2002 Mitsubishi Lancer

THE SLAVE CYLINDER ON MY 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THIS HAPPEN AND I COULD NO LONGER GET MY CAR TO GO INTO GEAR. I HAD TO GET OVER FROM THE LEFT LANE OF TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER OF THE RIGHT LANE WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. I HAD TO CUT OTHER DRIVERS OFF AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE SLAVE CYLINDER LEAKED BRAKE FLUID ALL OVER THE CLUTCH AND NOW THAT HAS TO BE REPLACED TOO. MITSUBISHI KNEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY CHANGED THE DESIGN IN 2004. I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM FROM OTHERS WHO HAVE THE SAME CAR. *TR

DEFECTIVE CAT. RECALL IS STILL OPEN BUT MITSUBISHI REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. DEALERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO CLEAR THE CODE (REFLASH PCM) BUT LIGHT WILL COME BACK BECAUSE DEFECTIVE CAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL CAUSE OF THE RECALL. VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRENTY, SO THE WILL NOT REPLACE THE CAT. IF THE CAT WAS STILL UNDER WARRENTY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, THEY WOULD REPLACE IT. WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS AND NEVER RECIEVED THE RECALL NOTICE. WE HAVE SPENT A FORTUNE TRYING TO GET THE LIGHT OFF IN ORDER TO GET THROUGH INSPECTION, NOT KNOWING OF THE SOURCE AND THE RECALL. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE RECALL IF THEY DON'T FIX THE PROBLEM? THEY JUST COVER IT UP BY REFLASHING THE COMPUTER. THE FACT IS, OUR CAR HAS A DEFECTIVE CAT. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL. WE CANNOT PASS INSPECTION WITHOUT REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE CAT THAT CAUSED A RECALL.VEHICLE'S ENGINE OVER-COMPENSATES FOR BAD O2 READING CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION. MITSUBISHI REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

I OWN A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER (OZ RALLY) THAT WAS PURCHASED IN 2002. DURING THE LAST FEW MONTHS OF 2009, I NOTICED MY TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB WAS BECOMING HARDER AND HARDER TO TURN. ON MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2010 IT BROKE COMPLETELY OFF, LEAVING A PARTIAL STUB OF PLASTIC IN THE CONSOLE AND THE REMAINING PLASTIC INSIDE THE KNOB. I FIRST WENT TO TWO AUTO PARTS STORES TO SEE IF THEY CARRIED THIS REPLACEMENT PIECE, AND THEIR PERSONNEL INFORMED ME I NEEDED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED A MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP. I THEN WENT TO THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY INFORMED ME THE PART COULD NOT BE REPLACED INDIVIDUALLY, BUT IT WOULD COST $311 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE CONSOLE IN ADDITION TO THE $150 OR MORE IN LABOR COSTS. I REFUSED TO PAY SUCH AN OUTLANDISH PRICE, CONSIDERING THAT MY CONSOLE WAS IN PERFECTLY WORKING ORDER. I ONLY NEED THE BROKEN PLASTIC MECHANISM REPLACED, NOTHING MORE. AND PAYING APPROXIMATELY $500 TO REPLACE A PLASTIC PIECE IS RIDICULOUS. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH, I REALIZED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER LANCER OWNERS AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE INFORMED OF THIS DEFECT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH; APPROACHED A TRAFFIC STOP LIGHT. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV; AND VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. DURING BRAKING THERE WAS DIFFICULTY TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,120. UPDATED 11/16/10. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO AN INCOMPLETE RECALL REPAIR PERTAINING TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER LIABLE FOR ANY FAILURES ON THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE MILEAGE EXCEEDED 150,000, WHICH EXCLUDED THE VEHICLE FROM QUALIFYING FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE "RECALL" WAS NOT FOUND ON THE SAFERCAR.GOV WEBSITE AND MAY HAVE BEEN DEEMED AS A "SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN" INSTEAD. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 133,847.

FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW, MY WIFE'S CAR HAS HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE HEAT CONTROL. AS I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH DUE TO IT COMPLETELY BREAKING, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH MANY CARS LIKE THIS ONE. I FEEL THAT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AN NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED MY MITSUBISHI. IN THE BEGGINGING IT WAS AN ISSUE DUE TO PAYING ATTENTION TO THE KNOB THAT WAS HARD TO TURN WHILE DRIVING TRYING TO GET HEAT OR DEFROST. THEN WHEN THE KNOB BROKE IT WAS TRYING TO TURN THE PIECE OF KNOB WITH PLIERS WHILE DRIVING AND NOW IT WILL BE TRYING TO DRIVE WITH A FROZEN WINDOW IF WE DO NOT GET IT FIXED. I DON'T THINK THAT IT SHOULD COME OUT OF THE CONSUMERS POCKET IF IT HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM IN MANY OF THESE CARS. IT IS ALSO A SAFTEY ISSUE FOR THE PERSON IN THE CAR AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE ROAD DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF THE DRIVER BEING DISTRACTED. ANY FEEDBACK WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB IN THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO TURN SINCE PURCHASE AND HAS SINCE DETERIORATED. THE KNOB BROKE OFF YESTERDAY RESULTING IN THE TEMPERATURE SETTINGS TO NO LONGER BE OPERABLE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM, SINCE HEATING (AND COOLING) A VEHICLE ALLOWS IT TO BE OPERABLE DURING STORMS AND DEEP FREEZE TEMPERATURES. *TR

THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND IT FINALLY BROKE OFF RESULTING IN A VERY EXPENSIVE $1000 REPLACEMENT. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCERS AND IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN SINCE FOG AND ICE ON THE WINDOW CANNOT BE CLEARED WHEN THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL IS STUCK IN THE COLD POSITION. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED SINCE IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHICH UNCORRECTED WILL HAVE PEOPLE DRIVING CARS WITH FOGGED UP WINDOWS WITH NO WAY TO CLEAR IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35-40 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT SWERVED TO AVOID A CRASH. SHE CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE AND HER VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE AND LANDED ON TOP OF ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE. IMMEDIATELY, THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER THREE TIMES AND CAUSED THE WINDSHIELD TO SHATTER. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE POLICE AND AMBULANCE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES TO THE LUNGS, NECK TRAUMA, AND IMPALED GLASS IN HER HANDS AND LEGS. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. THE TWO PARKED VEHICLES SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 03/14/10 *BF UPDATED 09/23/10 UPDATED 10/03/10 *BF UPDATED 11/03/10*JB