2002 Mitsubishi Lancer

IN OCTOBER OF 2003, A TECHNICAL BULLETIN WAS ISSUED ON MY CAR. THE BULLETIN READS: 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER 02 - BLOWER [PART 138110] TSB NO: 0355008 NHTSA ID: , OCTOBER 01, 2003 : REPLACEMENT: SUMMARY: DEBRIS (SUCH AS LEAVES, ETC) ENTERING THE FRONT COWL AREA MAY CLOG THE EVAPORATOR HOUSING DRAIN TUBE. IF THIS OCCURS, THE EVAPORATOR HOUSING MAY FILL UP WITH CONDENSATION AND OVERFLOW INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, AND INTO THE BLOWER MOT...IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2005, I PAID MY LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALER $310.50 TO REPLACE MY BLOWER MOTOR BECAUSE DEBRIS HAD CLOGGED THE MOTOR CAUSING IT TO SHORT OUT AND RESULTING IN LEAVING MY PASSENGER FLOOR BOARD UNDER AN INCH OF WATER. MY CAR NOW, IS OUT OF WARRANTY. HOWEVER, IF I HAD KNOWN THERE WAS A PROBLEM, I COULD HAVE BOUGHT A FILTER TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM. MY QUESTION IS: AT WHAT POINT DOES NHTSA MAKE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS INTO RECALLS? IT IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD WHEN MY DEALER INFORMS ME THAT TSB'S ARE ONLY FIXED IF A CUSTOMER COMPLAINS ABOUT THE CAR. IT'S JUST PLAIN WRONG FOR MITSUBISHI TO KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING POTENTIALLY WRONG WITH YOUR CAR AND NOT INFORM YOU OF IT. FOR INSTANCE THERE IS ANOTHER BULLETIN ON THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB IN MY CAR. NOW, I READ THESE TSB'S AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT MITSUBISHI WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WHEN MY CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD TO REPLACE THE CV BOOT, THE VALVE COVERS AND SEALS, AND WHEN I GOT THE BLOWER MOTOR REPLACED I HAD TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT AND REDO MY COOLANT. I'M ALSO CURRENTLY HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL. EVERY TIME I CRANK MY CAR UP, MY CRUISE CONTROL IS ALREADY ON. I TURN THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF, AND TURN MY CAR BACK ON, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ON AGAIN. I WAS TWO DAYS BEFORE PAYING $600 FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO BE REPLACED, AND FINALLY A RECALL WAS ISSUED, THANK GOD! HOW MANY THINGS HAVE TO GO WRONG WITH MY CAR FOR IT TO BE DEEMED A LEMON AND MADE TO BE SENT BACK? LORD, SOMEBODY PLEASE REPLY BACK TO ME AND TELL ME WHAT TO DO!?! *NM

THE DAY PRIOR TO THE FULL FAILURE OF THE PART, I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF PRESSURE IN THE CLUTCH PEDAL IN NORMAL DRIVING. THE CAR'S MILAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 43,000 MILES. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME BY SYNCHRO-SHIFTING TO MINIMIZE USE OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL.*AK THE NEXT MORNING FULL FAILURE WAS EVIDENT AS THE PRESSURE HAD DROPPED TO THE POINT WHERE THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST SERVICE STATION BY AAA WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BAD MASTER CYLINDER IN THE CLUTCH. THE PART WAS REPLACED THE NEXT DAY AND IT WAS REVEALED THAT THE SLAVE CYLINDER WAS FAULTY AS WELL. THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THESE PARTS LEAD TO THREE MISSED DAYS OF WORK AND A TOTAL PARTS AND LABOR BILL OF $770. BOTH THE MASTER AND SLAVE CYLINDERS IN THE CLUTCH WERE REPLACED WITH OEM MITSUBISHI PARTS AS NO THIRD-PARTY MANUFACTURER HAD THEM AVAILABLE AT THE TIME. THE OLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

I BOUGHT A NEW 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER AND AFTER ONE MONTH STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SURGES FROM THE TRANSMISSION. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT SINCE IT WASNT DOING IT AT REGULAR OCCURENCES, THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG BY DRIVING IT. ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER THE PROBLEM WORSENED SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. AGAIN THE CAR WAS DRIVEN BUT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND BLAMED IT ON THE TIRES. I FELT INSULTED AS THOUGH I COULDNT TELL WHAT WAS GOING ON IN MY CAR. I FINALLY GAVE UP AND DECIDED IF THE PROBLEM CAUSED DAMAGE, MAYBE THEN THEY WOULD LISTEN TO ME. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED FOR 2 YEARS UNTIL I GAVE UP AND ONCE AGAIN TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION AND FLUID CHANGED BEFORE CHECKING IT FOR FURTHER PROBLEMS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE COST OF THIS WOULD BE $170.00. I FELT THIS WAS UNFAIR SINCE I HAD BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THIS PROBLEM ONLY ONE MONTH AFTER THE PURCHASE . I CALLED MITSUBISHI MOTORS AND SPOKE TO MAINTENANCE WHO TOLD ME THE SAME THING. I THEN ASKED WHETHER MY WARRANTY WOULD BE VOIDED IF I HAD IT DONE SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR A FRACTION OF THE COST. SHE ASSURED ME IT MUST BE DONE BY A MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP. I TOLD HER OF 4 OTHER POEPLE WITH THE SAME CAR HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS BUT SHE TOLD ME THAT EACH CAR WAS INDIVIDUAL AND IT DIDNT MEAN THAT IT WAS THE SAME ISSUES CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE GOTTEN NO RESOLVE OVER THIS AND FEEL ITS NOT FAIR TO HAVE TO PAY SUCH A HIGH PRICE FOR A PROBLEM WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED IN THE BEGINNING. *AK

