1994 Mitsubishi Galant Suspension Problems

THE WHEEL OF MY DAUGHTER'S MITSUBISHI GALANT FELL OFF! WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT OUR HOME, THE GALANT'S BALL JOINT ON THE LOWER LATERAL CONTROL ARM FAILED. THE BALL JOINT PULLED OUT OF THE SOCKET AND THE TRANSAXLE PULLED OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. THIS RESULTED IN THE WHEEL FALLING AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL (LITERALLY FALLING OFF THE CAR!) THERE WAS NO GREASE IN THE BALL JOINT SOCKET. THANKFULLY, THIS OCCURRED AT A VERY LOW RATE OF SPEED. IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON THE EXPRESSWAY, IT WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT! THIS 1994 GALANT HAS ONLY 86,000 MILES ON IT, AND HAS NO OPEN RECALLS. MY DAUGHTER HAD TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THE INCIDENT BECAUSE SHE SOMETIMES HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE WHEEL AREA. THE SHOP WRONGLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS TIE ROD ENDS. THEY SAID THERE WERE NO IMMEDIATE SAFETY CONCERNS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10198911

Incident

Jul 27, 2007

Mileage

86,000 mi

A NEAR MISS. THE NUT ON THE LOWER CONTROL ARM CAME OFF ON DRIVERS SIDE. 75 MPH AND THANK GOODNESS I WAS STRONG TO PULL THE ASPHALT EATING FRONT END TO THE SIDE. GOING DOWNHILL HEARD WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A PEBBLE HIT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR AND THEN WAS BEING PULLED UNDER THE ONCOMING SEMI. UPON FINALLY STOPPING ON THE SHOULDER, I GOT OUT LOOKED AT MY TIRE SITTING PERPENDICULAR TO THE CAR, THE CARS FRONT END SITTING ON THE GROUND,(I HAVE PHOTO'S) I LOOKED BACK TO SEE A GROVE AND A BLACK LINE TRAVELING FROM THE LEFT LANE TO THE CENTER LINE BACK TO THE LEFT LANE AND TO MY GALANT'S RESTING PLACE. AT 48 YEARS OLD I HAVE DRIVEN MANY A CAR, NEVER HAVE I COME SO NEAR TO MEETING MY MAKER. THE MECHANIC, 300 MILES FROM MY HOME SAID THE BALL JOINT BOOT FAILED AND ALLOWED THE BOLT TO BECOME LOOSE AND THE TRAVEL JUST UNSCREWED THE NUT. ALL THE THREADS WERE THERE, NON WERE STRIPPED. 3 DAYS LATER I BRAVELY LOADED MYSELF AND MY YOUNGER SISTER INTO THE CAR WITH SOME MAKE DUE REPAIRS AND A NEW LOWER CONTROL ARM, A PUT BACK TOGETHER WITH DUCT TAPE AND A PRAYER CV AXLE( WAS PULL OUT AS FAR AS IT COULD GO, A NEW SLIGHTLY SMALLER NEW TIRE, AND A $1000.00 POORER, I SLOWLY MADE MYSELF DRIVE BACK HOME. NOW I HEAR NOISES ON THE OTHER SIDE. NOW I HAVE STARTED LOOKING FOR PLACES LIKE THIS THE AIR MY COMPLAINTS. I WAS FORTUNATE. AS AN OLDER PERSON, A WOMAN AND ORIGINAL OWNER, I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE RECEIVED A RECALL, I DIDN'T. HAVE HAD THE SAME ADDRESS FOR 16 YEARS. DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT UNTIL I GOT HERE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10174141

Incident

Aug 15, 2006

PURSUANT TO THE BALL JOINT RECALL FOR MY 1994 MITSUBISHI GALANT, I TOOK MY CAR TO OURISMAN MITSUBISHI IN 2004 WHO THEN INSPECTED THE BOOT, NOTICED THE BOOT WAS BROKEN YET THE SERVICEMAN RESEALED THE BOOT AND INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR WAS CHECKED AND THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS WERE INTACT. IN AUGUST 2005, WHILE I WAS HAVING MY CAR SERVICE FOR A WATER PUMP PROBLEM, THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE IT REPLACED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10140040

Incident

Aug 8, 2005

DURING REPLACEMENT OF STRUTS SERVICE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT BALL JOINTS HAD EXCESSIVE PLAY. *TS THE MANUFACTURER HAS RECALLED MANY BALL JOINTS RECALL #SR-04-001 ACCORDING TO ALLDATA. *NM

