2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER Complaints

I HAVE A MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION 8, PURCHASED IN MAY 2003. I HAVE 12000 MILES ON THE CAR AND I AM NOW GETTING SLIPPAGE WHEN ACCELERATING THE CAR. I DID NOT ABUSE THIS CAR, I DID NOT RACE THIS CAR IN ANY WAY. IT IS A DAILY DRIVEN CAR FOR APPROX 10 MILES A DAY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THE CLUTCH WAS WARRANTED FOR 1000 MILES AND NO MORE. I TALKED TO AN EMPLOYEE AT THE DEALERSHIP WHO TOLD ME THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OWNERS COMING FORWARD WITH CLUTCH ISSUES, AND MITSUBISHI WAS NOT SERVICING ANY OF THEM. I AM DISPLEASED THAT THE CLUTCH WOULD GO OUT AT 12,000 MILES UNDER DAILY DRIVING. *JB

BRAKE PADS MANUFACTURED BY CARBOTECH ENGINEERING HTTP://WWW.CARBOTECHENG.COM MANUFACTURER A BRAKE PAD FOR THE 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION THAT IS SOLD AS A "DIRECT STOCK REPLACEMENT" UPON QUESTIONED BY SEVERAL CUSTOMERS WHO BOUGHT THESE PADS (MYSELF INCLUDED) ABOUT OBSCENELY LOUD NOISES AND WORSE THAN STOCK BRAKING ABILITY, THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT THE SITUATION AND CORRECT THE SITUATION AS NECESSARY. THEN ADMITTED THAT THE PADS ARE NOT FOR THE EVOLUTION AND THAT THE PADS DO NOT FIT THE APPLICATION THEY WERE SOLD FOR. THEY REFUSED TO REFUND MONEY OR TO FURTHER RESEARCH THE ISSUE OF BRAKING SAFETY. THEY CONTINUE TO SELL THE PADS THAT THEY KNOW ARE NOT A PROPER FIT POTENTIALLY CAUSING A BRAKE FAILURE AND A FATAL ACCIDENT. *JB

CLUTCH STARTING SLIPPING AT 10000 MILES, CAR IS NOT MODIFIED OR ABUSED IN ANY WAY. WAY TO EARLY FOR A VEHICLE TO HAVE SUCH MAJOR PROBLEMS. WAITING TO SEE WHAT SERVICE WILL DO. *JB

I AM A CHEMICALLY SENSITIVE INDIVIDUAL HAVING BEEN POISENED 9 YEARS AGO. I DID NOT RECOGINIZE THE HAZARDS BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP COMPLIED WITH MY REQUEST TO NOT DETAIL CAR WITH CHEMICALS, BUT THE OFF GASSING OF THE PLASTICS, VINYLS, CARPETS, MATERIALS AND ? (I DO NOT KNOW IF I HAVE OVER LOOKED SOMETHING ELSE) HAS CAUSED MUSCLE PAIN, HEADACHES, NAUSEA, FATIGUE, PASSING OUT AT THE WHEEL, WEAKNESS IN MY LIMBS, INTERNAL CRAMPING AND ECZEMA ON MY HANDS. THE SEAT IS TOTALLY INCORRECTLY DESIGNED FOR SHORTER PEOPLE AND THE ADJUSTMENT IN THE SEAT DOES NOT WORK TO COMPENSATE CAUSING EXTREMELY LOWER TO MID BACK PAIN SO SEVERE IT CAUSES DIFFICULTY IN WALKING, SITTING AND NAUSEA. THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER ARE NOT WILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INADEQUATE, UNSAFE CONDITION OF THE PRODUCT.