2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER ES . HAVE HAD FOUR (4) ACCIDENTS WITH THIS VEHICLE FROM DATE OF PURCHASE TO PRESENT APPROXIMATELY 13 MONTHS IN 2/2004 THE AUTOMOBILE STARTED STALLING, AND DURING THE STALL IT WOULD ACCELERATE, AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT FUNCTION DURING THIS. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION MADE REVVING SOUNDS PERIODICALLY.I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE MITSUBISHI DEALER ?BELLSOUTH MITSUBISHI? IN SAYREVILLE NJIN FEB 04? AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE DEPT.THE PUT THE CAR ON A MACHINE FOR TESTS AND NO ERRORS WERE FOUND. I THEN NOTIFIED THE SALES PERSON THAT SOLD ME THE CAR THEY REQUESTED ME TO LEAVE IT FOR 4 HOURS TO RUN TESTS ETC? THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. 12/17/04 WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED AT A STOP SIGN AND ACCELERATED INTO THE TRUCK AHEAD OF ME CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT ,THE BUMPER, AND HOOD OF MY CAR. SINCE THEN THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION IS MAKING MORE LOUD REVVING SOUNDS SINCE THAT INCIDENT. IT SEEMS TO BE WORSENING.ON 12/30/04 AT A STOP LIGHT THE CAR ACCELERATED WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKETHE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK?THE MOTOR REVVED UP VERY LOUDLY AND THE CAR SHOOK FOR ABOUT 30SECONDS TO A MINUTE THEN WENT BACK TO ?NORMAL? I CALLED THE BELL MITSUBISHI IN RAHWAYNJ.IMMEDIATELY AND THEY ROAD TESTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.12/31/04 I TOOK THE CAR BACK INTO BELLSOUTHMITSUBISHI IN SAYREVILLE,NJTHEY PUT THE CAR ON A MACHINE ?SORRY THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED?THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS A MUCH EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE CAUSING 2 SEPARATE ACCIDENTS THE CAR ACCELERATES SUDDENLY, TAKES LONG TO SLOW DOWN TO A STOP IN 2/04 DURING A SNOW STORM I WAS DRIVING APPX 25MPH THE BRAKES TOOK TO LONG TO APPLY AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR .IN THE RAIN THE CAR FAILED TO STOP AGAIN WHEN BRAKES WHERE APPLIED AND STARTED TO SKID INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I TRIED TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AWAY TO AVOID COLLISION THE STEERING WAS NOT RESPONSIVE THERFORE RESULTING IN COLLISION. AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY IN ANY ACCIDENT. *AK

PUSHED IN CLUTCH PEDAL, HEARD A LOUD POP, AND CLUTCH PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT WERE THE CAR STALLED. GOT THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALER STATED SEALS INSIDE SLAVE CYLINDER BLEW OUT AND COATED THE CLUTCH DISC, PRESSURE PLATE, AND FLYWHEEL WITH FLUID. REPLACED SLAVE CYLINDER AND PRESSURE PLATE, AND RESURFACED THE FLYWHEEL. I HAD TO PAY $1009.35 TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK. *NM

ACCELERATOR PEDAL OR THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS BACKING UP AND THE CAR REVVED REALLY HIGH AND CRASHED ME INTO A POLE. I THEN TRIED TO PULL FORWARDS AND THE CAR REVVED AGAIN AND LUNGED FORWARD, SMASHING INTO 2 CARS. I DID NOT EVEN HAVE MY FOOT ON THE GAS AT THE TIME. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE ONLY WAY THAT I COULD MAKE THE CAR STOP WAS TO PUT IT IN PARK. I HAD NO DAMAGE TO MY OWN CAR BUT DID CAUSE QUITE A BIT TO THE OTHER CARS. I HAD A FRIEND WHO IS A MECHANIC LOOK AT MY CAR AND HE SEEMS TO THINK THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I ONLY BOUGHT THE CAR 7 MONTHS AGO AT A DEALER AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS ALREADY DARK BROWN. I'M NOT SURE WHY THIS WOULD BE, I HAVE HAD 3 OIL CHANGES ON MY CAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT AND I'VE ONLY PUT 9000 MILES ON IT SINCE I BOUGHT IT 7 MONTHS AGO. THERE SHOULD NOT BE THAT KIND OF WEAR ON THE TRANNY AFTER THAT LITTLE OF USE. I KNOW THAT I DID NOT ACCELERATE SO IF THE CAR IS DOING IT ON ITS OWN, I REALLY DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN.*AK