2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Brakes Problems

ON JAN. 10, 2011 I WAS DRIVING MY FRIENDS 2003 MITSUBISHI, LANCER. AS WE WERE LEAVING THE DOCTORS OFFICE PARKING LOT I ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT THE PARKING LOT EXIT, A SLIGHT INCLINE BEFORE A BUSY STREET. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS FIRM BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ROLL FORWARD. EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD I WAS UNABLE TO STOP AND THE FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS SMASH BY A SEMI TRUCK. MY FRIEND AND I WERE UNHARMED BUT SHAKEN UP. AFTER CHECKING FOR RECALLS I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THE BRAKE FAILURE WE EXPERIENCE IS THE SAME AS DESCRIBED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN #09V077000 FOR THE 2008-2009 MODEL OF THE MITSUBISHI LANCER. *TR

OUR 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER ES HAS ONLY 15,520 MILES ON IT AND WE'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I ASKED IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES ON THIS MODEL OF MITSUBISHI, EXPLAINING THAT MY WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR AND IT IS PARKED IN A COVERED GARAGE, AS EVIDENCED BY THE EXCELLENT CONDITION AND LOW MILEAGE. I WAS TOLD THIS SEEMS TO BE LOW MILEAGE FOR THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS TO REQUIRE REPLACEMENT, BUT THAT HAPPENS. *NM

ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE BRAKES WHICH SEVERELY LIMITS STOPPING ABILITY. INTERMITTENT SEVERE VIBRATION IN FRONT END OF VEHICLE DURING LIGHT TO MODERATE BRAKING, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (45-70 MPH). VIBRATION AND RESULTING LOSS OF TRACTION AND CONTROL OF VEHICLE VERSUS ROAD SURFACE GREATLY REDUCES STOPPING CAPABILITY OF VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM ALSO APPEARS TO NEGATIVELY EFFECT ABS OPERATION SINCE SMOOTH BRAKING CANNOT BE APPLIED AND THEREFORE ABS WILL NOT ENGAGE IN MOST INSTANCES. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED SEVERAL TIMES BY DEALER, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN SLOW AND UNCOOPERATIVE IN RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO FORWARDED THE DEALER AND THE REGIONAL SERVICE DIRECTOR COPIES OF POSTINGS ON SEVERAL VEHICLE/MAKE RELATED WEB FORUMS (E.G. EVOLUTIONM.NET) DESCRIBING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH BRAKING IN THIS VEHICLE ACROSS THE US. *NM

SLAVE CYLINDER SUDDENLY WENT OUT. *NM

MITSUBISHI LANCER 2003, DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION AND BRAKES. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AT EVERY SPEED AND NO ONE WOULD ADMIT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE BRAKES WOULD FADE AND VIBRATE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP. *JB

WHEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT GEARS PROPERLY. NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE LEADS TO JERKY TRANSITIONS FROM GEAR TO GEAR AND RESULTS IN THE INABILITY TO GAUGE THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE NEED TO MAINTAIN/REACH/SUSTAIN SPEED. THIS OCCURS IN BOTH HIGHWAY AND CITY ENVIRONMENTS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SERVICED ACCORDING TO MFG'R RECOMMENDATIONS OF EVERY 3000 MILES. I HAVE ABOUT 35000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AT THIS POINT. IT STARTED DOING THIS AT ABOUT 4000 MILES. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED MULTIPLE TIMES. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED ME NOTHING WAS WRONG. I HAVE CHANGED THE TRANS. FLUID AS WELL AS ALL FILTERS. I WAS TOLD THIS IS 'NORMAL' FOR THE CAR. I DO NOT THINK HOWEVER THAT THIS IS A TYPICAL BEHAVIOR FOR NEW VEHICLES. I HAVE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM FOR THE PAST 1500 OR SO MILES WITH MY BREAKS SQUEAKING. WHEN I TRY TO STOP OR PULL OUT FROM A PARKING SPACE THEY HAVE A SQUEALING SOUND. I HAVE ALSO HAD THIS EVALUATED AT THE MITSUBISHI REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THEY ARE FINE.*AK

BRAKE PADS MANUFACTURED BY CARBOTECH ENGINEERING HTTP://WWW.CARBOTECHENG.COM MANUFACTURER A BRAKE PAD FOR THE 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION THAT IS SOLD AS A "DIRECT STOCK REPLACEMENT" UPON QUESTIONED BY SEVERAL CUSTOMERS WHO BOUGHT THESE PADS (MYSELF INCLUDED) ABOUT OBSCENELY LOUD NOISES AND WORSE THAN STOCK BRAKING ABILITY, THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT THE SITUATION AND CORRECT THE SITUATION AS NECESSARY. THEN ADMITTED THAT THE PADS ARE NOT FOR THE EVOLUTION AND THAT THE PADS DO NOT FIT THE APPLICATION THEY WERE SOLD FOR. THEY REFUSED TO REFUND MONEY OR TO FURTHER RESEARCH THE ISSUE OF BRAKING SAFETY. THEY CONTINUE TO SELL THE PADS THAT THEY KNOW ARE NOT A PROPER FIT POTENTIALLY CAUSING A BRAKE FAILURE AND A FATAL ACCIDENT. *JB