Difficulties getting local dealership to perform crossmember recall.
Nov 22, 2016, 08:34 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Difficulties getting local dealership to perform crossmember recall.
This might be long winded but I would appreciate it if anybody could give me advise here.
I bought an 05 EVO VIII MR from a local Mitsubishi dealership with 94000 miles on it. It was a one owner car before me and it lived the majority of its life in Chicago before being traded-in by the owner here in Colorado. With the car I purchased an aftermarket bumper to bumper warranty, the car is a commuter car for my wife to make her 46 mile commute and its stock with the exception of an air filter and exhaust.
At approx 115k the front passenger side lower control arm separated from the front cross-member, the rear side of the bolt broke inside the cross-member due to rust and corrosion. Obviously the car was very unstable at any sort of highway speed and turning left would cause the front control arm to pop out of the socket in the cross-member causing the car to oversteer significantly.
We took it to the Mitsubishi dealer for repair under our warranty and the dealership was unable to even find the cause of the steering issue and gave us our car back. I got home and jacked the car up and immediately found that the control arm was loose at the cross-member. I returned the car to the dealership and physically showed them the problem, and they then replaced the control arm using my aftermarket warranty.
The car now has 187k on it and the driver side control arm is loose in the cross-member because of obvious rust in the backside of the channel where the bolt threads through the cross-member. There is even an irregular shaped rust hole and you can move the control arm by hand, yet my local Mitsubishi dealer REFUSES to perform the recall!
The service manager at the dealership told me that an "Engineer" looked at the cross-member and apparently certified a rusty hole. as structural.... Having my doubts I called the service department and threw a fit and got the "engineers" phone number, turns out hes the district parts and sales manager.
Anyways, after a long conversation we agreed that I would send him some photos of the rust and the hole, he agreed to look at the photos and re-evaluate the cross-member. I sent two good photos of the rust and hole with a very good description of what you are looking at (its close up so hard to tell what is what). This is the text that was included in my original email to him along with the photos.
"Attached is photos of the control arm and subframe joint. In the foreground, speckled with black anticorrosive applied by the techs, is the control arm, in the background of the photo is the subframe and joint. Deep rust and an irregular hole are visible in between the joint where the bolt goes into the backside of the subframe."
I meant cross-member, not subframe, but I sent pics so it should be obvious.
A weekend passes and the guy calls me up on Monday and he tells me good news, after looking at the pictures, I'm going to tell the service manager to order the cross-member.
The next day he calls and says hes at the dealership and he looked that the cross-member and he cant find anywhere that looks like the photos, apparently indicating that I'm lying or got the photos from a different car or something. And AMAZINGLY, he can no longer even see the hole and or rust in my pictures!
So now were back to the original stance at the dealership where they don't want to do the recall, based upon the recommendations of this District Manager, meanwhile my control arm is loose and they haven't even attempted to discuss fixing it in any way, just trying to give me the car back and get rid of me.
As of right now I have filed a complaint with MMNA and the NHSTA, Im hoping to have this resolved through an MMNA liaison with the delaership. Any input or experience with how the dealer handled others recalls is appreciated.
I bought an 05 EVO VIII MR from a local Mitsubishi dealership with 94000 miles on it. It was a one owner car before me and it lived the majority of its life in Chicago before being traded-in by the owner here in Colorado. With the car I purchased an aftermarket bumper to bumper warranty, the car is a commuter car for my wife to make her 46 mile commute and its stock with the exception of an air filter and exhaust.
At approx 115k the front passenger side lower control arm separated from the front cross-member, the rear side of the bolt broke inside the cross-member due to rust and corrosion. Obviously the car was very unstable at any sort of highway speed and turning left would cause the front control arm to pop out of the socket in the cross-member causing the car to oversteer significantly.
We took it to the Mitsubishi dealer for repair under our warranty and the dealership was unable to even find the cause of the steering issue and gave us our car back. I got home and jacked the car up and immediately found that the control arm was loose at the cross-member. I returned the car to the dealership and physically showed them the problem, and they then replaced the control arm using my aftermarket warranty.
The car now has 187k on it and the driver side control arm is loose in the cross-member because of obvious rust in the backside of the channel where the bolt threads through the cross-member. There is even an irregular shaped rust hole and you can move the control arm by hand, yet my local Mitsubishi dealer REFUSES to perform the recall!
The service manager at the dealership told me that an "Engineer" looked at the cross-member and apparently certified a rusty hole. as structural.... Having my doubts I called the service department and threw a fit and got the "engineers" phone number, turns out hes the district parts and sales manager.
