2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION Complaints

THE S-AWC OR SUPER ALL WHEEL CONTROL SYSTEM ON THE MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION HELPS THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE TO ACTUALLY WORK. I HAD A SERVICE MESSAGE POP UP ON MY CAR WITH THE S-AWC SYSTEM BEING INDICATED. AFTER REVIEWING THE CAR'S MANUAL AND THE INTERNET TO HELP DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE OF WHY IT WAS CAUSING IT, I'M TOLD THERE IS AN EVER-INCREASING NUMBER OF VEHICLES WITH THIS S-AWC PUMP FAILURE EITHER IN SUPER COLD CONDITIONS OR VERY HOT CONDITIONS. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE VERY DANGEROUS IF THE PUMP ENDS UP GOING OUT WHEN SOMEONE IS MAKING A TURN OR IS RELYING ON THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE TO ACTUALLY WORK IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS. THE ONLY NOTABLE CHANGE IS A DIFFERENCE IN STEERING FEEL AND THE SERVICE MESSAGE POPPING UP AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OF DRIVING, THOUGH DUE TO SAFETY REASONS, I AM TRYING NOT TO PUSH THE CAR TOO HARD UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS ADDRESSED. *TR

AWC PUMP STARTED TO FAIL. IT IS NOW COMPLETELY FAILED AND NOT WORKING. AFTER SOME RESEARCH DETERMINED THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES DUE TO NOT BEING SEALED PROPERLY AND CORROSION GETTING IN TO DAMAGE THE PUMP MOTOR. PART SHOULD BE RECALLED/REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BUT THEY REFUSE TO DO SO. *TR

THE CAR IS DISPLAYING AN S-AWC SERVICE LIGHT, IT HAS YET TO BE DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP BUT I HAVE BROUGHT IT IN PREVIOUSLY FOR THE SAME ISSUE. LOOKING ONLINE THERE IS A WHOLE MASS OF FORUMS STATING THAT AT 40,000+ MILES THE AYC PUMP BREAKS. THIS SEEMS RATHER SUSPECT GIVEN SO MANY INDIVIDUALS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITHIN THE SAME TIME SPAN. MITSUBISHI HAS BEEN REPORTEDLY TURNING DOWN WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THIS UNDER THEIR POWER-TRAIN WARRANTY, WHILE I AM UNSURE IF THEY WILL DO THE SAME FOR ME, THE ISSUE IS SEEMINGLY PREVALENT ENOUGH THAT THEY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT. *TR

ON MONDAY 2013 APRIL 22 I [XXX] (OWNER OF VEHICLE) WAS GETTING OFF MY SHIFT AT APPROXIMATELY 0700 HOURS FROM BETHEL TWP PD; WHERE I WORK AS A PATROLMAN. THE TEMPERATURE WAS FAIRLY MILD 60-65F, I STARTED MY 2008 MITSUBISHI EVOLUTION 10 TO LET IT WARM UP LIKE I ALWAYS HAVE FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES. I PUT MY EVO IN GEAR AND ON THE CENTER L.E.D. SCREEN I RECEIVED THE C161 MESSAGE WHICH INDICATES S-AWC FAILURE OR SUPER ALL WHEEL CONTROL. THIS EFFECTS EVERYTHING WITH THE CARS' SUSPENSION STABILITY, YAW CONTROL, AND THE "SMART BREAKING" FEATURE. FOR AN UN-EXPERIENCED DRIVER THIS COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. KNOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS I WAS FORCED TO BRING THE CAR TO SPRINGFIELD MITSUBISHI IN SPRINGFIELD, PA. 1(484)574-8434. NOW I'M STUCK WITH A $2132.00 BILL AND THE CAR IS STILL IN THE LOT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE $2132.00 TO "SHELL" OUT. I WENT TO TWO SEPARATE FORUMS WWW.EVOXFORUMS.COM AND WWW.EVOLUTIONM.NET, AND I DON'T KNOW WHATS SCARIER THE THOUSANDS THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND ARE TOLD BY THEIR LOCAL DEALER ITS SAFE TO OPERATE IN THAT CONDITION OR THE FACT THAT NO BODY IS DOING ANYTHING TO ASSIST OR FIX THE PROBLEM. PLEASE BE THE ONES WHO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE HERE..... THANK YOU [XXX] PS I APOLOGIZE I AM WRITING YOU AGAIN, I NEVER RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE THE FIRST TIME....... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

