1997 Mitsubishi Galant

RECEIVED RECALL FOR LOWER BALL JOINT IN 2001. BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T SHOW DAMAGE, THE DEALER ONLY LUBRICATED THEM. THE RIGHT ONE WENT OUT ALONG WITH THE TIE ROD END IN 2/07. I HAD IT REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHICH COST OVER $600.00. NOW, THE LEFT ONE IS GOING OUT. LUBRICATING A DEFECTIVE ASSEMBLY IS LIKE PUTTING ON A BANDAID, WHICH HAS NOW PROVEN TO BE THE CASE WITH BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS HAVING TO BE REPLACED PLUS A TIE ROD END. I'M NOT ONLY UPSET ABOUT THE COST OF THE REPAIR, BUT THE SAFETY ISSUE IS MUCH MORE OF A CONCERN. HEARING A NOISE COMING FROM YOUR FRONT END CAN BE ANYTHING AND IGNORED, BUT IGNORING THIS PARTICULAR NOISE PUTS THE DRIVER AND ANYONE AROUND THEM AT A VERY HIGH RISK OF INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. IS THE DEALER LIABLE FOR THIS REPAIR BECAUSE THEY WERE CONSIDERED DEFECTIVE ASSEMBLIES IN THE FIRST PLACE? *TR

1997 MITSUBISHI GALANT-AUTO TRANSMISSION FLOOR SHIFT PROBLEMS. THE TRANSMISSION WAS OVERHAULED ON 08/03/2006 AND COST AROUND 2 GRAND. I NOTICED THAT VEHICLE'S GEAR SHIFT CAN BE ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL BECAUSE THIS GEAR CHANGE DOES NOT REQUIRE THE BRAKES TO BE PRESSED NOR THE GEAR SHIFT BUTTON TO BE PRESSED. I FEEL THAT THIS IS UNSAFE. I WOULD LIKE TO PRESS THE BUTTON AND SHIFT GEARS BY MYSELF. MY TEENAGER NORMALLY SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, I AM REALLY WORRIED. *NM

DT: THE HARMONIC BALANCE FAILED. WHEN THE PART WAS TAKEN OFF THE MOTOR, IT FELL APART IN THE OWNER'S HANDS. THE PULLEY SEPARATED FROM HARMONIC BALANCER, AND CAUSED FAILURE OF THE BELTS. IT RESULTED IN CAR BEING NOW INOPERABLE. THE DRIVER WAS AT A LOW SPEED OF 10-15 MPH. IF THIS WOULD HAPPEN AT A HIGHER SPEED IT WOULD BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THIS WAS VERY SUDDEN ,AND THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS BEFORE. ALSO, THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS. THE OWNER IS REPLACING THE HARMONIC BALANCER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLES RIGHT FRONT WHEEL LITERALLY CAME OFF THE AXLE. THIS HAPPENED WHEN CONSUMER WAS PULLING INTO OFFICE DRIVEWAY. THERE WAS NO RESULT IN INJURY. CONSUMER'S BACK SEATS MOVE FRONT AND BACK, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMING TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP. IT CAME TO THE POINT WHERE CONSUMER HAD TO TIE THEM TOGETHER SO THEY WOULDN'T MOVE. THERE WAS A CHILD SEAT BEING USED IN THE BACK SEAT OF THIS VEHICLE.*AK

1997 MITSUBISHI GALANT ES W/ AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ("TRANSAXLE"): VEHICLE'S GEARSHIFT CAN BE ACCIDENTLY BUMPED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL BECAUSE THIS GEAR CHANGE DOES NOT REQUIRE THE BRAKES TO BE PRESSED NOR THE GEARSHIFT BUTTON TO BE PRESSED. I HAVE TWICE NOW BUMPED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL FROM DRIVE BY REACHING OVER THE GEARSHIFT, BOTH TIMES WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION (ONCE WHILE TRYING TO MERGE ONTO THE INTERSTATE). THIS COULD HAVE LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT BOTH TIMES HAD I NOT QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT MY CAR WAS NO LONGER IN DRIVE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A DEFECT AS THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT THE CAR CAN BE SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT PRESSING THE BRAKES OR THE SHIFT BUTTON. INCIDENT ON 02/15/2004 WAS WHILE GOING 55MPH, INCIDENT ON 04/18/2004 WAS WHILE GOING 20MPH.*AK