NHTSA Complaint #10453742 — 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION

RANDOM P0300 ERROR PLUS VIBRATION AT 2800 TO 3500 RPM. CONTACTED MITSUBISHI AND IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH A TSB FOR ALL EVO VIII VEHICLES DUE TO A FAULTY INPUT SHAFT. HOWEVER, MITSUBISHI DOES NOT COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY FOR 03 MODELS AS IT WOULD BE OUT OF WARRANTY LONG BEFORE THIS ISSUE SHOWS UP. PROBLEM OCCURS SPORADICALLY AND CAUSES SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER. IN AN ONCOMING PASSING SITUATION, THIS POWER LOSS COULD SERIOUSLY DEGRADE VEHICLE SAFETY. FIX IS EITHER TO REMOVE THE CHECK FOR THE KNOCK SENSOR OR REPLACE THE INPUT SHAFT AT A COST OF ABOUT 4000 DOLLARS TO REPLACE A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MANUFACTURE CHOSE NOT TO ISSUE RECALL EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS SUCH AS THIS ON THIS DATABOARD. MANUFACTURE DOES NOT INFORM CUSTOMER VOLUNTARILY WHEN A PROBLEM IS NOTED ON THE CAR AND SUBMIT RECOMMENDATION FOR FIX. *TR