NHTSA Complaint #10543685 — 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION

THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ACTIVE CONTROL DIFFERENTIAL (ACD) WHICH IS ACTUATED BY THE ACD HYDRAULIC PUMP. THE ACD IS A PART OF THE VEHICLE'S ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM. AFTER GIVING THE ENGINE AN 8 MINUTE WARM UP ON IDLE, THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A 20F OF AMBIENT TEMPERATURE. THE VEHICLE WAS ON A STOP LIGHT, AND UPON GENTLY ACCELERATING THE CAR ON GREEN LIGHT A WARNING LIGHT CAME UP ON THE VEHICLE'S DASH BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO THE NEAREST MITSUBISHI SERVICE SHOP 4 DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT WITH THE WARNING LIGHT STILL ON THE VEHICLE'S DASH BOARD. AFTER SERVICE TECHNICIAN WORKED ON THE VEHICLE, THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT THE ACD PUMP IS THE PROBLEM WHICH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND WILL COST $2100 OF PARTS AND LABOR. 8 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE MITSUBISHI SERVICE SHOP RE-FLASHED MY VEHICLE'S ALL WHEEL DRIVE ECU TO SPECIFICALLY PREVENT THE FAILURE OF THE PUMP ESPECIALLY IN COLD ENVIRONMENTS. MITSUBISHI REPLACED THE ACD PUMP AT MY EXPENSE, AND IT'S BEEN APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS THAT MY VEHICLE IS ON THE REPLACEMENT PUMP. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE COMBINATION OF THE HYDRAULIC FLUID BECOMING THICK ON COLD WEATHER AND THE CORROSION ON THE HYDRAULIC PUMP THAT THE SALTED WINTER ROADS BRING IS WHAT MAKES THE ACD PUMP FAIL. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET CAR FORUMS, THIS OCCURRENCE WHERE THE ACD PUMP FAILS ON COLDER REGIONS IS NOT UNCOMMON EVEN WITH THE PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF THIS VEHICLE THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH THIS ACD SYSTEM. *TR