NHTSA Complaint #10386286 — 2008 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER

MITSUBISHI IS FULLY AWARE OF PROBLEMS WITH ELECTRONIC KEYS IN NEW MODELS AND WOULD NOT REPLACE THE KEYS. PROBLEMS REPORTED BY MITSUBISHI IN "TECHNICAL BULLETINS" TO DEALERS ARE NOT TREATED AS EQUIPMENT RECALLS, EVEN THOUGH KNOWN EQUIPMENT DEFECTS ARE REPORTED. FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE ELECTRONIC KEY TO MY OUTLANDER WOULD NOT START THE ENGINE. THE ELECTRONIC KEY IDENTIFIED AS MISTSUBISHI'S F.A.S.T KEY WOULD NOT WORK AND IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE DEFECT CAN OCCUR WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER, IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT MITSUBISHI ISSUES "TECHNICAL BULLETINS" TO NOTIFY DEALERS OF EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTIONS THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED RECALLS BUT REPORTED DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT PARTS THAT SHOULD BE REPLACED ONLY IF THE CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT. I WAS TOLD THAT MITSUBISHI WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC KEYS FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS BUT WOULD NOT RECALL THEM AND WOULD ONLY REPLACE THEM AFTER PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE KEY COSTS ABOUT $500 DOLLARS INCLUDING PROGRAMMING. I CONSIDER THAT MITSUBISHI COULD NOT CONFIRM IF THE ENGINE WOULD STOP DURING USE AND THEREFORE ALL ELECTRONIC KEYS SHOULD BE REPLACED AS THEY ALREADY KNOW OF THE DEFECT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE KEY AT NO COST ONLY BECAUSE THE TECHNICAL BULLETIN REPORTING THE DEFECT WAS ISSUED, BUT REFUSE TO PROVIDE A COPY OF THE ACTUAL TECHNICAL BULLETIN. PLEASE TREAT CONFIDENTIAL-DO NOT DISCLOSE MY NAME. *TR