NHTSA Complaint #11139030 — 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER

IN 2015 MY 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER DID NOT PASS CA STATE SMOG. MY LOCAL MECHANIC DID THE NECESSARY TESTS AS DIRECTED BY THE LOCAL STATE REFEREE, THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE 02 SENSOR. ENDED UP BEING DIRECTED BY REFEREE TO MITSUBISHI OF EL CAJON AND PAID $125.00 FOR THEM TO TEST IT. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THEN WAS TOLD TO MAKE APPT WITH THE REFEREE ON YET ANOTHER DAY FOR THEM TO TEST IT AND ENDED UP RECEIVING A 2YR PASS BECAUSE THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT COMPLETE RUN TEST. REPORT STATES: FAILED DUE TO VEHICLE OBD SYSTEM HAS NOT SET THE READINESS MONITOR(S). I DID NIT HAVE TJE MONEY TO FIX THE ISSUE IN 2015 SO HAD TO KEEP IT PARKED UNTIL NOV 2016 FROM WHICH POINT THE ABOVE WAS DONE. NOW ITS 2YRS LATER IT'S STILL NOT PASSING. REFEREE HAS ONCE AGAIN REFERRED ME TO MITS MOTORS, NOTING THAT RECENTLY ALL OTHER TYPES OF MITS MODELS WITH SAME ISSUE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED AND THAT THEY WILL NOT ISSUE ANOTHER PASS TO ME EVEN THO MY CAR WASN'T ON A RECALL LIST THAT BECAUSE SO MANY OF MITS MODELS HAD THIS SAME ISSUE, THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE. MITS STATES THAT TODAY, ON THIS DAY OF OCT. 8TH 2018 THAT I MUST STILL PAY ANOTHER $125.00 FOR INSPECTION. IF AND ONLY THEY FIND THAT THIS SAME ISSUE FROM ACTUALLY 3YRS AGO IS ON A TBS LIST, THAT ONLY THEN WILL THEY COVER PARTS AND SERVICE. I LIVE ON A VERY TIGHT BUDGET AND HAD TO DRIVE CLEAR FROM OCEANSIDE TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AGAIN. I FEEL LIKE IM GETTING THE RUN AROUND AND BEING COMPLETELY SWINDLED. I CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP DEALING WITH THIS SAME ISSUE WITH I KEEP MY CAR TOTALLY MAINTAINED ON A REGULAR BASES AND ALL OIL CHANGES EVERY 3 MONTHS. THIS PROBLEM WAS ON THE THE TSB LIST FOR MANY OF MITSUBISHI'S OTHER MODELS AND THEY WERE DIRECTED BY THE STATE TO FIX THE ISSUES FREE OF CHARGE. BUT IM STILL REQUIRED TO CONTINUE JUMPING THRU HOOPS AND PAYING OUT OF POCKET. WHY? CAR RUNS FINE!