A FEW MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED MY USED EVO X WITH 30,000 MILES AND A 5 YR/ 60,000 MILE WARRANTY, I NOTICED A PUDDLE OF FLUID ACCUMULATING WHILE IT WAS PARKED IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I SOON DID RESEARCH TO DETERMINE WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. I LEARNED MY AYC/ACD PUMP IS LEAKING, AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATING IT TURNS OUT THIS PUMP IS NOTORIOUS FOR LEAKING AND FAILING. THE MITSUBISHI DEALER DENIED MY WARRANTY CLAIM AND I WAS NEVER GIVEN A REASON, EVEN AFTER ASKING WHY. I HAVE SINCE THEN CONTACTED A THIRD PARTY DISPUTE CENTER. THIS PUMPS THE NECESSARY FLUID TO THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE ASSEMBLIES. IF THIS PUMP FAILS, IT WILL ULTIMATELY DESTROY THE ENTIRE DRIVE TRAIN/ ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM. RESULTING IN IT LOCKING UP, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO CAUSE THIS PART TO BE FAULTY, UNLESS IT IS DAMAGED, THEREFORE IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND SHOULD BE REPLACED OR FIXED TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF ITS DRIVER AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. *TR

SATURDAY MORNING I WARMED UP MY CAR FOR 5 MINUTES. STARTED TO DRIVE MY CAR FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS, AWD SERVICE REQUIRED POPPED UP ON MY DISPLAY. I STOPPED THE CAR AND BROUGHT IT BACK HOME. LOOKED UP WHAT THE ISSUE COULD BE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE ACD PUMP HAS FAILED. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM FROM MITSUBISHI FOR THESE CARS AND THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL OR REAL FIX. WITHOUT THE ACD PUMP FUNCTIONING, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE CAR CAN LOSE TRACTION IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS OR DAMAGE THE ENTIRE DRIVETRAIN SYSTEM. MITSUBISHI CLAIMS THAT ITS NOT PART OF THE DRIVETRAIN SO THERE IS NO WARRANTY AND IT'S ALSO A "LUXURY" SYSTEM. CONTROLLING WHEEL TRACTION IS NOT A LUXURY ITS A SAFETY FEATURE. *TR

THERE IS A STRONG FUEL SMELL IN THE CABIN WHEN I AM ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 70MPH, I HAVE TRIED TO CHECK IT OUT BUT THERE ARE NO APPARENT FUEL LEAKS, MY MECHANIC SUSPECTS THE EVAPORATOR SYSTEM. *TR

2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION MR CABIN FUEL FUMES / STRONG SMELL. WHEN AIR TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE 100* THE CAR HAS A STRONG FUEL SMELL, TO THE POINT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THE CAR DUE TO THE FUEL SMELL INSIDE THE PASSENGER CABIN. *TR

THE SMELL OF RAW FUEL ENGULFING THE INSIDE OF THE CAR MAKING IT NEAR UNBEARABLE TO DRIVE WITHOUT FEELING DIZZY OR SICK. THIS CAN'T BE SAFE. NO VISIBLE LEAKS AND THE DEALER CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. THIS IS UNSAFE AND I'M ASSUMING CAN LEAD TO A FIRE. IT CAN ALSO INCAPACITATE THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS DUE TO THE FUMES WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. *TT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION EQUIPPED WITH DUNLOP DIREZZA SPORT ZI TIRES, TIRE SIZE 255/35R18. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN A LOUD FLAPPING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED DRIVING AT A REDUCED SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT TIRE CENTER WHERE THEY INFORMED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE EXHIBITED SEVERE TREAD SEPARATION AND THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN.