NHTSA Complaint #10172604 — 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION

VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT USED. STILL HAS REMAINING FACTORY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. VEHICLE HAD CLUTCH PROBLEMS WHEN I TOOK DELIVERY OF VEHICLE IN JULY. DEALER WAS INFORMED OF PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY AFTER TEST DRIVING VEHICLE. DEALER PROTESTED A REPLACEMENT. HAD SERVICE RECORDS PULLED FOR VEHICLE. CLUTCH WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY FOR FIRST OWNER. DEALER REPLACED DISC AND PRESSURE PLATE. LEFT ASSEMBLY LINE THROWOUT BEARING ON VEHICLE. STATED THAT IT IS A "NON-WEAR" ITEM. THROWOUT BEARING FAILED TO DISENGAGE CAUSING DISC FRICTION MATERIAL TO BE "SPUN" SOME TIME BACK. DEALER WAS INFORMED OF THIS INCIDENT. AGAIN, PROTESTED REPLACEMENT STATING IT IS A "NON-WARRANTY ITEM". CLUTCH IS CONSIDERED A WEAR ITEM, EVEN THOUGHT IT IS THE INTEGRAL LINK IN THE POWERTRAIN ASSEMBLY. CLUTCH COMPLETELY FAILED AND LEFT THIS AUTHOR STRANDED 45 MILES FROM HOME, ON THIS DATE. DEALER AGAIN NOTIFIED AND ONCE AGAIN, I WAS DENIED A CLAIM. *JB