NHTSA Complaint #10511795 — 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO

DURING COLD WEATHER (APPROXIMATELY 40 DEGREES OR LESS) DURING THE EVENING, MY SUPER ALL-WHEEL-CONTROL SERVICING LIGHT WAS TRIGGERED DURING A LOW SPEED TURN. THIS INDICATES A FAULTY OR FAILING AWC/AYC PUMP, A MECHANICAL COMPONENT WHICH PROVIDES AYC FLUID TO THE FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL OF THE VEHICLE, AIDING IN STABILITY CONTROL. WHEN THE PUMP IS INOPERABLE, DECREASED (OR NO) PRESSURE/FLUID IS SENT TO THE DIFFERENTIALS OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH CAN CAUSE SERIOUS DRIVETRAIN DAMAGE AND FAILURE-- THUS THE AYC PUMP IS RECOGNIZED BY MITSUBISHI AS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE DRIVE TRAIN. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER MITSUBISHI'S 5 YEAR/60,000 MILE DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY, WHICH I FEEL IS DISINGENUOUS. THIS IS A A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AS A FAULTY OR FAILED PUMP EFFECTIVELY DISABLES THE AWD COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE AND MAKES THE DRIVE TRAIN MORE LIKELY TOSUFFER CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE DURING USE, WHICH CAN RESULT IN CRASHES AND INJURY. MITSUBISHI IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND THAT THESE PUMPS ARE POORLY-DESIGNED FOR PROVIDING THE AYC FLUID TO THE DIFFERENTIALS DURING COLD WEATHER; THE FLUID BECOMES EXTREMELY VISCOUS AT LOW TEMPERATURES AND THE PUMP IS EITHER UNABLE TO CONTINUE TO FLOW THE FLUID TO NECESSARY COMPONENTS OR THE PUMP COMPLETELY FAILS IN THE ATTEMPT, REQUIRING EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. *TR