NHTSA Complaint #730170 — 1994 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE

ENGINE DIED SUDDENLY W/OUT WARNING ON 04/28/97 (WITHIN EMISSIONS WARRANTY PERIOD), 05/07/98, 04/09/99, 04/19/99, 06/01/99 AND 07/15/99. THREE MITSUBISHI DEALERS HANDLED CAR, MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED EACH TIME, A WRITTEN DEMAND WAS MADE ON 06/29/00 BY CAR OWNERS TO MANUFACTURER TO FIX PROBLEM OR BUY THE CAR BACK UNDER CALIFORNIA LEMON LAWS. MANUFACTURER AND ITS DEALERS REFUSE TO FIX PROBLEM OR BUY BACK THE CAR. CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AS ENGINE CAN DIE AT ANY TIME ON THE ROAD AND THUS CAN BE A ROAD HAZARD TO OTHER VEHICLES. EACH TIME THE ENGINE DIED, EACH DEALER REPLACED A 20 AMP EFI FUSE WHICH HAD BLOWN AND SAID THAT CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE - EACH TIME AFTER THAT THE CAR ENGINE DIED SUDDENLY. THE FUSE HAS BEEN CHANGED BY MITSU DEALERS 6 TIMES SO FAR. THERE MUST BE OTHER CARS LIKE THIS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. MANUFACTURER MUST BUY BACK THE CAR - VERY DANGEROUS - DEALERS DO NOT WANT TO FULLY DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR AS IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO TEST ALL CIRCUITS AND REPLACE ECU/EL. HARNES/SENSORS,ETC. - THAT'S WHY MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO HONOR ITS EMISSIONS WARRANTY (FIRST INCIDENCE WAS COVERED UNDER THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY). WESTLAKE MOTORS HAS ALSO ENGAGED IN MISREPRESENTING THE PROBLEM ON SERVICE REPORTS AND WAS NOTIFIED BY THEIR SERVICE MANAGER THAT THIS CAR CAN NO LONGER BE BROUGHT TO THEIR DEALERSHIP. NO ONE WANTS TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM AND WE ARE STUCK WITH A LEMON CAR THAT CAN BE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO DRIVER/PASSENGERS AND OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD. PLEASE HELP!!!