Evo's Rust Issues [MEGA MERGE]
Its the bumper brace that is rusting. I took mine in and had them check it out. They said they took pictures and sent them to Mitsu.
They won't do anything unless Mitsu gives them the go-ahead.
What the hell is the 7 year 100,000 mile corrosion warranty for?
They won't do anything unless Mitsu gives them the go-ahead.
What the hell is the 7 year 100,000 mile corrosion warranty for?
Evolved Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,312
Likes: 3
From: Birmingham, AL
Originally posted by Compjoc
What the hell is the 7 year 100,000 mile corrosion warranty for?
What the hell is the 7 year 100,000 mile corrosion warranty for?
So... here is my update on the fix.
After taking the bumper off, I took some pictures. I sent to the dealer where I bought it. After a few days, they told me to bring the car in anytime and it will be fixed.
Because I live in PA and I bought the car in NJ (because that dealer is awesome), I really didn't feel like driving over an hour to drop off a car, then try to get someone to drive me home and picking it up again.... just too much run around - I did not have the time for that a month ago.
I decided to try and have a local dealer fix it. I spoke with the service manager there and I got the usual run around of we will have to see it before. I tell them they will need to take the bumper off. Then their mood changed and said that it will take 2 hours labour and I will be billed for it if not covered under warranty, etc. etc.
I decided that I did not want to deal with this dealer. This was just a forepaly to a bunch of problems, warranty denials and 2 hour fees to take bumper off that took me under 1 hour for on and off (even though I'm not a mechanic). Undoing a dozen bolts is not hard to figure out, you know what I mean?
So, I fixed the job myself, it took a totoal of 3 hours work not including drying time. The car was out of comission for most of the weekend.
1. I bought a grinding stone and wire brush wheel for my drill. Went at it with the stone first until all I saw was bare metal. Then finished it off with the wire wheel.
2. I applied acid (I think it is acetic??? but not sure) to the area so it reacts with any remaining rust and neutralizez any remaining rust that you may not see. We used to do this when fixing rust on cars in Canada. It works very well.
3. Applied about 3 coats of ZINK primer on car and bumper
4. Applied 2 coats of some spray paint I had left over from a metallic grey Audi. Paint does not match under the bumper, but who cares, no one sees it. The point was to stop the rust.
5. applied 2 coats of clear coat.
DONE. No hassles. I do wish mitsu could reimburse me for my supplies and the 3 hours labour at their rate to fix it... but we know that will never happen.
After taking the bumper off, I took some pictures. I sent to the dealer where I bought it. After a few days, they told me to bring the car in anytime and it will be fixed.
Because I live in PA and I bought the car in NJ (because that dealer is awesome), I really didn't feel like driving over an hour to drop off a car, then try to get someone to drive me home and picking it up again.... just too much run around - I did not have the time for that a month ago.
I decided to try and have a local dealer fix it. I spoke with the service manager there and I got the usual run around of we will have to see it before. I tell them they will need to take the bumper off. Then their mood changed and said that it will take 2 hours labour and I will be billed for it if not covered under warranty, etc. etc.
I decided that I did not want to deal with this dealer. This was just a forepaly to a bunch of problems, warranty denials and 2 hour fees to take bumper off that took me under 1 hour for on and off (even though I'm not a mechanic). Undoing a dozen bolts is not hard to figure out, you know what I mean?
So, I fixed the job myself, it took a totoal of 3 hours work not including drying time. The car was out of comission for most of the weekend.
1. I bought a grinding stone and wire brush wheel for my drill. Went at it with the stone first until all I saw was bare metal. Then finished it off with the wire wheel.
2. I applied acid (I think it is acetic??? but not sure) to the area so it reacts with any remaining rust and neutralizez any remaining rust that you may not see. We used to do this when fixing rust on cars in Canada. It works very well.
3. Applied about 3 coats of ZINK primer on car and bumper
4. Applied 2 coats of some spray paint I had left over from a metallic grey Audi. Paint does not match under the bumper, but who cares, no one sees it. The point was to stop the rust.
5. applied 2 coats of clear coat.
DONE. No hassles. I do wish mitsu could reimburse me for my supplies and the 3 hours labour at their rate to fix it... but we know that will never happen.
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: White Plains, NY
I brought my car into Mitsu and they fixed it for free. They had the District Rep look at it, and he authorized the dealership to take the car to a bodyshop and remove the rust and paint over it, put the car back together. I have the say that the service guys at the dealership were very nice to me and accomodating. Too bad the parts department is a huge ripoff. (White Plains Mitsubishi) Just be nice with them, find out when the DR will be at the dealier (siince he represents Mitsu, the dealerships are independently owned and do not represent Mitsubishi)
I'd like to make a few comment really quick. I have owned 2 DSM's in the past (both 2G). I have also owned Toyota (Supra TT 6 spd), Subaru (WRX) and some other mundane stuff (honda, etc.). I have owned and operated body shops in the past as well so I have seen plenty of cars.
