NHTSA Complaint #10465586 — 2008 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER

THIS VEHICLE WAS RECALLED IN 2009 FOR A FAILURE OF THE SWITCH WHICH ACTIVATES THE BRAKE LAMPS. MITSUBISHI RECORDS INDICATE THAT WE HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED IN MARCH, 2009, ALONG WITH ANOTHER RECALL ITEM. HOWEVER, THROUGHOUT THE FIRST HALF OF 2011, MY WIFE AND I HAD PROBLEMS GETTING THE CAR TO COME OUT OF 'PARK', AND WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL COMPUTER INDICATING MALFUNCTIONS. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THOSE ISSUES INVESTIGATED, I FOLLOWED THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THAT MOST OF THE TIME, THE BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT ACTIVATE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE DEALERSHIP DISCOVERED THAT ALL THREE PROBLEMS WERE CAUSED BY MALFUNCTIONS OF THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH, AND REPLACED IT. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, IT HAS WORKED CORRECTLY SINCE THEN. HOWEVER, I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE SWITCH. AFTER ALL, THAT'S A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF A MAJOR SAFETY SYSTEM, AND RECALL SERVICE HAD BEEN PERFORMED WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO PREVENT THAT VERY SAME PREMATURE FAILURE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT AN IMPORTANT SAFETY COMPONENT SUCH AS THE BRAKE LAMP SYSTEM SHOULD NOT SUFFER A FAILURE AFTER 3.5 YEARS OF SERVICE AND 60,000 MILES. I'M DOUBLY CONFIDENT THAT FAILURE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED AFTER THE SCRUTINY YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS ALREADY APPLIED TO THIS ISSUE. *TR