NHTSA Complaint #11717603 — 2007 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER

I was coming to a stop from 40 mph and CLUNK!!! The cross member on my suspension is rusted so severely that the wheel and steering column are in danger of being ripped apart. The car has 104,927 miles on it and is well cared for. Mitsubishi has recalls on this cross member part for 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander and other years in states that use salt on the roads. I feel this part is defective and I should have a recall that gets my car repaired. I believe my driving conditions mimic northern salted roadway conditions. I lived in upstate NY for 39 years. I now live in Florida and drive directly on the beach sand in New Smyrna Beach. I tow a boat in and out of salt water. My car is sprayed off with my boat and trailer after every trip. I know how to fight salt. The cross member is defective. My car is a V6 and fits the parameters of the recall perfectly except I'm not living in the North. My car engine is in perfect running condition. My car is too dangerous to drive because of the faulty cross member. I am lucky I had enough sense to take it to a local garage or I could have literally been killed trying to make it 25 miles to my dealership. I was going 40 mph and coming up to a red light I put my foot on the brake and CLUNK!! IT WAS SCARY SCARY!!! I drove directly to my local garage. They examined it on the 10th. They called my husband and I and said you need to see this damage. IT IS BAD! The cross member is rusted on the driver's side of the car and is a hairs breath away from complete failure. The passenger side is fine.