Sir_Lancelot

Hey guys, I've had an absolutely horrendous start to the week regarding my Ralliart, so I'm looking for some consolation (if it is at all possible..).

I bought a MY09 Lancer Ralliart less than two months ago, but I've only been able to drive it for about 2 weeks as I had to travel overseas.

It all started on Sunday night when my I heard a loud air gushing sound when I accellerated. I took it to a Mitsubishi repair center the next day and they said a hose clamp had come loose and the turbo had lost all pressure. That wasn't so bad, and cost me only $115 to fix, but it's what the mechanic revealed that absolutely shocked me.

The entire front end of my car had been in an accident (and this wasn't disclosed by either the seller of the car or the pre-purchase inspection mechanic), and they had used a strut bar and intercooler chopped and welded from an automatic Lancer CJ. Not only that, but as a result all warranty on my vehicle is now VOID

The mechanic also said that if the TC-SST transmission failed, I would be ~$14,000 out of pocket, that's almost half the cost of what I paid for the car (I'm in Australia). That really made me feel sick in the stomach and I have no idea what to do now...

Any advice? Is the transmission reliable enough to keep the car for a year or two and then sell it on or should I sell it as soon as I can? I wouldn't really care that much but I really like the car


Apologies for the giant wall of text, hopefully somebody has the patience to read it and comfort me at the very least.

yip

iTrader: (1)

For me it would really depend on the extent of the damage and the quality of the repairs.

I highly recommend getting out of the car if you can do so without losing your ***.

Hecky

iTrader: (1)

You didn't do a REVS check? I've been stung once and learnt my lesson (although it was only a crappy Suzuki, bought it for $2500. In the end I blew the head gasket and traded it in for $1500....lol)
Anyway, it's hard to tell from the details you've given as they don't make any sense. Where did you buy it? Was it private? (not much you can do except to confront the seller). If it was a dealer then take the matter to the MTA/police/Consumer affairs. If it was a dealer, then they would've known the car was an insurance writeoff and you can take them to court if necessary to get your money back. I believe you have 3 months to do this, and obviously you'll have to prove it wasn't you who crashed it and then did/authorised the dodgy repairs.

The SST is fairly reliable, but the one in your car? It would be hard to tell. If you decide to keep it, it might be an idea to get the car checked by a proper performance shop who knows the car and has experience with the SST? There are Ralliart specialists in practically every state.

Sir_Lancelot

Thanks for the reply Hecky.

I bought the car privately so not much I can do consumer affairs wise, but the MTA inspector didn't find or indicate ANY damage or repairs to the front end of the car.

Unfortunately it is my first car and due to my ignorance, the REVS check showed the car had been a "Repairable Write-off" and the seller said that only the rear left quarter panel of the car had been replaced, didn't mention a single thing about the damage to the front.

Mechanically both the MTA inspector and authorised Mitsubishi mechanic said the car seemed fine and within specifications (although it is slightly better than stock as I've got a cat-back exhaust system).

Do you think I should try to sell it/trade it in and find another Ralliart?

I've already paid stamp duty for ~$800 so that's going to be big waste, but not as bad as my transmission failing I suppose.

I'm so confused. Ideally I'd like to hold onto the car until at least 60,000kms (it's only got 25,000kms on the odo at the moment) or 2 years, but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to enjoy driving it to the fullest as I'll be worrying about the TC-SST every single time I feel like having a bit of fun.

Veronica

iTrader: (2)

Did you pay for the pre-purchase inspection?
If it is that obvious that it was badly wrecked - consider action against the inspector and/or the seller... Talk to a lawyer.

No, the tranny should be fine/not a reason to sell.

Me? Unless i could get them to buy back the car for original purchase price, i would just keep driving it. It will be fine.

Lastly, the warranty can only be voided those components that are not factory (non-OEM)! The strut bar not covered. Okay. whutever. [rolls eyes at dealership attitude]

The OEM repair parts don't void a warranty and all other parts are still covered. Call BS on the dealer that says otherwise...

sstevojr

iTrader: (7)

Sounds like your laws are VERY different "down-unda" vs the States. Do research as to what is available to you, as most people on here are going to be familiar with consumer protection laws for US/CAN. In AU is it even possible to sue a seller for intentionally hiding the fact it was in an accident?

adog

iTrader: (7)

Keep it you'll probably end up replacing the intercooler with an aftermarket any ways. I bought my 2011 ralliart 8 months ago and every possible warranty on the car is now void. As for the transmission I doubt that any front end crash that didn't total the intercooler would really affect the transmission. The person you should really be angry at is the dealer. If your transmission ever goes out and they don't want to fix it get a lawyer and they will change their mind pretty quick. Ps 115 for a lose hose is insane that would have been an easy 5 min fix

Sir_Lancelot

Unfortunately like I mentioned it was a private sale, but the seller made absolutely no indications that there had been any repairs or parts replacements to the front of the car, only the rear quarter panel.

$115 was for 1 hour of labour, and it wasn't really a 5 minute fix because they had to hoist the car, remove the front bumper and casing.

I'm not too worried about repairs that may creep up over the next couple of months, it's just the cost of repairing the transmission that has me absolutely terrified!

I can afford repairs of ~$1000-2000 but $14,000?! That just seems ludicrous to me...

richardjh

Two things come to my mind...

(1) What exactly has "voided" the standard Mitsubishi 5yr warranty? Is it the fact that the car has been declared a "repairable write-off"? Does that mean something specific legally, in terms of the warranty conditions?

(2) If you paid for a formal pre-purchase mechanical inspection, received a written report, and said inspection failed to note prior front-end accident damage (and sub-standard repair...?), then doesn't that give you some legal leverage?

Both of those are surely something a citizens' legal advice bureau (or consumer affairs dept) would be able to clarify...

Rich

Sir_Lancelot

In reponse to your questions:

1) That is correct, I called up Mitsubishi Warranty and they indicated that all warranty on a vehicle is voided after the insurer indicates that the vehicle has been declared a write off. They also further mentioned that the conditions of the voided warranty depend on why the vehicle was written off. For example, if it was written off due to hail damage/exterior damage, the mechanical parts would still be under warranty.

2) I'm still unsure to my legal status regarding the inspection, I was not told prior to the inspection that they would only check if vehicles are in good working order and for aesthetic damage, however this was indicated in the final report where they dubiously mention they provide no guarantees/warranties. This shouldn't matter as the mechanic would still be required to complete his job with due care and competence under the Fair Trading act. I'm just waiting on a full report from the Mitsubishi mechanic so I can wave it in the inspectors face.

richardjh

Cool. It sounds like you've got a good handle on things. Keep plugging away. Perhaps you can come to some arrangement with Mitsu regarding the key warrantable items. Yes, I'm an eternal optimist. But if you don't ask, you won't get.

Maybe you've now got a soft spot for the car, and you trust it not to stab you in the back with an exploding engine/transmission! If so, look on the bright side - you can now go totally mod-crazy without that nagging warranty fear the rest of us have! You're free! hehe.

However, if you don't sleep at night with no warranty safety net, sell it! Put the financial hit down as a learning experience.

Then save up, and buy a near-new RA from a dealer... Mitsu have internal cars they give to execs, then sell after 12 months "as new". You actually buy them as first registered owner, so you get the 5+5 Diamond thing (so 10-year drivetrain warranty). If you keep it stock, that will be preserved... and so will your sleep-at-night factor.

Rich

Veronica

iTrader: (2)

^good advice.