NHTSA Complaint #763214 — 1995 MITSUBISHI GALANT

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, THE CAR HAD INTERMITTENT AT TRANSMISSION "SLUGGISHNESS" TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. FELT LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN 2ND OR 3RD GEAR, TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT TO 1ST. ON OR ABOUT 6/31/02 THE CAR TRANSMISSION DIED, NO POWER AT IDLE, AND BARELY ABLE TO COAST INTO PARKING LOT. AT EXACT MOMENT OF FAILURE, CAR'S CLOCK AND RADIO ALSO LOST POWER. NEXT DAY, UPON RETURNING TO VEHICLE, STARTED UP AND TRANSMISSION ENGAGED PROPERLY THROUGH ALL GEARS WHILE DRIVING IN PARKING LOT, WITHOUT SLUGGISHNESS. CLOCK AND RADIO WERE ALSO WORKING FINE. I DROVE THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES TO MECHANIC'S SHOP (NOT DEALER). MECHANIC SPENT NEXT TWO DAYS TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY TO RECREATE THE SYMPTOMS. HE ALSO HAD ANOTHER SHOP'S MECHANIC SPECIALIZING IN TRANSMISSION REPAIRS INSPECT IT. BOTH COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG MECHANICALLY, BUT SUSPECTED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION OR A RELATED CONTROLLER. ON THE THIRD DAY OF THE ORIGINAL MECANIC'S TESTING, IT DIED AS BEFORE, BARELY ABLE TO GET IT BACK TO THE SHOP. HE RECOMMENDED A MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT IT DUE TO THE TECHNICAL NATURE OF THE SUSPECTED PROBLEM AREA. HE AGAIN REAFFIRMED THAT I SHOULD NOT EXPECT ANY MECHANICAL REPAIRS. DEALER (HOLLER MITSUBISHI, CLOSEST LOCATED DEALER) LOOKED IT OVER AND CALLED ME BACK SAME DAY TO INFORM ME THAT AN ENTIRE NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED, AS WELL AS SEVERAL MOTOR MOUNTS. THE TOTAL COST ESTIMATE FOR THIS WORK IS $2392.58 + TAX. WITH 66,000 MILES ON THE CAR, HE SAID AFTER 60,000 MILES IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND REPAIR CHARGES ARE MY RESPONSIBILITY. I STRONGLY REQUESTED HE RECHECK WITH HIS TECHNICIAN AND SVC MGR AND TO RECONSIDER THIS AS A GOODWILL WARRANTY REPAIR AS IT WAS A MANUFACTURING PRODUCT FAILURE, NOT A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE. I REITERATED THE FINDINGS OF OTHER MECHANICS - NO MECHANICAL FAILURES FOUND. SAME ANSWER CAME BACK, OUT OF WARRANTY, ME TO PAY. INTERNET RESEARCH SHOWS LOTS OF TRANNY PROBLEM HISTORY. WHO ELSE CAN I CONTACT FOR THIS??? PLEASE HELP!