2003 Mitsubishi Outlander

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) MY NAME IS [XXX] . CONTACT NUMBER IS [XXX] . I OWN A 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS AGO THE CAR STARTED TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY BETWEEN 30 AND 50 MILES PER HOUR. I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND SAW THAT THE BOOTS ON THE CV JOINTS WERE CRACKED AND HAD LEAKED OUT THE GREASE INSIDE THE BOOTS. I ASSUMED THIS WAS THE PROBLEM. I BOUGHT NEW AXLES AND REPLACED THEM. DURING THE INSTALLATION WHILE REMOVING THE AXLE BRACKET ON THE PASSENGER SIDE I FOUND THAT ONE OF THE 2 BOLTS HOLDING THE BRACKET INPLACE HAD SHEARED OFF FROM THE VIBRATION. IF THE SECOND BOLT HAD BROKEN AS WELL THE AXLE WOULD HAVE BROKEN AWAY FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK AND SURELY CAUSED COMPLETE LOSE OF CONTROL OF THE CAR AND A POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENT. I REPLACED THE AXLES AND THE BRACKET BOLTS AND THOUGHT THAT WAS THE END OF IT. I TEST DROVE THE CAR AFTER THE REPAIRS AND TO MY DISMAY THE VIOLENT VIBRATION WAS STILL THERE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A PROFESSIONAL SHOP FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSIS AT WHICH TIME THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THE VIBRATION AND WAS STUMPED BY IT'S ORIGIN. HE RAN A SEARCH ON ALLDATA AND COME TO FIND OUT YOU'VE KNOW ABOUT A PROBLEM KNOW AS TORQUE CONVERTER VIBRATION IN THESE MITSUBISHI'S SINCE 10/2003 AND THAT IT GOES BACK TO MODELS AS EARLY AS 1997 PER YOUR NO. TSB-03-23-006. SO WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT? YOU CONTINUE TO ALLOW MITSUBISHI TO PUT DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS CARS ON THE ROAD THAT COULD ENDANGER THE SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF THE DRIVER AND THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL IF THE AXLE BROKE LOOSE AND THE DRIVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELVES? WHY DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE YOU'LL DO ANYTHING ABOUT THESE DANGEROUS DEFECTS. I'D LIKE AN EXPLANATION. I CAN BE REACHED AT THE NUMBER ABOVE OR BY EMAIL AT [XXX] . *TR

WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND THEN ACCELERATING AT ABOUT 35MPH, THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS HARD, JERKING THE CAR FORWARD HARD AND CAUSING ONE OF THE REAR CV JOINTS TO POP. THE DEALER SAID THERE WASN'T ENOUGH OCCURRENCES OF IT HAPPENING TO WARRANT ANY INSPECTION OR REPAIR. THEY CALLED IN A MITSUBISHI REP AND HE CLAIMED TO NEVER FEEL OR HEAR THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THE SERVICE TECH DID. *TR

DT: VEHICLE IS A 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. TOOK IT TO IDEAL MITSUBISHI AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 645 S. HIGHWAY 92 SIERRA VISTA, AZ 85635 520-458-4808. THEY FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION ON 6-13-05, AND ON 6-14-05 SHE WAS ON A PULL OUT WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND THE WHEELS STARTED TO SPIN. SHE CONTACTED DEALERSHIP ON 6-14-05 AND LEFT A MESSAGE. ON 6-20-05 SHE WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION WHILE ACCELERATING VERY SLOWLY AND TURNING RIGHT, IT HAD A POWER SURGE, WHICH CAUSED IT TO BE PUSHED INTO THE OTHER LANE. ALSO, ON 6-20-05 WHILE AFTER VEHICLE SURGED AND JUMPED FORWARD IN THE LANE LIKE IT WAS BUCKING WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20-30 MPH. CONTACTED THEM AGAIN AND THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO RETRIEVE THEIR VOICE MAIL THAT WAS WHY THEY DID NOT CALL HER BACK. THEY TOLD HER TO BRING VEHICLE BACK , AND THEY DID NOTHING WRONG, AND THAT IT HAD TO BE SOME OTHER MALFUNCTION. BETWEEN 6-13 AND 6-21 THERE WERE OTHER OCCURRENCES WHICH THE CONSUMER HAS NOT DOCUMENTED. ON 6-21-05 TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC ,TIGERS SERVICE CENTER 160 EAST CALLE SONORA NOGALES, AZ 85621 520-377-2810, THEY TOLD CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS NO TRANSMISSION FLUID SHOWING ON THE STICK. THE MECHANICS PUT IN TRANSMISSION FLUID AND REINSTALLED THE AIR FILTER SO THAT THE CASING WOULD SHUT. WHEN THEY FOUND THE RUBBER GASKET FROM THE OLD AIR FILTER. THEY GAVE HER A TSB . 0323006 SUBJECT- TORQUE CONVERTER VIBRATION. WHILE AT THE MECHANICS THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD THEM TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. THE DEALERSHIP SENT THE SPECIAL TRANSMISSION FLUID TO THE MECHANICS AT NO CHARGE. ON 6-24 -05 SHE SENT A LETTER BY REGISTERED MAIL TO THE DEALERSHIP ADDRESSING HER CONCERN. 6-27-05 SHE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER, HE SAID, THAT THERE WERE HOLES IN HER STORY. ON 7-11-05 SHE TOOK IT BACK THE MECHANICS BEFORE GOING ON VACATION, AND THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH IT. *AK