NHTSA Complaint #10414880 — 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER

OWN A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER, CODE P0421, SHOWED AFTER FAILURE OF EMISSIONS TEST. I CALLED MITSUBISHI MOTORS AFTER FINDING THIS CODE WAS FOR A RECALL IN AUG. 05 EMR-05-001/003, AN EMISSION RECALL ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, "MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED DAMAGE TO THE WARM-UP CAT CONVERTER AND SUBSEQUENT ILLUMINATION OF THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP." MITSUBISHI INFORMED ME THIS RECALL WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY RECALL TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BUT THAT IT EXPIRED IN 2006, ALSO, THAT IT EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 8 YRS OR 100,000 MI. I EXPLAINED TO THEM I HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALLS ON THIS CAR. THEY INFORMED ME IT WAS MY FAULT FOR NOT INFORMING THEM I WAS THE OWNER, SO I COULD BE NOTIFIED. HOWEVER, NHTSA SAYS OWNERS ARE NOTIFIED THROUGH REGISTRATION RECORDS. THEY LATER STATED THEY HAD SENT ME A RECALL NOTICE IN AUG. 2005. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON ANY OF THE THREE RECALLS FOR MY CAR. THIS CAR HIT 100,000 MI ON 5/10/2008 WHICH WAS BEFORE THE 8YR LIMIT. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY STARTED TO FLASH 2/5/2010, AT 122592 MILES, STILL BEFORE THE 8YR LIMIT. WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE GAS CAP NOT SCREWED ON ALL THE WAY BECAUSE IT DIDN'T ILLUMINATE CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL 06/2011. MITSUBISHI HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THE CAT, BECAUSE THE CAR IS NOW OVER 100,000 MILES AND THE 8YR LIMIT, OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. WE HAVE PERFORMED A TUNE-UP OF THE ENGINE, OIL CHANGE, BELT REPLACEMENT, VALVE GASKET REPLACEMENT, AND FLUID FLUSH TO HELP REMEDY THE SITUATION. THE FAN CONTROL, AND PCM REFLASH WERE PERFORMED PER THE OTHER TWO RECALLS FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TR