2002 MITSUBISHI GALANT Complaints

I HAVE A 2002 MITSUBISHI GALANT, THE KNOB THAT CONTROLS THE AIR TEMPERATURE IN THE CAR USED TO MAKE A CLICKING NOISE WHEN BEING TURNED FROM COLD TO HOT & VICE VERSA, IT STOPPED MAKING THAT NOISE AND NOW I NO LONGER HAVE HEAT. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET HIGH & LOW AND HAVE FOUND LOTS OF COMPLAINTS THAT THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THESE CARS AND THAT IT IS THE HEATER CONTROL MOTOR. I WAS TOLD TO FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *NM

THE SEAT BELT NO LONGER RETRACTS PROPERLY. I AM CONCERNED THAT IT MAY NO LONGER PROVIDE THE PRETENSION REQUIRED FOR SAFE OPERATION OF THE AIR BAGS. *JB

I PURCHASED MY 2002 GALANT IN AUGUST 05. WHEN I FIRST TURNED THE DIAL TO HEAT, IT MADE A "CLICKING" SOUND AND THEN STARTED BLOWING WARM AIR. I NOTICED THAT EVERY TIME I TURNED THE HEATING/COOLING DIAL IT MADE THE "CLICKING" SOUND. IN APRIL 2006, THE "CLICKING" SOUND QUIT AND SO DID THE HEAT. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE HEATER CORE. I PURCHASED A HEATER CORE FROM THE NEAREST MITSUBISHI DEALER APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES AWAY ONLY FOR THE CLICKING SOUND TO COME BACK ONCE AND TO FIND OUT THE HEATER CORE IS NOT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER WILL NOT TAKE THE $200. PART BACK SAYING MITSUBISHI WILL NOT ACCEPT IT. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL OTHERS THAT OWN 2002 GALANTS WHO HAVE THE SAME "CLICKING" SOUND. CORPORATE MITSUBISHI WAS NOT ANY HELP IN THIS SITUATION. *JB

I CONTINUE TO BATTLE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. THE CAR IS TYPICALLY USED WITH ONE OCCUPANT AND NO OR VERY LITTLE (20LBS OR LESS) CARGO. IN THE APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPAIRED 3 TIMES AND HAS NOW FAILED THE 4TH TIME. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED MORE TIMES IF I COULD AFFORD IT. MORE THAN 10,000 OF THESE 20,000 MILES HAVE BEEN DRIVEN WITH THE BRAKES SQUEALING OR CHATTERING. EVENTUALLY THE BRAKING POWER FADES AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES TOO MUCH TO HOLD ONTO. WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THE DEALER REFUSED TO DO ANY REPAIR COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER WOULD NOT INSPECT OR REPAIR THE CALIPERS IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE TYPE OF SQUEALING INDICATED POOR CONTACT OF THE PADS WITH THE ROTORS DUE TO STICKING CALIPERS AND THE FACT THAT HEAT WARPAGE OF THE ROTORS INDICATES STICKING CALIPERS. CALIPERS WERE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. INSTEAD, THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT I NEEDED TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT AT THE SAME INTERVAL AS AN OIL CHANGE; HOWEVER, RESEARCH TELLS ME THAT THIS CAR HAS AUTO ADJUSTING REAR BRAKES! THIS TIME I TOOK IT ON MYSELF TO SERVICE THE FRONT BRAKES AS I COULDN'T AFFORD TO HAVE THEM SERVICED, MY WIFE AND I WERE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE SHAKING DURING BRAKING WAS SO BAD, AND SEARS TOLD US THAT ROTORS HAD WORN TOO THIN TO RESURFACE. AT THE TIME I DID THIS SERVICE, I FOUND THE SLIDE PINS OF THE CALIPERS TO BE BADLY WORN. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE WILL CAUSE CALIPERS TO STICK, PREMATURELY WEAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS, OVERHEAT ROTORS AND PADS CAUSING WARPAGE OF THE ROTORS AND REDUCED BRAKING POWER, AND REDUCE BRAKING POWER BY CAUSING THE CALIPER TO CATCH RATHER THAN SLIDE ON THE SLIDE PIN AND THEREBY PREVENT PROPER PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PADS. THIS IS A FAILURE OF THE CALIPER, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO DETECT AND COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, WHICH SPECIFICALLY COVERS CALIPERS. *JB