Anyways, after a long conversation we agreed that I would send him some photos of the rust and the hole, he agreed to look at the photos and re-evaluate the cross-member. I sent two good photos of the rust and hole with a very good description of what you are looking at (its close up so hard to tell what is what). This is the text that was included in my original email to him along with the photos.
"Attached is photos of the control arm and subframe joint. In the foreground, speckled with black anticorrosive applied by the techs, is the control arm, in the background of the photo is the subframe and joint. Deep rust and an irregular hole are visible in between the joint where the bolt goes into the backside of the subframe."
I meant cross-member, not subframe, but I sent pics so it should be obvious.
A weekend passes and the guy calls me up on Monday and he tells me good news, after looking at the pictures, I'm going to tell the service manager to order the cross-member.
The next day he calls and says hes at the dealership and he looked that the cross-member and he cant find anywhere that looks like the photos, apparently indicating that I'm lying or got the photos from a different car or something. And AMAZINGLY, he can no longer even see the hole and or rust in my pictures!
So now were back to the original stance at the dealership where they don't want to do the recall, based upon the recommendations of this District Manager, meanwhile my control arm is loose and they haven't even attempted to discuss fixing it in any way, just trying to give me the car back and get rid of me.
As of right now I have filed a complaint with MMNA and the NHSTA, Im hoping to have this resolved through an MMNA liaison with the delaership. Any input or experience with how the dealer handled others recalls is appreciated.
Last edited by TronCarterIII; Nov 22, 2016 at 08:42 PM.
Nov 22, 2016, 11:59 PM
#3
I'm surprised that there is no recall out for your car, especially since it came from Chicago. At least you did the right thing and notfied MMNA. I've seen swift action done by my local Mitsubishi dealership when a customer took their complaint up to them. If you haven't seen it yet, there is a thread detailing the procedures for the warranty work. Good luck and hope you get this serious issue resolved.
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...members-2.html
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TronCarterIII (Nov 23, 2016)
Nov 23, 2016, 05:24 AM
#4
Newbie
Thread Starter
This is NOT a warranty repair, this is a SAFETY RECALL. As far as I know Mileage is not a stipulation for recalls, especially one that has to do with corrosion and rust. Of course a low mileage car isnt going to be rusted out, and the fact that the passenger side already BROKE should be enough to warranty the recall on my car...
The pictures are very clear if you know what you are looking at.
The pictures are very clear if you know what you are looking at.
Nov 23, 2016, 05:29 AM
#5
Newbie
Thread Starter
Regardless, the pictures show peeling anti-corrosive that is original to the car and rust that the techs completely missed with their new application of anti-corrosive, so either way they failed to perform the recall correctly.
Nov 23, 2016, 05:35 AM
#6
Newbie
Thread Starter
When they repaired my passenger side at 115k, I specfifically remember the service tech telling me what a PITA is was because they had to drill and tap the bolt out of the subframe because it broke off and was rusted in place.
Why does everybody treat me like I'm the unreasonable one in this situation?
Edit: My car IS part of the recall, I got the card in the mail
Why does everybody treat me like I'm the unreasonable one in this situation?
Edit: My car IS part of the recall, I got the card in the mail
Nov 23, 2016, 06:13 AM
#7
A safety recall HAS to be done no matter the milage of the vehicle as long the recall hasn't been done prior. When my wife bought my 96 Galant back in 2005 with over 120k on it I took it to my local Mitsu dealer and the lower ball joint recall was never done on it from MMC records. I had to leave my car there for a couple days while they wait for the part to arrive and it was replaced w/o issue other than suggested repairs which I was already prepared to do after I got the car back.
Definitely follow up with MMCNA and if there is another Mitsu dealer in the local area from you I would definitely try to contact them to do the recall for you. Some dealers don't show as much urgency to certain work...especially any warranty work because they don't generate profit or whatever.
Good luck
Definitely follow up with MMCNA and if there is another Mitsu dealer in the local area from you I would definitely try to contact them to do the recall for you. Some dealers don't show as much urgency to certain work...especially any warranty work because they don't generate profit or whatever.
Good luck
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Nov 23, 2016, 11:30 AM
#8
Newbie
Thread Starter
MMNA called and told me the district parts and service manager has the last say in the issue and refused to escalate the issue further. Anybody have recommendations on a defective products law firm that wants to take this case?
Nov 23, 2016, 12:46 PM
#9
Is the dealership flat out refusing to replace your subframe? Below is the official procedure for subframe warranty work. If you want you could try and perform the test procedures yourself. If you are able to replicate the issues that point to a failing subframe then you can head to the dealership and prove to them that your subframe needs to be replaced. It's an idea worth trying.
Official actions during inspection:
Vehicle will be visually inspected for signs of rust on the K member. If rust is found, it will be cleaned off.
