2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Steering Problems

THERE HAS NO BEEN AN INCIDENT YET. THE VEHICLE RATTLES IN THE FRONT END, EXACTLY WHERE THE RECALLED PART IS AT. I TOOK IT TO THE LICENSED DEALERSHIP THAT I WAS TOLD WAS QUALIFIED TO REPLACE THE PART AND THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE IT CLAIMING THAT THE VEHICLE IS TOO RUSTY AND THEY DON'T WANT TO LIFT IT UP ON THE AIR. I HAD JUST HAD 4 NEW TIRES PUT ON IT RECENTLY AND THEY USED A CAR LIFT WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. I WOULD LIKE THE PART REPLACED BECAUSE NOW I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE DEFECT CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF IT IS NOT REPLACED. THE REASON IT IS BEING RECALLED IS BECAUSE IT IS PRONE TO RUST AND MAY DETERIORATE OVER TIME AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT.

NHTSA ID

11320089

Incident

Mar 24, 2020

RECALL INFO: "THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE SURFACES OF THE FRONT CROSS MEMBERS USED ON CERTAIN VEHICLES IF EXPOSED LONG TERM TO SNOW MELT WATER AND ANTI-FREEZING AGENTS MAY CORRODE DUE TO INSUFFICIENT PERFORMANCE OF THE RUST PROTECTION. SHOULD CORROSION OCCUR, A LOWER CONTROL ARM COULD BECOME DETACHED RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND POTENTIAL COLLISION. IN MAY 2016 WE HAD TO HAVE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM REPLACED ALONG WITH THE FRONT SWAY BARK LINK ASSEMBLY." I BELIEVE THIS IS ALL PART OF THE CORROSION MENTIONED ABOVE IN THE RECALL. CAR WAS MOVING WHEN LOWER CONTROL ARM BECAME DETACHED. $285.00 TO REPLACE LOWER CONTROL ARM & FRONT SWAY BAR LINK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10939837

Incident

May 11, 2016

Mileage

228,566 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER. WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND BACK. BOTH THE CONTACT AND PASSENGER REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V458000 (SUSPENSION). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

10898183

Incident

May 24, 2016

WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND THE STEERING WHEEL FELL OFF. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WAS ABLE TO PUT IT BACK ON BUT HAD TO PRESS HARD TO KEEP IT IN PLACE MY MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO REATTACH IT BUT HAD TO DISABLE THE AIR BAG AND NOW COST $700 FOR A NEW STEERING COLUMN AIR BAG AND HORN. I SEE OTHER COMPLAINTS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT MY OPTIONS ARE REGARDING THIS IS THIS SOMETHING BEING REVIEWED OR A RECALL. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED.

NHTSA ID

10733820

Incident

May 29, 2015

Mileage

120,000 mi

I OWN A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER. I PURCHASED FROM CARMAX IN 2005 AND WAS ASSURED THAT IT WAS FREE OF PROBLEMS. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH SHOWED THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN WELL CARED FOR AND HAD NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE IN LATE FEBRUARY 2006 THE STEERING COLUMN INEXPLICABLY COLLAPSED INTO MY LAP. THE CAR WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL, AND I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I WAS IN GRIDLOCK, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. SO, SINCE MY WARRANTY WITH CARMAX HAD LAPSED, I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC (WHO IS EXTREMELY COMPETENT AND REPUTABLE). HE LOOKED AT THE IT AND HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE STEEL BRACKETS HOLDING THE COLUMN IN PLACE HAD BEEN RIPPED THROUGH, AND THE ONLY THING CAPABLE OF DOING THIS WAS A HEAD ON COLLISION. I HAD HIM REPAIR THE COLUMN, AS I NEEDED MY CAR. HE FIXED ALL THE NECESSARY PROBLEMS AND DID NOT FIND ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDED REPAIRING. THEN IN APRIL 2006, I WAS SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT AND AGAIN THE COLUMN COLLAPSED. IT WAS IN A WORSE STATE THAN DURING THE PREVIOUS FAILURE. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC TO BE RE-EXAMINED. HE WAS ABLE TO FIND NOTHING RELATED TO HIS PREVIOUS REPAIR THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS SECOND FAILURE. THE STEEL RIVETS AND BOLTS SUPPORTING THE COLUMN (WHICH HAD NOT BEEN TOUCHED DURING THE PREVIOUS REPAIR AND WERE THEREFORE UNDISTURBED), HAD COMPLETELY RIPPED AWAY. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A MITSUBISHI DEALER AND THEIR SERVICE TEAM COULD COME UP WITH NO EXPLANATION FOR WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS FAILURE OTHER THAN A POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE COLUMN. I WAS ASSURED THAT THIS WAS NOT DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I CONTACTED MITSUBISHI REGARDING WHAT COULD BE DONE, BUT THEY CLAIMED TO BE UNABLE TO HELP ME AS THE CAR WAS BEYOND THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY, DUE TO THE NUMBER OF MILES ON IT I AM ONLY FORTUNATE IN THAT THESE FAILURES DID NOT OCCUR WHILE I WAS IN MOTION, OR THE SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH I COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10155850

Incident

Apr 19, 2006

Mileage

80,800 mi

WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH STEERING WHEEL COLLAPSED. CONSUMER HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10103112

Incident

Jul 5, 2004

I OWN A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER. MY STEERING WHEEL COLUMN COLLAPSED IN MY LAP WHILE DRIVING. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL THAT HAPPENED. SAID IT WAS THE LATCH IN MY COLUMN, HAD TO BUY A WHOLE NEW STEERING COLUMN 500+ PART, NOT INCLUDING LABOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

10088803

Incident

Jan 15, 2004

INTERMITTENTLY THE STEERING COLUMN COLLAPSED INTO DRIVER'S LAP WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. DEALER STATED THIS WAS UNUSUAL, WE NEVER HEARD A CASE LIKE THIS PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10046296

Incident

Nov 4, 2003

RIGHT & LEFT REAR END LINKS/WHEEL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED. DT

NHTSA ID

769612

LOWER CONTROL ARM ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE BUCKLED UNDER RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND THE VEHICLE STRIKING A CURB AT ~55 MPH. DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY CITING THERE IS NO PROOF THAT HITTING THE CURB DID NOT CAUSE THE DAMAGE. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THERE HAD BEEN A SIMILIAR INCIDENT THE PREVIOUS WEEK INVOLVING ANOTHER LANCER. ON THIS VEHICLE THE FAILURE WAS ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS FAILURE ALSO RESULTED IN A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AS WELL AS STRIKING AN OBJECT WITH THE VEHICLE. DT

NHTSA ID

768836

Incident

Oct 18, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

764511

Incident

May 10, 2002

WHILE ADJUSTING THE STEERING WHEEL THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN COLLAPSED INTO DRIVER'S LAP WHILE MAKING A TURN. MECHANIC STATED ADJUSTER WAS BROKEN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMAITON.*AK

NHTSA ID

8009732

Incident

May 10, 2002