2003 Mitsubishi Outlander

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

THIS PERTAINS TO MY 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER (CURRENT MILEAGE 44732) AND WAS OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. MY WIFE WENT TO THE POST OFFICE IN TOWN TO MAIL A PACKAGE. AFTER STOPPING IN THE PARKING SPOT, THE CAR SURGED (ACCELERATED) BEFORE SHE COULD SHIFT INTO PARK AND STRUCK THE LANDSCAPING WALL AT THE POST OFFICE. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK BETWEEN THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND A HEDGE IN FRONT OF THE WALL. ALSO, FORTUNATELY, ONLY DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE CAR. AN INCIDENT REPORT HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE LOCAL POLICE, MITSUBISHI, AND 21ST CENTURY INSURANCE. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY IN MY GARAGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE SHE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, RADIATOR, GASKETS, AND WATER PUMP. SHE IS CURRENTLY UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HER THAT THE COOLANT FAN WAS REPLACED TWICE PER THE RECALL WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THEY ALSO STATED THAT SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED SHE COULD NOT RECEIVE A FREE REMEDY. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHT IN THE VEHICLE ARE CRACKED WHICH ALLOWS WATER TO GO INSIDE. DUE TO THIS, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. SHE DID RESEARCH ON THIS DEFECT AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM. SHE ALSO FOUND A TSB ON THIS PROBLEM AND SHE SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURE, THEY STATED IT WAS NOT A RECALL BECAUSE IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SAFETY CONCERN. SHE BELIEVES THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THAT THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 68,000.

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER HAVE STRESS CRACKS EVENTUALLY RESULTING IN THEM FOGGING OVER AND EVEN TAKING IN WATER AND BLOWING BULBS. WHEN I RESEARCHED IT ONLINE, IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THIS MAKE/MODEL OF VEHICLE. REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY KITS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEALER AND THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY KIND OF WARRANTY. *TR

THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIR ISSUES WITH THIS 2003 OUTLANDER. THERE HAVE BEEN NO COOLANT OR ANY FLUID LEAKS WITH THIS CAR. THE CAR SUDDENLY FILLED WITH SMOKE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE; SMOKE POURED FROM THE ENGINE; PRIOR TO THAT - FIVE MINUTES EARLIER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND ACCELERATION WAS DIFFICULT; THERE WAS AN ODD ODOR AS WELL AS A METAL ON METAL TYPE SOUND. 911 WAS CALLED AS THE SMOKE WAS HEAVY. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ASKED BY MITSUBISHI CORP. TO PULL THE ENGINE TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS THE ENGINE - WARRANTIED OR OUR FAULT- A RADIATOR ISSUE. THIS WAS A 400$ COST TO US UNLESS THEY FOUND IN OUR FAVOR..THIS WAS IN ADDITION TO THE 80$ DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO BEGIN THE PROCESS. THEY ARE SAYING THAT THERE IS A CRACK IN THE RADIATOR WHERE THE ENGINE CONNECTS BY A HOSE TO THE RADIATOR AND THAT IT IS "NORMAL" WEAR. THERE IS NOTHING NORMAL ABOUT THIS. IT WAS IMMEDIATE AND CATASTROPHIC. THEY WANT TO CHARGE US $3600 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I AM ARGUING THAT THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT - WE HAVE 100,000/7 YEAR WARRANTY ON THE DRIVETRAIN. MY CAR ONLY HAS 57,000 MILES AND HAS RUN PERFECTLY FINE UP TO LAST WEEK. I HAVE ASKED MITSUBISHI TO RECONSIDER AND HAVE BEEN PROMISED AN ANSWER BY A CASE MANAGER BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS TOMORROW -6/25. I HOLD LITTLE HOPE THAT THEY WILL COVER THE COST OF AN ENGINE YET I FEEL THAT THE WAY IN WHICH THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND THEN DIED IS NOT ALL NORMAL FOR A CAR WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE AND ONE WHICH HAS NO HISTORY OF REPAIRS. WE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON A RADIATOR FAN CONTROL PART AND WONDER IF THAT IS WHAT CAUSED THIS SERIES OF EVENTS TO OCCUR. IF SO, ARE THEY NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR? I CURRENTLY HAVE ONLY FOUR PAYMENTS LEFT ON THE CAR FOR A TOTAL OF A BIT UNDER 2000$. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENGINE, THEY COULD ONLY GIVE ME 500$ TOWARD A TRADE! I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR INTERVENTION AND HELP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, SMALL STONES FELL OFF OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND STRUCK THE SUNROOF OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, DEBRIS AND GLASS SHATTERED INSIDE OF HER VEHICLE. TWO PASSENGERS WERE MODERATELY INJURED. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER WITHOUT AN IMPACT OR CRASH OCCURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,000. UPDATED 6/18/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE SUN ROOF WAS NOT TEMPERED. UPDATED 06/22/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS ACTIVATED WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPONTANEOUSLY WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. IN ADDITION, THE SRS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND REMAINED LIT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V194000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM;WIRING,INTERIOR/UNDER DASH); HOWEVER, THE RECALL REMEDY DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING SMELL INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. ALSO, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD BECOME STUCK WITHOUT WARNING WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WAS INOPERATIVE. THE WEBBING FAILED TO EXTRACT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,000.