NHTSA Complaint #10171645 — 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER

I PURCHASED MY 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER IN 2001, IT HAD 7 MILES ON IT. IN THE YEARS SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED THE CAR I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS 6 TIMES. IT NOW HAS 88,000 MILES ON IT. I PRETTY MUCH HAVE TO GET A NEW SET EVERY YEAR, AND THESE ARE THE EXPENSIVE LIFETIME PADS. I HAVE TURNED THE ROTORS TWICE AND ALREADY REPLACED THEM ONCE. WHEN TRYING TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS MY MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE BACK BREAKS HAD NEVER BEEN USED, THEY STILL HAD UNTOUCHED MANUFACTURER BRAKE PADS. SO THE BACK BREAKS HAD NEVER WORKED. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY DID LOOK AT THE CAR, THEY STATED THAT IT WAS SIMPLY AN ISSUE OF A DISCONNECTED LINE (AFTER I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR 4 YEARS). BUT THEN 6 MONTHS LATER I HAD TO CHANGE THE BRAKES YET AGAIN AFTER ONLY 5,000 MILES. ONCE AGAIN- THE BACK BREAKS WERE STILL UNTOUCHED. I CALLED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY UP FRONT FOR ANY INSPECTION OR REPAIRS SINCE MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY AND IS A POTENTIAL SERIOUS DANGER, I HAVE YET TO CONTACT CORPORATE REGARDING THIS MATTER AS I HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY WOULD NOT INVOLVE THEMSELVES BY OTHER MITSUBISHI OWNERS. *NM