NHTSA Complaint #10166204 — 2003 MITSUBISHI GALANT

I PURCHASED A USED 2003 MITSUBISHI GALANT FROM A LARGE USED-CAR DEALERSHIP. ON THE NEXT DAY, THE HORN SOUNDED OFF SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF, REQUIRING ME TO PULL THE FUSE IN ORDER TO STOP THE SOUND. THE USED CAR DEALERSHIP DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH A MITSUBISHI DEALER, WHO ADVISED THEM TO REPLACE THE HORN AND THE HORN RELAY. THEY DID SO, BUT THE HORN ONCE AGAIN WENT OFF SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY JUST OVER A WEEK LATER. THE DEALERSHIPS COORDINATED THEIR REPAIR EFFORTS ONCE AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IT WAS DETERMINED, HOWEVER THAT A POOR GROUND CONNECTION ON THE HORN COULD BE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, JUST ONE WEEK LATER, THE HORN ONCE AGAIN WENT OFF WHILE IN THE DRIVEWAY AND CONTINUED TO BLARE UNTIL I PULLED THE FUSE. THE DEALERSHIP IS UNCERTAIN WHAT TO DO TO FIX THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. CLEARLY, FROM MY EXPERIENCE AND THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN REGISTERED WITH THE NHTSA OVER THIS ISSUE, THE GALANT HAS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO THE FUNCTIONING OF ITS HORN ASSEMBLY. DRIVERS, PASSENGERS AND PEDESTRIANS ARE AFFECTED BY THE UNSAFE NATURE OF THIS VEHICLE, AND A RECALL IS CERTAINLY REQUIRED. *NM