NHTSA Complaint #10535378 — 2009 MITSUBISHI LANCER

I WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON THE CA IS-15 NORTH AT APPROXIMATELY 5:55 PM PST BETWEEN THE EXITS OF 138/WRIGHTWOOD AND THE ROUTE 395/JOSHUA STREET EXIT. I WAS TRAVELING IN THE FAST LANE GOING ABOUT 68-72 MPH. I GOT A "SERVICE REQUIRED" ERROR LIGHT FLASHING, THEN THE "SLOW DOWN" LIGHT CAME ON WITH A PICTURE OF A THERMOMETER. I CHECKED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE (WHICH IS DISPLAYED ON THE LED SCREEN BY THE SPEEDOMETER, NOT THE USUAL INDEPENDENT GAUGE) AND THE TEMPERATURE SHOWED THAT IT WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, WHICH SHOULD BE WORKING GREAT. I SLOWED DOWN TO 50 MPH AS I MERGED FROM THE #1 (FAST) LANE TO THE SLOW LANE BY THE ROAD SHOULDER AND MY ENGINE LOST POWER. LUCKILY I HAD ENOUGH POWER TO GET OVER TO THE SHOULD BEFORE THE USUAL LINE OF SEMI-TRUCKS BLEW PAST ME. I CHECKED THE COOLANT, OIL, AND CTV TRANS FLUID LEVELS, ALL WERE AT CAPACITY. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE. THE FIRST TIME WAS THIS SAME TIME LAST YEAR (AUGUST, 2012). I HAD BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN JULY 2012. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED THE DEALERSHIP (VICTORVILLE MITSUBISHI) FIXED IT UNDER TSB 10-23-005. AT THAT POINT THE CAR ONLY HAD 46,000 MILES ON IT. I PLAN TO TAKE THE CAR BACK INTO THE DEALER THIS SATURDAY, PROVIDED I CAN MAKE IT BACK UP THE HILL TODAY AND TOMORROW. THIS IS A REALLY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND I HOPE IT BECOMES AN OFFICIAL RECALL. LUCKILY I WASN'T RUN OFF THE ROAD OR REAR ENDED AND KILLED WITH THE LOSS OF POWER ISSUE DUE TO THE FAULTY SENSOR. *TR