NHTSA Complaint #10274901 — 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER

THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIR ISSUES WITH THIS 2003 OUTLANDER. THERE HAVE BEEN NO COOLANT OR ANY FLUID LEAKS WITH THIS CAR. THE CAR SUDDENLY FILLED WITH SMOKE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE; SMOKE POURED FROM THE ENGINE; PRIOR TO THAT - FIVE MINUTES EARLIER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND ACCELERATION WAS DIFFICULT; THERE WAS AN ODD ODOR AS WELL AS A METAL ON METAL TYPE SOUND. 911 WAS CALLED AS THE SMOKE WAS HEAVY. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ASKED BY MITSUBISHI CORP. TO PULL THE ENGINE TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS THE ENGINE - WARRANTIED OR OUR FAULT- A RADIATOR ISSUE. THIS WAS A 400$ COST TO US UNLESS THEY FOUND IN OUR FAVOR..THIS WAS IN ADDITION TO THE 80$ DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO BEGIN THE PROCESS. THEY ARE SAYING THAT THERE IS A CRACK IN THE RADIATOR WHERE THE ENGINE CONNECTS BY A HOSE TO THE RADIATOR AND THAT IT IS "NORMAL" WEAR. THERE IS NOTHING NORMAL ABOUT THIS. IT WAS IMMEDIATE AND CATASTROPHIC. THEY WANT TO CHARGE US $3600 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I AM ARGUING THAT THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT - WE HAVE 100,000/7 YEAR WARRANTY ON THE DRIVETRAIN. MY CAR ONLY HAS 57,000 MILES AND HAS RUN PERFECTLY FINE UP TO LAST WEEK. I HAVE ASKED MITSUBISHI TO RECONSIDER AND HAVE BEEN PROMISED AN ANSWER BY A CASE MANAGER BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS TOMORROW -6/25. I HOLD LITTLE HOPE THAT THEY WILL COVER THE COST OF AN ENGINE YET I FEEL THAT THE WAY IN WHICH THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND THEN DIED IS NOT ALL NORMAL FOR A CAR WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE AND ONE WHICH HAS NO HISTORY OF REPAIRS. WE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON A RADIATOR FAN CONTROL PART AND WONDER IF THAT IS WHAT CAUSED THIS SERIES OF EVENTS TO OCCUR. IF SO, ARE THEY NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR? I CURRENTLY HAVE ONLY FOUR PAYMENTS LEFT ON THE CAR FOR A TOTAL OF A BIT UNDER 2000$. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENGINE, THEY COULD ONLY GIVE ME 500$ TOWARD A TRADE! I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR INTERVENTION AND HELP. *TR