NHTSA Complaint #10198911 — 1994 MITSUBISHI GALANT

THE WHEEL OF MY DAUGHTER'S MITSUBISHI GALANT FELL OFF! WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT OUR HOME, THE GALANT'S BALL JOINT ON THE LOWER LATERAL CONTROL ARM FAILED. THE BALL JOINT PULLED OUT OF THE SOCKET AND THE TRANSAXLE PULLED OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. THIS RESULTED IN THE WHEEL FALLING AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL (LITERALLY FALLING OFF THE CAR!) THERE WAS NO GREASE IN THE BALL JOINT SOCKET. THANKFULLY, THIS OCCURRED AT A VERY LOW RATE OF SPEED. IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON THE EXPRESSWAY, IT WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT! THIS 1994 GALANT HAS ONLY 86,000 MILES ON IT, AND HAS NO OPEN RECALLS. MY DAUGHTER HAD TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THE INCIDENT BECAUSE SHE SOMETIMES HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE WHEEL AREA. THE SHOP WRONGLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS TIE ROD ENDS. THEY SAID THERE WERE NO IMMEDIATE SAFETY CONCERNS. *JB