1999 Mitsubishi Galant

I PURCHASED A '99 MITS GALANT FOR MY DAUGHTER FOR HER 16TH B'DAY IN NOVEMBER OF 2004. SHE CONTINUALLY COMPLAINED OF STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION WHICH I DID FEEL ON THE COUPLE OF OCCASIONS I DROVE THE VEHICLE. IN LATE 2005 SHE WENT TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STEER LEFT. SHE SUBSEQUENTLY HIT A RETAINING WALL. I DID NOT TURN IT INTO MY INSURANCE SINCE IT WAS PURELY COSMETIC. SHE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE VERY LITTLE. SHE SAVED HER MONEY UNTIL LAST MONTH WHEN SHE HAD THE FRONT END REPAIRED. WITHIN WEEKS OF GETTING THE VEHICLE BACK SHE AGAIN WENT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN OFF OF OUR STREET AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STEER LEFT AGAIN. SHE HIT A TRAILER AND PUSHED IT INTO A FENCE. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS TIME SHE WAS INJURED AND HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. DUE TO THIS 2ND OCCURRENCE I DECIDED TO CHECK FOR RECALLS THAT DEAL WITH THE STEERING ON THESE VEHICLES. I FOUND RECALL #00V225001 DATED 8/10/2000 THAT DESCRIBES HER PROBLEMS PERFECTLY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS NOT MADE AWARE THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE THIS CHECKED WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I THINK THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE CURRENT REPAIRS ON THE VEHICLE OR REPLACE IT.

AM WRITING TO YOU BECAUSE MITSUBISHI MOTORS WAS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS PRODUCTS. ON AUGUST 27,1999 I PURCHASED THE BLACK GALANT. THIS WAS MY FIRST NEW CAR PURCHASED,, AND WHILE IT HAS REMAINED MECHANICALLY SOUND, FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS I HAVE WATCHED THE PAINT DISAPPEAR. I HAD SERVICE WORK PERFORMED AT SAM SWOPE MITSUBISHI. IN 2003 I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE PAINT, AND WAS TOLD ONLY IF THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER THE 3 YEAR, 36,000 MILE WARRANT, AND OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS SERVICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES HAVE SEEN THE PAINT DISAPPEAR. I ASKED SEVERAL TIMES IF MITSUBISHI WAS REPAIRING THE PAINT, M AND WAS TOLD ONLY IF THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER THE 3 YEARS, 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. IN OCTOBER 2006 I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AGAIN. THIS TIME PICTURES WERE TAKEN BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AND SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER. AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS THE RESPONSE THAT I RECEIVED FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS THAT MITSUBISHI WOULD NOT PAY TO FIX THE PAINT BECAUSE THE CAR WAS TOO OLD, AND THAT NO OTHER COMPLAINTS MADE BY ME WERE FOUND. I COMPLAINED TO MITSUBISHI MOTOR CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT IN MAY OF 2005. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE EMPLOYEE I SPOKE WITH STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE PAINT WAS PROBABLY ENVIRONMENTAL, AND THAT BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OVER THE 3 YEAR, 36,000 MILE MARK THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. I COMPLAINED AGAIN IN DECEMBER 2006. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE EMPLOYEE STATED,THAT MY CAR WAS TOO OLD, AND THAT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE ABOUT THE PAINT. THE GALANT CAME TO THE DEALER WITH A CHROME PEN STRIPE. WHEN I PURCHASED THE GALANT I HAD THE PEN STRIPE REMOVED BY THE DEALER BECAUSE THE OUTER LAYER OF THE PEN STRIPE WAS PEALING OFF. THIS WAS PROOF THAT THERE WAS A FLAW IN THE MANUFACTURING/FINISHING PROCESS. THE PAINT AROUND WHERE THE PEN STRIP WAS LOCATED DISAPPEARED WHILE THE PAINT UNDER WHERE THE PEN STRIPE WAS INTACT AND IN GOOD SHAPE. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED AND HAD WORSENED OVER TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A POWER FLUSH PERFORMED, ALL RELATED FILTERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER EXPRESSED THAT IF PROBLEMS CONTINUED, THE TORQUE CONVERTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE NECESSARY WORK WAS PERFORMED, BUT THE PROBLEMS WORSENED.

STARTED TO NOTICE THAT THE CLEAR COAT ON MY 1999 BLACK MITSUBISHI GALANT WAS PEELING OFF ON THE HOOD. NOW MY HOOD, ROOF, AND TRUNK ARE TOTALLY PEELING OFF. NOTICED THIS ON A LOT OF OTHER BLACK GALANTS. I KNOW THE CAR WAS ABOUT 5 YEARS OLD WHEN I FIRST NOTICED IT, BUT THE PAINT SHOULDN'T OF GOT SO BAD SO QUICK. ANY RECALLS ON MITSUBISHI PAINT?*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE DID NOT START IMMEDIATELY UPON TURNING THE IGNITION. THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED BRIEFLY. PREVIOUSLY, THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO 3 DIFFERENT PRIVATE REPAIR SHOPS, WHO ALL DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE STARTER. EACH TIME, THE STARTER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. ALSO, A PIECE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER SWITCH DETACHED FROM THE SWITCH ITSELF, CAUSING THE WASHER TO NOT FUNCTION. THE WASHER SWITCH WAS NOT SEEN BY A DEALER, HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL # 99V305001, WHICH PERTAINS TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 12/5/2006 - *NM

1999 GALANT CLEAR COAT ON PLASTIC BUMPERS, HOOD, ROOF, TRUNK AND WINDOW ARCHES IS ALL PEELING, BLISTERING AND CRACKING. THIS IS MENTIONED BY NUMEROUS PERSONS WITH THE SAME YEAR CAR. I WAS TOLD UPON PURCHASE OF CAR (BEFORE PAINT HAD A PROBLEM) THAT 1999 WAS FIRST YEAR OF USING A "MERCEDES" MANUFACTURED PAINT. MITSUBISHI CLAIMS CONSUMERS ARE AT FAULT FOR VARIOUS CHEMICAL CLEANING PRODUCTS AND SUN/PARKING CONDITIONS. *JB

I OWN A GREEN 99 MITSUBISHI GALANT AND THE CLEAR COAT IS COMING OFF CAUSING MY CAR TO LOOK LIKE IT HAS ALLIGATOR SKIN IT STARTED ON THE ROOF AND HAS NOW SPREAD TO THE TRUNK AND HOOD. I CALLED MITSUBISHI TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANY COMPLAINS ABOUT THE PAINT AND I WAS TOLD NO. THE OPERATOR THEN ASKED WHAT STATE I LIVE IN AND WHEN I TOLD HER THAT I LIVE IN TEXAS, SHE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO HAVE PAINT PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THE TEXAS SUN IS SO HARSH. I HAVE ALSO BEEN INVOLVED IN 3 ACCIDENTS IN THE VEHICLE AND MY AIRBAGS HAVE NEVER DEPLOYED. I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM KEEPING WHEEL COVER ON ALL IT TAKES IS A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE ROAD AND OFF THEY COME. THIS YEAR MODEL ALSO HAS MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE ROTORS WARPING. *JB

ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, ABOVE THE REAR WHEEL, THE PAINT BEGAN TO BUBBLE AND EVENTUALLY RUST. THIS BEGAN APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE. IT IS NOW RUSTING MORE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND THEY TOLD ME IT MUST HAVE HAD A BAD REPAIR JOB. HOWEVER, I RECENTLY SAW ANOTHER GALANT WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN THE SAME LOCATION. *JB