AT AROUND 9500 MILES THE CAR BEGAN STICKING, SLIPPING GEARS, JAMMING INTO GEAR. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAILED BODY VALVE, WHICH THEY ORDERED AND SENT ME HOME FOR 10 DAYS WAITING FOR THE PART--MEANWHILE THE CAR PROGRESSIVELY BECAME WORSE, MAKING ENTERING THE FREEWAY QUESTIONABLE, ETC. AFTER 10 DAYS IT BEGAN DOING THE SAME THING--TOOK CAR BACK IN--THEY SENT ME HOME WHILE THEY TRIED TO REACH MITSUBISHI...WHEN I DEMANDED RENTAL STATING I DID NOT FEEL SAFE (I CALLED MITSUBISHI, WHO INTERVENED AND HAD ME TAKE CAR BACK TO DEALER UNTIL IT IS FIXED). DEALER TOLD ME THEY ARE ORDERING 6 MORE TRANSMISSION PARTS BASED ON MITSUBISHI'S ADVICE. MEANWHILE, I SPOKE WITH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WORKED FOR MITSUBISHI, WHO SAID THAT IF THE BODY VALVE FAILED, THERE IS PROBABLY INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT TALKING ON THE PHONE AND ORDERING PARTS IS NOT FIXING THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM--ALSO THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTER HAVE TO BE IN SYNC, AND A DAMAGED TRANSMISSION COULD AFFECT THE COMPUTER OF THE CAR. SO WE HAVE TECHS TALKING BACK AND FORTH ON THE PHONE, A DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE ANSWERS TALKING TO A TECH HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY, AND NEITHER PARTY HAS SEEN THE INSIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION....I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A DEFECTIVE CAR AND AM RUNNING TO THE SHOP WHICH IS JUST PUTTING BANDAIDS ON THE PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION SLIPPED GEARS. THIS CAUSED A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALERSHIP'S MECHANIC WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

AT 1000 MILES THE CLUTCH IN MY 03 LANCER EVO BEGAN TO SLIP OCCASIONALLY. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE MITSUBISHI SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP ME UNLESS THE PROBLEM COULD BE RECREATED. AT 3000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO GRIND INTO 5TH GEAR OCCASIONALLY. AGAIN I WAS TOLD NOT TO BRING IT IN UNTIL IT COULD BE RECREATED. AT 4000 MILES I WAS ABLE TO RECREATE THE CONDITION. MITSUBISHI AGREED TO REPAIRING THE TRANSMISSION UNDER THE TERMS OF THE WARRANTY. A CONVENIENCE INSPECTION OF THE CLUTCH WAS ALSO PERFORMED AT THIS TIME. THE INITIAL RESPONSE FROM MITSUBISHI WAS THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO REPAIR THE CLUTCH EVEN THOUGH IT SHOWED SIGNS OF SLIPPAGE, AND THEY ATTRIBUTED IT TO ABUSE. THE CLAIM WAS UNFOUNDED AND EVENTUALLY REVERSED BY THE DISTRICT PARTS REPRESENTATIVE FOR MITSUBISHI AND THE REPAIRS WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS THAT WITHOUT MY DILIGENCE MY CLAIM WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RESOLVED AND MORE IMPORTANTLY HAD I NOT CONVINCED THEM TO PERFORM THE INSPECTION THE INEVITABLE FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH MAY HAVE MANIFESTED ITSELF IN SUCH A MANNER TO CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE FAILURE RATES FOR THE DRIVETRAIN OF THIS VEHICLE SEEM VERY SUSPECT TO ME AND MAY WARRANT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELIABILITY OF THOSE COMPONENTS. THESE ITEMS SHOULD NOT FAIL SO EARLY IN THEIR SERVICE LIFE OR WITH SUCH FREQUENCY UNLESS THERE WAS A MECHANICAL DEFECT THAT REQUIRED A RECALL. I AM ALSO SUSPICIOUS THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS SEEM TO HAVE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO DISMISS CLAIMS REGARDING WARRANTY DRIVETRAIN REPAIRS. I WAS WARNED NUMEROUS TIMES THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE THAT IF ANY SIGN OF ABUSE WAS PRESENT MY WARRANTY WOULD BE VOIDED AND ALL THE CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE INSPECTION AND REPAIR WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. THIS FELT MORE LIKE A TACTIC TO DETER OR SCARE ME INTO CONTINUING TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT WAS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. *LA

VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING A SPONTANEOUS A LACK OF ACCELERATION WHILE INADVERTENTLY LOSING POWER. THERE WAS A SERIOUS CLUTCH PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER DENIED THAT THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM. *AK

MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION CLUTCH HAS BEEN MAKING LOUD SQUEELING NOISES SINCE 4000 MILES. IT NOW HAS 8300 MILES ON IT AND IS GETTING WORSE. THE OTHER DAY I WENT TO START THE VEHICLE, (CLUTCH FULLY DEPRESSED AND IN 1ST GEAR) AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD ABOUT 6 INCHES BEFORE THE CLUTCH DISENGAGED!

IN AUGUST, 2003, MY 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION VIII CLUTCH FAILED WITH ONLY 5000 MILES ON IT. DEALER DENIED WARRANTY COVERAGE AS "WEAR ITEM". ARBITRATION FAILED TO PRODUCE A FAVORABLE RESULT, ALTHOUGH SERVICE WRITER STATED "IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE ABUSE" AND AFADAVIT FROM ASE MASTER MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE NO ABUSE INVOLVED.*AK