NHTSA ID

10139934

Incident

Aug 22, 2005

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR MY 1994 MITSUBISHI GALANT LS ,AND I TOOK MY CAR TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP, OURISMAN MITSUBISHI, LAST YEAR CONCERNING THE LOWER ARM BALL JOINT. IT WAS DETERMINED THERE THAT THE BALL JOINT WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. AFTER HAVING MY CAR INSPECTED BY MY PRIVATE AND CERTIFIED MECHANIC HE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT I REPLACE THIS VERY PART. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE BALL JOINT IS IN SERIOUS NEED OF REPLACEMENT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10133255

Incident

Apr 13, 2004

Mileage

71,904 mi

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR RECALL 00V421003 REPAIRS. UPON LEAVING THE DEALER CONSUMER GOT INTO THE VEHICLE TO TAKE AN HOUR RIDE AND VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE ERRATICALLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO TWO OTHER MECHANICS, WHO DETERMINED THAT DEALER HAD DONE SOMETHING THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE TO THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10101340

Incident

Nov 4, 2004

THE CONSUMER TOOK HIS VEHICLE IN TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED AND UPON ENTERING THE BAY AT THE SHOP, THE LOWER BALL JOINT FELL OFF. RECALL NO. 00V421001. *JB

NHTSA ID

10083463

Incident

Jul 22, 2004

Mileage

126,572 mi

THE RIGHT SIDE BALL JOINT SEPARATED ALMOST CAUSING CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT.*MR *LA

NHTSA ID

10073936

Incident

Jun 15, 2003

LEFT FRONT BALL JOINT FELL OFF. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY STOP AND FALL FLAT TO THE GROUND. *AK

NHTSA ID

10066757

Mileage

98,000 mi

WHILE TURNING 5 MPH, THE FRONT BALL JOINT AND AXLE SNAPPED. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THE GEARS TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED. CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *PH

NHTSA ID

10047840

Incident

Nov 6, 2003

Mileage

121,000 mi

CAR WAS SERVICED UNDER ONE RECALL IN SPRING OF THIS YEAR; HOWEVER, NOISE PERSISTS ON LEFT FRONT; MAINTENANCE MANAGER INFORMS ME THAT IT COULD BE SOME PART OTHER THAN BALL JOINT AND NOT A PART OF RECALL. NO SAFETY DEFECT INDICATED. *AK

NHTSA ID

766572

Incident

Aug 31, 2002

FRONT BALL JOINTS BROKE WHEN OWNER WAS TURNING A CORNER. HE GOT OUT OF CAR AND SAW TIRE HAD SLUMPED OVER. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

8017645

THE BALL JOINT TO DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN ROAD AT 50MPH, THE CAR VEERED TO LEFT AND SKIDDED ABOUT 500 FEET BEFORE I COULD GET VEHICLE TO STOP. WHEN I DID THE DRIVER TIRE WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE CAR AND THE BASE OF MOTOR WAS RESTING ON THE GROUND. AFTER MITSIBUSHI REPAIRED THE BALL JOINT AND HALF SHAFT THAT ALSO BROKE. I TRANSPORTED IT TO OCALA FLORIDA FROM ODESSA TEXAS ON A CAR CARRIER SINCE THAT POINT I HAVE LEARNED ALL 4 MOTOR MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. I CONTACTED MITSIBUSHI BECAUSE IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FOR ALL 4 TO BREAK SUBSTANTIAL TRAUMA WOULD HAVE HAD TO OCCUR, THE CAR HAS NOT OTHER TRAUMA EXCEPT THE WRECK IN ODESSA WHEN THE BALL JOINT SNAPPED. MITSIBUSHI TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A LOCAL DEALER HERE, I DID AND NOW THEY ARE DECLINING TO FIX MOTOR MOUNTS THAT I CONTEND WERE BROKEN DURING THAT WRECK. I HAVE A COMPLETE FILE OF EVENTS AND RECEIPTS AND NAMES I WOULD LIKE TO SEND VIA MAIL TO YOUR ASSOCIATION IF POSSIBLE PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH A MAILING ADDRESS SO I CAN FULLY EXPLAIN THE SITUATION AND PROVIDE THE PROOF I HAVE RELATING TO THE ENTIRE SITUATION. I HAVE BEEN SO FINANCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY STRAINED ON THIS INCIDENT THAT I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE 8 DAYS AFTER I PURCHASED IT USED, BUT PURCHASED TO HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION AND YET I HAVE HAD MORE UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS CAR THAN ANYTHING ALL RELATED T A BALL JOINT RECALL. THANKS SINCERELY [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