Once cleaned, perforation will be checked. If the K member has any perforation (rust holes basically), it will be replaced.
If no holes are found, punch testing will be performed to check for weak spots (rust that has not fully perforated but has degraded the integrity of the part). If perforations are found, the K member will be replaced.
If no rust or no perforations are found, an anti-rust agent will be applied to the inside and outside of the K member.
Perforation inspection will be performed with a controlled distance tap of a drift to a precise location where perforation is most likely. This area on an Evo is just behind the LCA front mounting area. Controlled tap is a 1lb swing at 4 inches away, 5 times.
Again if it passes the perforation test, a rust proofing/anti rust agent will be coated on the member. There is a thin wax like protective coating for the exterior much like Endeavor fuel necks receive etc, then there is a different industrial type sealant that will be applied inside the K member at all manufacturing holes to fill the member until it is seeping out basically, protecting the areas where water/salt wash in but don't rinse out.
Vehicle will be visually inspected for signs of rust on the K member. If rust is found, it will be cleaned off.
Once cleaned, perforation will be checked. If the K member has any perforation (rust holes basically), it will be replaced.
If no holes are found, punch testing will be performed to check for weak spots (rust that has not fully perforated but has degraded the integrity of the part). If perforations are found, the K member will be replaced.
If no rust or no perforations are found, an anti-rust agent will be applied to the inside and outside of the K member.
Perforation inspection will be performed with a controlled distance tap of a drift to a precise location where perforation is most likely. This area on an Evo is just behind the LCA front mounting area. Controlled tap is a 1lb swing at 4 inches away, 5 times.
Again if it passes the perforation test, a rust proofing/anti rust agent will be coated on the member. There is a thin wax like protective coating for the exterior much like Endeavor fuel necks receive etc, then there is a different industrial type sealant that will be applied inside the K member at all manufacturing holes to fill the member until it is seeping out basically, protecting the areas where water/salt wash in but don't rinse out.
Nov 23, 2016, 01:20 PM
#10
Really sucks that you are going through this situation.
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TronCarterIII (Nov 23, 2016)
Nov 23, 2016, 04:40 PM
#11
Newbie
Thread Starter
Yes, they are refusing the replace the cross-member based on their punch test. They also refused to remove the control arm to check for corrosion and do the punch test in that area because they were concerned that they may cause damage to the car by "removing parts". I asked him why removing a bolt would cause damage to the car and he told me the welded nut could break away from the cross-member?!?! to which I replied "Because of rust and corrsion perhaps?". There is really no gettting through to them, they have some sort conspiracy amongst themselves to railroad me out of this recall. I told the DM that I was taking my car to a different dealership in Denver and he said "go ahead we have already made all the notes in the log and they wont perform the cross-member replacement". !?!?
Nov 23, 2016, 05:44 PM
#13
Newbie
Thread Starter
Yeah, unfortunately, they mainly deal with getting recalls issued and just post the complaints to the catalog on their website. They do nothing to actively help an individual consumer. Still stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.
Nov 24, 2016, 09:56 AM
#14
Newbie
Thread Starter
I got my car back from the dealership yesterday. They still missed the the rust in the socket when spraying their anti-corrosive and the hole looks even bigger than it did when I took it in... sigh.
It still tracks grooves in the road and oversteers when turning right too.
Unbelievable.
It still tracks grooves in the road and oversteers when turning right too.
Unbelievable.
Last edited by TronCarterIII; Nov 24, 2016 at 10:11 AM.
Nov 24, 2016, 10:33 AM
#15
Newbie
Thread Starter
I went through my records and I believe that the driver side was the original side that I had a problem with that was replaced under warranty. So the side they worked on previously is the side that I am again having a problem with. That sheds some light on why they may not want to take ownership of this problem. They bent the socket in the crossmember for the LCA to remove the slop in the joint. The Service record says that they removed the LCA to check for corrosion in the joint which I highly doubt since the DM told me they were afraid to remove it due to causing additional damage and even noted that the nut would possibly need to be rewelded to the crossmember because the bolt was loose and just spinning (Not noted in the service log anywhere, of course)?!?!
On top of that my Wife went to pick up the car yesterday and she was held hostage there for an hour and a half because there was a car parked in front of the bay with my EVO and they couldnt find the owner. Then the SM was unable to get the lift to operate correctly and lower the EVO down.
Its like a three ring circus.
On top of that my Wife went to pick up the car yesterday and she was held hostage there for an hour and a half because there was a car parked in front of the bay with my EVO and they couldnt find the owner. Then the SM was unable to get the lift to operate correctly and lower the EVO down.
Its like a three ring circus.