NHTSA Complaint #11115419 — 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER

WHILE DRIVING ON BACK STREET THE CAR STARTED PULLING DRAMATICALLY TO THE LEFT. ON FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS NOTICED THAT WHERE THE WHEEL CONNECTS TO THE SUBFRAME THERE WAS EXCESSIVE ROT THE POINT THE WHEEL WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SUBFRAME. CONTACTED MITSUBISHI. THEY SAID THE LANCER (AND OTHER MODELS) HAD A RECALL ON EXCESSIVE SUBFRAME ROT BUT ONLY YEARS 2002 TO 2007 FOR THE LANCER. MINE BEING 2008 IS NOT RECALLED. I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS $2000. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AS THE SUBFRAME HOLDS THE WHEELS ON, AND THE ENGINE IN PLACE AND IT HAD A CATISTROPIC FAILURE WHICH COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND LOSS OF LIFE. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS OR I COULD HAVE INFORMED MY MECHANIC TO CAREFULLY LOOK FOR SUBFRAME ROT (MOST INSPECTIONS ARE JUST BY SITE). HAD ANYONE HIT THIS SUBFRAME WITH A HAMMER THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN IT WAS DISSINTEGRATING. THE CAR DOES LOOK LIKE ITS RECALLED IN CANADA " TRANSPORT CANADA RECALL 2016317, WHICH WAS ISSUED ON JUNE 21, 2016. THE RECALL INVOLVES 64,305 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER AND LANCER MODELS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 2003 AND 2013." MITSUBISHI CUSTOMER RELATIONS HAS INFORMED ME TODAY THAT I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. FAILURE OF A SUBFRAME IS A VERY RARE EVENT. ITS CLEAR THIS SUBFRAME HAS THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AS THE LANCERS BUILT THE YEAR BEFORE. THE OUTLANDER ALSO HAS THE EXACT SAME SUBFRAME. THE DEALER HAS MY SUBFRAME IN STOCK BECAUSE ITS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE OUTLANDER (WHICH IS COVERED). I AM HOPING THEY REALIZE THAT NOT INFORMING CUSTOMERS OF THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION COULD RESULT IN POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE. INFORMING THE LANCER OWNERS UP TO 2013 (AS THEY DID IN CANADA) COULD SAVE LIVES.