756650

Incident

Dec 22, 2001

RECALL 00 V 421 001/LOWER BALL JOINT BOOT: REPORTING UPPER BALL JOINT IS FAILING AS LOWER BALL JOINT; NOTIFIED THAT UPPER BALL JOINT IS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

897688

Incident

Oct 12, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

749529

Incident

Apr 1, 1999

RECALL#00V421001/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL SR01-007. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED VEHICLE WAS SALVAGED. DEALER WILL NOT FIX VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

891673

Incident

Jun 26, 2001

THE CAR IS VEERING TO THE RIGHT ALL THE TIME. THE BODY OF THE CAR SHAKES UP/DOWN AND LEFT TO RIGHT. THIS IS VERY NOTICEABLE AT 30MPH. BELOW THAT SPEED, THE STEERIG WHEEL MOVES LEFT TO RIGHT RAPIDLY. WHEN THE CAR DIPS, THE CAR BOUNCES SIDEWAY THAT COULD BE COMPENSATED OR CONTROLLED BY THE STEERING WHEEL. *AK (DOT NUMBER: XLJ6 7375 TIRESIZE: 185/70R14)

NHTSA ID

746911

MANUFACTURER'S RECALL SR-01-0007; CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINTS ON LEFTSIDE OF VEHICLE BROKE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

888657

Incident

May 18, 2001

WHILE DRIVING LOWER BALL JOINTS COLLAPSED AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TURNED OUTWARD. ALSO, AXLE CAME LOOSE. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN. VEHICLE WAS UNDER RECALL, BUT HAS NOT BEEN SERVICED.*AK

NHTSA ID

887054

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR LOWER BALL JOINT RECALL 00V421001/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL SR99-002 REPAIRS. VEHICLE'S PROBLEM INVOLVED UPPER BALL JOINTS ON RIGHT/LEFT FRONT SIDE. PROBLEM HAS TO BE REPAIRED OR WHEEL WILL COME OFF.*AK

NHTSA ID

884559

Incident

Mar 26, 2001

I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A MITSUBISHI DEALER FOR A RECALL ON THE SUSPENSION INDEPENDENT FRONT CONTROL ARM LOWER BALL JOINT AND WAS TOLD BY THE MISTUBISHI SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED WITH THE RECALL AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO GET IT REPAIRED WITH THEM. I THEREFORE PURCHASED THE PARTS FROM THE MITUBISHI PARTS DEPARTMENT AND HAD ANOTHER MECHANIC REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS AND BOOTING AT A LOWER PRICE BUT WITH MITSUBISHI'S PARTS. SINCE THEN I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER RECALL ON THE SAME PARTS THAT WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH AND THAT I SHOULD BRING THE VEHICLE IN AGAIN AND THAT THEY WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I WAS VERY SHOCKED THAT AFTER OWNING SEVERAL VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS THAT I HAD NEVER HAD TO PAY ANYTHING FOR PARTS OR REPAIR AND WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED. ALSO THERE WILL BE TWO OTHER REPORTS FILED FOR OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE HAD ON DEFECTIVE PARTS WITH MITSUBISHI. THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ID

742323

Incident

Aug 1, 2000

THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 00V-421, CONSUMER WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE SEVERAL WORDS WERE WRONG ON THE INVOICE, THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. NLM

NHTSA ID

558666

Incident

Jun 9, 1998

EXCESS PLAY IN THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS. *AK

NHTSA ID

738528

Incident

Dec 7, 2000

RECALL 99V066001. BALL JOINT SEPARATED FROM STEERING KNUCKLE, CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL AND CAUSE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. UNDER THE RECALL, DEALER ONLY REPLACED ONE OF THE BALL JOINTS, AND THE OTHERS CAUSED THE COLLISION. DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER WILL REPLACE THE OTHER BOOT AS STATED IN THE RECALL.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

872090

Incident

Oct 1, 2000

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS BEFORE RECALL 99V066001, CONSUMER WANTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR SEVERAL REPAIRS AND A TOTAL OF NINE TRIPS TO THE REPAIR SHOP DUE TO DEFECT. *SLC

NHTSA ID

554848

Incident

Dec 1, 1998