2002 MITSUBISHI GALANT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CAUGHT ON FIRE LOCKING THE WINDOWS AND DOORS. *KB WHEN THE FIRE ERUPTED IT BURNED THE RIGHT LEG OF THE PASSENGER. THE PASSENGER ALSO SPRAINED HER RIGHT ANKLE TRYING TO BREAK OUT THE WINDOW. *NM

FAULTY WHEELS (RIMS), ON THE DATE SPECIFIED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE MY VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED NOTICED THAT THE AFTER MARKET WHEEL THAT MITSUBISHI PLACED ON THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FITTING PROPERLY AND THE LUG NUTS WERE NOT LINED UP PROPERLY ON THE RIM HOLES, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THIS MAY EXPLAIN SOME OF THE SHAKING IN THE WHEELS WHEN BRAKING AS THE ROTORS LOOKED FINE, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SPEAK WITH THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD THE VEHICLE THEY SAD OH WELL ITS BEEN TWO AND A HALF YEARS WHAT DO YOU EXPECT US TO DO ABOUT IT. I FEEL THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FACT TO GET OUT AS THERE MAY BE OTHER OWNERS OF THIS PRODUCT OUT THERE THAT ARE UNAWARE OF THIS AND I AM NOT SURE OF ANY ISSUES REPORTED THUS FAR ON THIS BUT SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO WARN OR NOTIFY THESE OWNERS. *NM

CAR IS EXCEPTIONALLY AERODYNAMICALLY UNSTABLE. THE VEHICLE DRIFTS OR WAVERS BACK AND FORTH AT HIGHWAY SPEED. EVEN LIGHT, GUSTY WIND PULLS THE VEHICLE HARD NECESSITATING ABRUPT CORRECTIVE MANEUVERS TO PREVENT SIDE COLLISIONS ON THE HIGHWAY. ON WINDY DAYS, A GUST WILL CAUSE VEHICLE TO SWERVE INTO NEIGHBORING LANE WITHOUT CORRECTION. *NM

NO HEAT. WENT TO NIAGARA FALLS IN THE END OF APRIL 2005 AND WAS STUCK WITH NO HEAT ON A FRIGID RAINY NIGHT. DUE TO THE LACK OF HEAT, THE WINDOWS COULD NOT BE PROPERLY DEFOGGED AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WAS DANGEROUSLY COLD. ONE OCCUPANT BECAME ILL (MINOR). WHILE OPENNING THE WINDOWS A CRACK HELPED, THE WINDSHIELD STILL FOGGED. THE WINDOWS COULD NOT BE OPENNED MUCH DUE TO THE RAIN AND COLD. LUCKILY A NAPKIN WAS AVAILABLE TO WIPE THE WINDSHIELD , OTHERWISE WE MAY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DRIVE AND STRANDED ON A REMOTE STRETCH OF HIGHWAY. THE MILEAGE WAS ABOUT 35,000 MI. *NM

RECURRING AND SEVERE FRONT BRAKE CHATTER. DESPITE REPEATED REPAIR, THE FRONT BRAKES CHATTER ON BRAKING SO MUCH THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. THE BRAKING STRENGTH IS SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED AND BRAKING DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED. THE DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS DUE TO THE REAR BRAKES BEING OUT OF ADJUSTMENT CAUSING THE FRONT BRAKES TO WORK "TOO HARD" RESULTING IN WARPED ROTORS. THEY WILL NOT COVER THESE REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. THE REPAIR ONLY LASTS ABOUT 3000 MILES AT BEST. *JB

NO HEAT COMING FROM HEATER. FAN STILL WORKS, BUT NO HEAT. CLICKING NOISE FROM DASHBOARD PRECEDED FAILURE OF HEATER. TAKING CAR TO MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS/REPAIR. *NM