First off, the EVO isn't the only car that has some rust under the rear reinforcement. I repainted my Supra and it had the same thing. Granted it probably took longer but the ultimate result is the same. Just take the beam off, sand it down and neutralize it, use some metal prep and seal/paint it. It's not a major undertaking, but I do understand how some people are not inclined to do this themselves (because they feel they shouldn't have to).
I think at that point it will be somewhat a waste of time to try to gather the troops for a lawsuit or to push a recall. I seriously, seriously doubt it will happen. I don't think that the surface rust is going to compromise the integrity of the rear bumper beam. It isn't going to fall off in two years or four or six.
On a side note, lets consider a few things here. The EVO is primarily a Japanese market item. Some other markets have gotten them in the past few years but mostly it is Japan. In Japan, they don't even put undercoating on them. They have a bit of a learning curve on this. Think they should take a lesson from some stuff built here in the USA? The engineering teams have very little communication between each other; sadly.
Ultimately the car is engineered HEAVILY for handling, power, etc. The body integrity is not on the top of it's list. They spend a lot of money funding the performance of this car. The only reason it is only $30k is because they no doubt pull some profits from other cars with less engineering effort (the common stuff like Lancer, Galant, Eclipse, etc.) to pay for it. The EVO is a jewel for the Mitsu brand.
I personally am simply glad that the car is here and is only $30k. I am NOT saying that you should just be happy and deal with it, however. I will probably take my beam off and take care of it (and think hard before I put it back on
), however. I imagine if enough ppl go to the dealer and make reports on it, etc. then they will change the procedures for the coating process. It won't be easy to switch things around on an assembly line, but I imagine they will.
To compare it to a BMW that costs quite a bit more would be a bit unreasonable. They still rust, too, though. Their engineering focus is to make the car transparent. Completely reliable with minimal maintenance and minimal repairs. The EVO's focus is entirely different.
Ultimately I guess every car has flaws and this is one of the EVO's. The car was engineered by mortals...
Mark
www.Quantum-Racing.com
First off, the EVO isn't the only car that has some rust under the rear reinforcement. I repainted my Supra and it had the same thing. Granted it probably took longer but the ultimate result is the same. Just take the beam off, sand it down and neutralize it, use some metal prep and seal/paint it. It's not a major undertaking, but I do understand how some people are not inclined to do this themselves (because they feel they shouldn't have to).
I think at that point it will be somewhat a waste of time to try to gather the troops for a lawsuit or to push a recall. I seriously, seriously doubt it will happen. I don't think that the surface rust is going to compromise the integrity of the rear bumper beam. It isn't going to fall off in two years or four or six.
On a side note, lets consider a few things here. The EVO is primarily a Japanese market item. Some other markets have gotten them in the past few years but mostly it is Japan. In Japan, they don't even put undercoating on them. They have a bit of a learning curve on this. Think they should take a lesson from some stuff built here in the USA? The engineering teams have very little communication between each other; sadly.
Ultimately the car is engineered HEAVILY for handling, power, etc. The body integrity is not on the top of it's list. They spend a lot of money funding the performance of this car. The only reason it is only $30k is because they no doubt pull some profits from other cars with less engineering effort (the common stuff like Lancer, Galant, Eclipse, etc.) to pay for it. The EVO is a jewel for the Mitsu brand.
I personally am simply glad that the car is here and is only $30k. I am NOT saying that you should just be happy and deal with it, however. I will probably take my beam off and take care of it (and think hard before I put it back on
), however. I imagine if enough ppl go to the dealer and make reports on it, etc. then they will change the procedures for the coating process. It won't be easy to switch things around on an assembly line, but I imagine they will.To compare it to a BMW that costs quite a bit more would be a bit unreasonable. They still rust, too, though. Their engineering focus is to make the car transparent. Completely reliable with minimal maintenance and minimal repairs. The EVO's focus is entirely different.
Ultimately I guess every car has flaws and this is one of the EVO's. The car was engineered by mortals...
Mark
www.Quantum-Racing.com
Mines in the body shop from being hit in the parking lot... If you seen my posts on my car you can clearly see this problem. The bodyshop is taking care of it for me. Look for my evo under repair thread, cant miss it its pretty recent.
Evolving Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
From: Houston
After reading this post last night, I went and looked under the bumper today. I saw rust stains where the bumper beam and the body panel meets. Oh well, I'll take care of that later. My car is too new to be taken apart.
BTW, anyone recomend any good products to be used on this rust problem?
BTW, anyone recomend any good products to be used on this rust problem?
Evolving Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
From: Houston
I saw it. It looks nice. 
I was thinking about going to the dealer but I don't want to deal with their typical run around. Plus, when I first got my car, there was a huge scratch on the interior driver side panel. The dealer replaced it BUT they also installed a few deep scratches on the new interior door handle/lock. Anyway, I guess I'm better off doing it myself. Like the saying goes..."if you want something done right..." Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to the dealer for the major stuff(i.e. clutch, transfer case, etc.)
