NHTSA Complaint #11044251 — 2014 MITSUBISHI LANCER

I BOUGHT MY 2014 MITSUBISHI LANCER IN NOV. 2014 AT LONG LEWIS FORD IN FLORENCE, AL, WHERE I RECEIVED ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE PERFORMANCES FOR IT. ON SEPT. 15, 2017, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN MY 2014 MITSUBISHI LANCER AND EXPERIENCED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE (WHILE IN MOTION), CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. ONCE THE SYSTEM FAILED, I COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE AND COULD ONLY "COAST" TO TRY AND FIND A SAFE SPOT TO BRAKE. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD, THE MAIN RELAY HAD CAUGHT FIRE, WAS BLACK, BURNT UP, AND MELTED ON THE INSIDE. I COULDN'T GET MY CAR TO GO IN NEUTRAL OR ANY SYSTEMS TO WORK TO GET IT COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD, CREATING ANOTHER SAFETY HAZARD, AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. A SALES TECH MET ME WITH A NEW RELAY THAT I PURCHASED. THE NEW RELAY DID NOT GET MY CAR MOVING AGAIN BECAUSE WHEN THE RELAY (THAT WAS IN MY CAR WHEN I BOUGHT IT) CAUGHT FIRE, IT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE COMPUTER/ECM. WHEN GIVING THE PART NUMBERS FROM MY RELAY AND ECM/COMPUTER FOR REPLACEMENTS, THE PARTS SPECIALISTS AND I REALIZED THAT THE PART NUMBERS FOR THE COMPUTER/ECM MATCHED ONLY A 2015 COMPUTER/ECM, AND THERE WAS NOT A MATCHING PART NUMBER FOR THE RELAY AS THAT EXACT ONE WAS UNOBTAINABLE, AND A DIFFERENT ONE THAT WAS COMPATIBLE HAD TO BE PURCHASED. I HAVE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2015-2017 MITSUBISHI LANCER RELAYS BECAUSE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE RELAY WHICH CAUSES COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. I WOULD APPRECIATE AN INVESTIGATION BEING PERFORMED TO SEE IF THE 2014 MITSUBISHI LANCERS SHOULD BE INCLUDED UNDER THIS RECALL AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME RELAY ISSUE, SAFETY HAZARD AND CONCERNS, AND ALSO DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY 2014 LANCER HAS A 2015 SYSTEM IN IT. I NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN WHETHER THE RELAY THAT WAS PUT IN MY 2014 LANCER WHEN BUILT, AND WHEN REPLACED, WAS/IS NOT DEFECTIVE. PLEASE ADVISE IF I NEED TO DIRECT THIS SAFETY CONCERN TO ANOTHER APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATOR.