NHTSA Complaint #703786 — 1992 MITSUBISHI EXPO

TWO OR THREE DAYS AFTER PURCHASING OUR USED 1992 EXPO MY HUSBAND AND I WERE INFORMED BY THE MITSUBISHI MECHANIC AT RICK'S MITSUBISHI IN POCATELLO, ID THAT THERE HAD BEEN A MOTOR SEATBELT RECALL A FEW YEARS AGO FOR THE VEHICLE TYPE WE HAD JUST PURCHASED. WE ASKED HIM TO ORDER THE PART FOR US AND THE PART HAS NOT YET BEEN SENT TO HIM. ON FEBRUARY 19, 1999 MY HUSBAND CALLED THE MITSUBISHI MECHANIC AND THE MECHANIC TOLD HIM HE SENT IN AN A SECOND ORDER FOR THE SAME PART THAT DAY. HE ALSO INFORMED MY HUSBAND THAT THE PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO HIM BY THAT DATE. ESSENTIALLY, IT WAS TAKING WAY TOO LONG TO DELIVIER THE PART. I TELEPHONED THAT MECHANIC TODAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1999 AND ASKED HIM WHY THE PART HAD NOT YET BEEN DELIVERED. HE TOLD ME THAT MITSUBISHI DOES NOT HAVE ANY PARTS IN STOCK, PERIOD. I ASKED HIM WHERE HE SENDS THE ORDER FORMS TO AND WHERE THE PARTS ARE MANUFACTURED, AND HE INFORMED ME BOTH ARE FROM THE MITSUBISHI PLANT IN CYPRESS, CALIFORNIA. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING AN AUTOMOBILE THAT IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, THE SEAT BELT WILL COME LOOSE (IT'S A MOTOR BELT). I WOULD LIKE THE MITSUBISHI PLANT TO MAKE THE PARTS FOR MY CAR. AFTER ALL, THE PART WAS RECALLED AND MITSUBISHI HAS A LEGAL OBLIGATION TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART WITH A SAFE WORKING PART. WE HAVE BEEN PATIENT, BUT I AM AFRAID MITSUBISHI WILL BLOW OFF THE ORDER INVOICE FOR THIS PART. CAN YOU HELP US? I HAVE THOUGHT OF WRITING TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF IDAHO, BUT I WONDER IF YOUR DEPARTMENT CAN HELP US FIRST. YOUR RESPONSE VIA POST OR E-MAIL WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU, JILLIAN AND DEREK READ