NHTSA Complaint #11244359 — 2011 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER

THIS MODEL VEHICLE HAS A BAD DESIGN FLAW THAT MITSUBISHI REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE. THE LOCATION OF THE AIR CONDITIONER DISCHARGE CAUSES WATER TO DRIP DIRECTLY ONTO THE SUB FRAME BELOW. THIS DRIPPING CORRODED A HOLE THROUGH MY SUB FRAME DEEMING IT STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND CAUSED IT FAILED MY STATE INSPECTION. MY LOCAL DEALER AND MITSUBISHI BOTH REFUSED TO COVER THE COST OF REPLACING THE PART SINCE NO RECALL CURRENTLY EXISTS. I ENDED UP GETTING A USED PART FROM A LOCAL SHOP FOR HALF THE COST OF WHAT THE DEALER QUOTED ME. I ALSO HAD THE MECHANIC JURY RIG AN AC DISCHARGE TUBE EXTENSION TO DIRECT THE WATER AWAY FROM THE SUB FRAME SO IT WOULDN'T KEEP HAPPENING. HAD MY STATE INSPECTOR NOT CAUGHT THIS CORROSION, I WOULD BE STILL DRIVING THE UNSAFE VEHICLE. A COMPROMISED SUB FRAME COULD RESULT IN NUMEROUS FAILURES THAT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I WAS LUCKY IT DID NOT GET TO THAT POINT. IT IS CLEAR THE CORROSION IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE AC DISCHARGE, RATHER THAN NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE REST OF THE SUB FRAME AND SUSPENSION THROUGH OUT THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE ANYWHERE NEAR THE LEVEL OR CORROSION THAT IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE AC DISCHARGE TUBE. GOOGLE SEARCHING THIS PROBLEM MAKES IT CLEAR I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. THERE ARE OTHER MODELS OF OUTLANDERS AND OUTLANDER SPORTS THAT SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED SO A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED FOR ALL MODELS WITH THIS DESIGN.