLY COVERS CALIPERS. *JB