NHTSA Complaint #10542370 — 2011 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION

MY CAR BEGAN TO HAVE A FLASHING ACTIVE YAW CONTROL LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT AYC/ACD PUMP WAS FAILING DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE AWD STOPS FUNCTIONING, SO THE CAR IS NOW IN TWO WHEEL DRIVE MODE. MITSUBISHI MOUNTED THE AYC PUMP IN THE REAR FENDERWELL AREA WHERE IT IS OPENLY EXPOSED TO THE WINTER ELEMENTS SUCH AS SNOW, SALT AND SAND. THIS IS A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM AND THE DEALER I WENT TO HAS DONE ABOUT 6 CARS IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO JUST FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALER FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS VERY HELPFUL AND WAS GOING TO REPLACE THE PUMP UNDER WARRANTY, BUT WHEN WAS DENIED THE REQUEST DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ENGINE HAD HAD A "TUNE" ON IT. SO, THE PUMP WILL HAVE TO BE REPAIRED AT COST TO MYSELF. THE REASON I AM BRINGING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION IS BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY APPARENT DESIGN FLAW. PLACING A CRITICAL PART LIKE THIS PUMP OPENLY EXPOSED TO SNOW, SALT AND SAND THROWN UP BY THE TIRES WHICH IN TURN CORRODES THE PUMP, IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS STOPS THE AWD TO FUNCTION AND RENDERS THE CAR TO BE ONLY DRIVEN IN TWO WHEELED DRIVE MODE WHEN THE CAR IS IN FACT, DESIGNED FOR ALL WHEEL DRIVE. THERE ARE SO MANY WELL DOCUMENTED CASES OF THIS PROBLEM, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, MITSUBISHI WILL HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AND DO SOMETHING TO MITIGATE THE SEVERE CORROSION OF THE AYC PUMP.