NHTSA Complaint #10210830 — 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER

I PURCHASED A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER ES BRAND-NEW FROM A DEALERSHIP IN THE SUMMER OF THAT YEAR. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE, I REALIZED THE TEMPERATURE-CONTROL KNOB WAS STIFF AND WOULD HAVE TO BE FORCED TO SWITCH FROM HEAT TO COOL AND VICE VERSA. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE A SERVICE TECHNICIAN OILED IT. THAT HELPED FOR A FEW MONTHS BEFORE IT STARTED STICKING AGAIN. BASICALLY, IT WOULD FEEL AS IT THE KNOB WAS STUCK BETWEEN HOT AND COLD. IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FORCED BEYOND THAT POINT. ONCE FORCED, IT WOULD EITHER NOT STICK IN THE MOST EXTREME TEMPERATURE SETTING (I.E. MAX AC OR HIGHEST HEAT SETTING) OR IT WOULD NOT MOVE MUCH AT ALL. IT WOULD OFTEN FEEL AS IF IT WERE ON THE VERGE OF BREAKING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP IN 2005, WHERE I WAS TOLD IT WAS A COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG 2003 LANCER OWNERS. THE SERVICE TECH AT THAT TIME TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $800 TO FIX BUT THAT SO LONG AS THE HEATING AND AC WORKED MOST OF THE TIME, IT WOULD BE SMARTER TO HOLD OFF UNTIL MITSUBISHI ISSUED A RECALL. HE INDICATED THAT A RECALL WAS IMMINENT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS HE WAS AWARE OF. THE KNOB ON MY CAR OFFICIALLY BROKE LAST WEEK. THERE IS STILL NO RECALL ON THE PART, BUT A SERVICE TECHNICIAN I SPOKE TO THIS MORNING SAID THAT MITSUBISHI RECENTLY RELEASED A FIX-IT KIT TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO HIM, THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS. THE BAD NEWS IS THAT IT WOULD COST $1,000 TO REPAIR, BECAUSE THE ENTIRE DASH HAS TO BE REMOVED TO MAKE THE REPAIR. TOTAL ESTIMATED REPAIR TIME IS ABOUT 8 HOURS. IT'S MY BELIEF THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON ENOUGH TO WARRANT A RECALL ON THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB AND COMPANY-PAID REPAIR. *TR