2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

RANDOM P0300 ERROR PLUS VIBRATION AT 2800 TO 3500 RPM. CONTACTED MITSUBISHI AND IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH A TSB FOR ALL EVO VIII VEHICLES DUE TO A FAULTY INPUT SHAFT. HOWEVER, MITSUBISHI DOES NOT COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY FOR 03 MODELS AS IT WOULD BE OUT OF WARRANTY LONG BEFORE THIS ISSUE SHOWS UP. PROBLEM OCCURS SPORADICALLY AND CAUSES SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER. IN AN ONCOMING PASSING SITUATION, THIS POWER LOSS COULD SERIOUSLY DEGRADE VEHICLE SAFETY. FIX IS EITHER TO REMOVE THE CHECK FOR THE KNOCK SENSOR OR REPLACE THE INPUT SHAFT AT A COST OF ABOUT 4000 DOLLARS TO REPLACE A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MANUFACTURE CHOSE NOT TO ISSUE RECALL EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS SUCH AS THIS ON THIS DATABOARD. MANUFACTURE DOES NOT INFORM CUSTOMER VOLUNTARILY WHEN A PROBLEM IS NOTED ON THE CAR AND SUBMIT RECOMMENDATION FOR FIX. *TR

P0300 MULTI-CYLINDER RANDOM MISFIRE. AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS MADE MY MITSUBISHI, THIS PROBLEM HAS NEVER BEEN FIXED. ON AVERAGE, THIS HAPPENS 3-4 TIMES DAILY, EVERYDAY AND HINDERS DRIVEABILITY. MITSUBISHI HAS ISSUED PARTS TO BE WARRANTED AND HAS DENIED ALL RESPONSIBILITY. MITSUBISHI HAS QUOTED THAT THE SES (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT) IN NO WAY, WHEN ILLUMINATED, AFFECTS DRIVEABILITY, VALUE, MECHANICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE VEHICLE. THEREFORE, IN SHORT, THEY ARE CLAIMING THAT THE LIGHT IS JUST FOR SHOW. I HAVE WRITTEN PROOF FROM MITSUBISHI WITH THAT STATEMENT DENYING ALL CLAIMS AND NOT TAKING ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *NM

I OWN A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION THAT WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN THE MIDDLE OF 2003. THE CAR HAD RUN FINE UNTIL ABOUT MAY 12TH OF THIS YEAR. THE CAR STARTED PERFORMING ODDLY. THE TURBO AND ENGINE WOULD NOT PROVIDE FULL POWER AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE DRIVING. I WAS INFORMED BY MECHANICS THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE A VACUUM LINE LEAK OR HOSE LEAK. ACTING ON THEIR ADVICE, I PURCHASED FROM THE DEALERSHIP REPLACEMENT FACTORY VACUUM HOSES AND REPLACED THEM ON THE CAR. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I THEN DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BEING THAT THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM. DURING THIS TIME THE ENGINE HAD ALSO PICKED UP A SLIGHT TICKING SOUND. AFTER TWO DAYS I WAS CONTACTED SAYING THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM OTHER THAN MY INTERCOOLER HOSES BEING A LITTLE LOOSE FROM HAVING REMOVED AND REPLACED THEM TO DO THE HOSE INSTALL. I WAS THEN CHARGED 200$ FOR LABOR. I PICKED THE CAR UP AND IMMEDIATELY UPON HEADING HOME COULD FEEL THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE/TURBO AND TICKING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK IMMEDIATELY AND LET THE SERVICE MANAGER HEAR THE TICKING AND INFORMED HIM THAT THE CAR WAS STILL HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS. HE ASKED ME TO BRING IT BACK ON MONDAY AND THEY WOULD THEN ADDRESS THE ISSUE. I RETURNED MY VEHICLE TO THE SHOP THAT MONDAY AND WAS NOT CONTACTED UNTIL I CALLED THEM ON THURSDAY ONLY TO BE TOLD MY WARRANTY WAS NOT BEING HONORED BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD BEEN 'MESSING AROUND' NEAR THE TURBO (THE LOCATION THE VACUUM LINES WERE REPLACED). I INFORMED THEM WHY THEY WOULD SEE THAT AND I WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED TO OPEN A CASE WITH MMNA TO APPEAL THEIR DECISION. THAT APPEAL WAS ALSO REJECTED AS THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE OF THAT LOCATION WOULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I HAD TO SAY. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO THE CAR TO FIX THE PROBLEM, AND I AM LEFT WITH HAVING TO PAY OUT OF POCKET NOW TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX A PROBLEM WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

1. THIS CAR IS COMPLETELY STOCK AND DRIVEN BY AN ADULT WHO DOES NOT RACE OR ABUSE ANY OF THE CARS MECHANICAL SYSTEMS. 2. THE ISSUE I HAVE IS WITH A OBD-II 'ENGINE WARNING' CODE CELL 0300 I REPEATEDLY GET WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I EXPERIENCE THIS WARNING UP TO 5 TIMES A DAY DURING MY 20 MILE FREEWAY COMMUTE. THE CEL WARNING COMES ON MOST OFTEN DURING VERY LIGHT ACCELERATION INPUTS (5-15% THROTTLE) WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN SPEED WITH THE OTHER TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD. WHILE GENTLY TOUCHING THE THROTTLE, THERE IS A SUDDEN AND VIOLENT ENGINE MISFIRING THAT SLOWS THE CAR DOWN CONSIDERABLY. THIS MAKES ME A SAFETY HAZARD ON THE STREETS BECAUSE THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE AGAIN UNTIL I LET OFF THE THROTTLE COMPLETELY THEN JAB IT VIOLENTLY (50% OR MORE THROTTLE). THIS ERROR REPEATS EACH TIME I USE GENTLE THROTTLE INPUTS ON THE FREEWAY. AS A RESULT, I DRIVE AROUND WITH MY "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT LIT ALMOST 100% OF THE TIME. IN THE STATE OF CA, IF YOUR ENGINE LIGHT IS ON WHEN YOU GO FOR YOUR ANNUAL SMOG/EMISSIONS TEST, YOU ARE INSTANTLY FAILED! MY CAR WOULD FAIL AN EMISSIONS TEST IN THIS STATE BECAUSE THE EQUIPMENT IS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. 3. I APPROACHED THE DEALER WITH THIS ISSUE. THEY REPLACED THE COIL PACKS AND THE SPARK PLUGS TO SEE IF THAT WOULD FIX THINGS. AND WHILE THEY WERE VERY CORDIAL ABOUT FINDING THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM, AND FIXING IT UNDER WARRANTY, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIX MY CAR. THEY ALSO DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THE ECU TO THROW THIS ERROR CODE. SO I AM CURRENTLY DRIVING A 1 YEAR OLD CAR THAT IS STILL SHUDDERING VIOLENTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CREATING A ROLLING ROADBLOCK WHEN SHUDDERING, AND IS AN INSTANT FAIL WHEN IT COMES TIME TO DO A SMOG CHECK. THIS PROBLEM OBVIOUSLY EFFECTS THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE AND THE RESALE VALUE OF MY VEHICLE AND NEEDS TO ADDRESSED RIGHT AWAY.*AK