TRANSMISSION ON MY 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER IS FAILING--WENT TO GET ON FREEWAY AND HAD NO SPEED--PEDAL WAS TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT FINALLY KICKED INTO GEAR. IT LURCHES AND JERKS AND SLIPS GEARS. THE MITSUBISHI SERVICE DEPT. TRIED TO TELL ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT--WHEN I TOOK THE TECHNICIAN FOR A RIDE WE GOT TEN FEET AND IT JERKED AND CLICKED INTO GEAR--THEY SAY THE TRANSMISSION BODY VALVE IS FAILING--ORDERED THE PART--TOLD ME IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL IT IS FIXED EVEN THOUGH IT IS GETTING WORSE EVERYDAY, AND I AM LEARY OF DRIVING IT ON THE FREEWAY. IT IS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I FEEL EITHER THIS IS A DEFECT OR I GOT A LEMON. MORE TO COME AFTER THE REPAIR. *NLM
2002
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
IN 2003 I BOUGHT A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER FROM A MITSUBISHI DEALER. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD THE ORIGINAL BRAKES. IN DECEMBER 2004 I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD THE WORK DONE AND THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 42,000 MILES ON IT AND IT WAS NOW ON IT'S SECOND SET OF BRAKES. IN APRIL 2006 I NOTICED THE BRAKES WERE SQUEAKING ,AND TOOK THE CAR TO A BRAKE REPAIR SHOP. THEY SAID THE CAR DID NEED NEW BRAKES BUT ALSO OF THE TWO FRONT ROTORS ONE WAS MARGINAL FOR BEING TURNED, AND THE OTHER WAS BELOW SPECIFICATIONS. IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO ONE OF THE CALIPERS WAS NOT RELEASING PROPERLY SO THE BRAKE ESSENTIALLY STAYED ON, AND THERE WERE BLACK HEAT MARKS ON THE ROTOR. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES ON IT, AND IT WAS NOW ON ITS THIRD SET OF BRAKES. I HAD THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED. ALSO TOOK ALL THE PARTS THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED AND WENT TO THE MITSUBISHI DEALER THAT I HAD PURCHASED THE CAR FROM, AND WHERE THE FIRST SET OF BRAKES HAD BEEN REPLACED. AT THE DEALER THEY REFUSED TO REMOVE ALL THE COMPONENTS. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE WHAT I HAD BEEN SHOWN AT THE BRAKE SHOP. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND THE ONLY THING AGREED UPON WAS THAT THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A WEEK LATER I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE BRAKE SHOP AND HAD THE ROTORS REPLACED. I CONTACTED MITSUBISHI MOTORS BY PHONE AND ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THE BRAKES AND WAS TOLD NO. I WROTE TO MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICAN CORPORATE OFFICE, AND RECEIVED A REPLY STATING THEY DO NOT DEAL WITH TECHNICAL QUESTIONS BUT I SHOULD CONTACT THE LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALER. I TOLD THEM IN THE LETTER THAT I HAD DONE THAT ALREADY. THESE BRAKE JOBS HAVE BEEN EXPENSIVE, ESPECIALLY THE LAST ONE WHERE THE ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. I FEEL THAT MITSUBISHI HAS BEEN VERY UNHELPFUL WITH THIS COMPLAINT. *JB *AK *NM