2003 Mitsubishi Outlander Visibility & Wipers Problems

I AM REFERRING TO A WELL KNOWN "STICKY HVAC MIX DOOR" ISSUE IN THE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER AND LANCER VEHICLES IN MODEL YEAR 2003 (PERHAPS AMONG OTHER YEARS AND MODELS). THIS ISSUE CAN RESULT IN AN INABILITY TO DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD DURING COLD WEATHER DRIVING. I HAVE HAD THE "STICKY" ISSUE FOR SOME TIME, WHICH, WHILE IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN THE KNOB, WAS NOT A HUGE ISSUE. HOWEVER, RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING, THE DOOR WENT FROM "STICKY" TO "STUCK," ON THE "COLD" SETTING. MY WINDOWS GRADUALLY STARTED TO FOG AND I WAS UNABLE TO DEFOG THEM SINCE THE SYSTEM COULD NOT BLOW HOT AIR DUE TO THE STUCK MIX DOOR. I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY (I-39) IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN AT THE TIME, ON AUGUST 27, 2016 IN THE EVENING. IN LATE SUMMER / EARLY AUTUMN, THERE IS A WIDE TEMPERATURE SWING DURING THE DAY AND NIGHT, SO FLIPPING FROM HOT TO COLD SETTINGS IS VERY COMMON. FORTUNATELY IT WAS NOT EXTREMELY COLD SO I WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF THE HVAC AND OPEN ALL MY WINDOWS IN ORDER TO GET BY DURING MY SHORT DRIVE. HOWEVER, IN THE WINTER, I NEED TO HAVE IT SET ON "HOT" AT ALL TIMES: THEREFORE, FOR WINTER DRIVING, MY CAR WILL NOT BE DRIVABLE AT ALL DUE TO THIS ISSUE. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL IN COLD WEATHER STATES ASAP. THIS IS A VERY WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES, BUT ONLY AT THIS TIME DID IT BECOME A SERIOUS CAUSE OF CONCERN: WHEN THE HVAC MIX DOOR IS STUCK ON THE COLD SETTING, THE INABILITY TO DEFOG THE WINDSHIELD IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE DRIVER AS WELL AS FOR ANYONE ELSE SHARING THE ROAD.

HVAC KNOB HAS ALWAYS BEEN HARD TO TURN FROM HEAT TO COOL, BUT IT HAS NOW COMPLETELY BROKEN. IF YOU TURN IT TO HEAT IT BOUNCES BACK TO COOL. I HAVE NO HEATER OR DEFROST! I WAS QUOTED $1,500 TO FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE HVAC CABLE AND DOOR ARE STUCK SHUT. THE DEALER KNEW MY EXACT PROBLEM AND THE PART NUMBER OFF THE TOP OFF HIS HEAD! HE SAID IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, BUT THEY DON'T RECALL IT BECAUSE IT ISN'T A SAFETY HAZARD. I DON'T SEE HOW THIS IS SO. WE WERE PLUMMETED WITH SNOW AND FREEZING TEMPERATURES THIS WEEK AND I HAD TO USE AN ICE SCRAPPER ON THE INSIDE OF MY WINDOWS WHILE STOPPED AT LIGHTS! FREEZING AND NO VIABILITY SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY CONCERN TO ME. *TR

TEMPERATURE KNOB BROKE OFF AFTER GETTING STUCK. SOUNDS LIKE THIS HAPPENS QUITE FREQUENTLY. I GOT AN ESTIMATE TO FIX IT FROM THE DEALER. OVER $2000. MAJOR ISSUE IN THE WINTER FOR DEFROST/HEAT. *TR

I OWN A MITSUBISHI 2003 OUTLANDER - THE HEATING COOLING KNOB IS VERY HARD TO TURN AND EVENTUALLY BROKE OFF - I SPENT OVER $300 TO FIX IT - THEY INSTALLED A $150.00 PART BUT SAID I WOULD NEED A MORE EXTENSIVE FIX TO GET THE KNOB TO TURN FROM HEATING TO COOLING. THAT WOULD COST OVER $1500 ALSO TO TURN IT I HAVE TO GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND PUSH ON A PART UNDER THE HEATING SYSTEM - THIS IS DANGEROUS WITH A RISK OF BURNS BECAUSE IT GETS HOT DOWN THERE. I FEEL THAT THE COMPANY SHOULD RECALL THESE CARS - NOT REALISTIC TO HAVE SUCH AN EXPENSIVEFIX FOR WHAT SHOULD BE A SIMPLE PROBLEM WITH A TIGHT CABLE . THEY KNOW ABOUT IT - OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED . *TR

I AM HIGHLY UPSET ABOUT OUR 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. WE TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF OUR CAR. THE HEATER KNOB WAS HARD TO TURN FROM HOT TO COLD AND EVENTUALLY BROKE. I WENT IN TO VIVA MITSUBISHI AND THE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT ON THE OUTLANDERS AND LANCERS. THEY HAVE NOT RECALLED THE CARS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THEY ALSO INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST $1300 TO FIX IT. WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT. I HAVE TO LITTLE BOYS AND IT GETS COLD HERE AND MY BOYS HAVE TO FREEZE. ALSO, WHEN WE NEED TO DEFROST THE WINDOWS, WE CAN'T CHANGE THE TEMP AND IT DOESN'T WORK. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD FOR US. I CAN'T BELIEVE MITSUBISHI IS WILLING TO PUT OUR LIVES, EVEN CHILDREN'S LIVES, IN DANGER ALL BECAUSE THEY WON'T RECALL THIS PART. *TR

THE TEMPERATURE KNOB ON THE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER 2003 IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN ON FOR HEAT. SOMETIMES I CAN'T GET IT TO MOVE AT ALL, AND I HAVE TO DRIVE IN THE COLD. I SUFFER FROM ARTHRITIS, AND THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO DRIVE AS MY FINGERS FREEZE-UP IN THE COLD WEATHER. *TR

IN RESEARCHING WHAT MIGHT BE WRONG WITH MY MITSUBISHI GALANT HEATER, I FIND IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM DESCRIBED TO THE TEE. NOT HAVING HEAT IN MY CAR AND LIVING IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COULD PROVE TO BE DANGEROUS FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS AS VISIBILITY AND FREEZING WILL OCCUR AS I HAVE TO RUN THE COLD AIR ON MY WINDSHIELD TO SEE. *TR

HEATER WENT OUT, AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO HAVE REPAIRED, WAS INFORMED HEATER CORE WAS DEFECTIVE. REPAIRING/REPLACING HEATER CORE IS AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE PROCEDURE!! *NM