I was thinking about going to the dealer but I don't want to deal with their typical run around. Plus, when I first got my car, there was a huge scratch on the interior driver side panel. The dealer replaced it BUT they also installed a few deep scratches on the new interior door handle/lock. Anyway, I guess I'm better off doing it myself. Like the saying goes..."if you want something done right..." Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to the dealer for the major stuff(i.e. clutch, transfer case, etc.)
Originally posted by xtnct
So... here is my update on the fix.
After taking the bumper off, I took some pictures. I sent to the dealer where I bought it. After a few days, they told me to bring the car in anytime and it will be fixed.
Because I live in PA and I bought the car in NJ (because that dealer is awesome), I really didn't feel like driving over an hour to drop off a car, then try to get someone to drive me home and picking it up again.... just too much run around - I did not have the time for that a month ago.
I decided to try and have a local dealer fix it. I spoke with the service manager there and I got the usual run around of we will have to see it before. I tell them they will need to take the bumper off. Then their mood changed and said that it will take 2 hours labour and I will be billed for it if not covered under warranty, etc. etc.
I decided that I did not want to deal with this dealer. This was just a forepaly to a bunch of problems, warranty denials and 2 hour fees to take bumper off that took me under 1 hour for on and off (even though I'm not a mechanic). Undoing a dozen bolts is not hard to figure out, you know what I mean?
So, I fixed the job myself, it took a totoal of 3 hours work not including drying time. The car was out of comission for most of the weekend.
1. I bought a grinding stone and wire brush wheel for my drill. Went at it with the stone first until all I saw was bare metal. Then finished it off with the wire wheel.
2. I applied acid (I think it is acetic??? but not sure) to the area so it reacts with any remaining rust and neutralizez any remaining rust that you may not see. We used to do this when fixing rust on cars in Canada. It works very well.
3. Applied about 3 coats of ZINK primer on car and bumper
4. Applied 2 coats of some spray paint I had left over from a metallic grey Audi. Paint does not match under the bumper, but who cares, no one sees it. The point was to stop the rust.
5. applied 2 coats of clear coat.
DONE. No hassles. I do wish mitsu could reimburse me for my supplies and the 3 hours labour at their rate to fix it... but we know that will never happen.
So... here is my update on the fix.
After taking the bumper off, I took some pictures. I sent to the dealer where I bought it. After a few days, they told me to bring the car in anytime and it will be fixed.
Because I live in PA and I bought the car in NJ (because that dealer is awesome), I really didn't feel like driving over an hour to drop off a car, then try to get someone to drive me home and picking it up again.... just too much run around - I did not have the time for that a month ago.
I decided to try and have a local dealer fix it. I spoke with the service manager there and I got the usual run around of we will have to see it before. I tell them they will need to take the bumper off. Then their mood changed and said that it will take 2 hours labour and I will be billed for it if not covered under warranty, etc. etc.
I decided that I did not want to deal with this dealer. This was just a forepaly to a bunch of problems, warranty denials and 2 hour fees to take bumper off that took me under 1 hour for on and off (even though I'm not a mechanic). Undoing a dozen bolts is not hard to figure out, you know what I mean?
So, I fixed the job myself, it took a totoal of 3 hours work not including drying time. The car was out of comission for most of the weekend.
1. I bought a grinding stone and wire brush wheel for my drill. Went at it with the stone first until all I saw was bare metal. Then finished it off with the wire wheel.
2. I applied acid (I think it is acetic??? but not sure) to the area so it reacts with any remaining rust and neutralizez any remaining rust that you may not see. We used to do this when fixing rust on cars in Canada. It works very well.
3. Applied about 3 coats of ZINK primer on car and bumper
4. Applied 2 coats of some spray paint I had left over from a metallic grey Audi. Paint does not match under the bumper, but who cares, no one sees it. The point was to stop the rust.
5. applied 2 coats of clear coat.
DONE. No hassles. I do wish mitsu could reimburse me for my supplies and the 3 hours labour at their rate to fix it... but we know that will never happen.
Not sure where to get in US, but I got the phosphoric acid from a friend who got it in Canada at Candian Tire. They sell it in little bottles - the label has something to do with rust inhibitor, I don't think they label it as acid.
Zinc primer I got Home Depot or similar store. I think it i actually made by Rustoleum.... I'll go check for you.... It's this, from the label:
Rust-Oleum (Professional)
Cold Galvanizing Compound (#7585)
Zinc-Rich Coating
Superior Corrosion Resistance
For Recoating Galvanized Steel, Sheet Metal and Fences
Here is a link to it:
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp...ct_id=55&SBL=1
I'm sure you could use these as well and they will work just fine:
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp...ct_id=26&SBL=1
or this:
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp...ct_id=28&SBL=1
or this (if you don't want to grind off your rust first):
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp...ct_id=25&SBL=1
While looking at their site, I found this:
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp...ct_id=31&SBL=1. I'm sure it will do a similar job of what the phosphoric acid did in my case.
Zinc primer I got Home Depot or similar store. I think it i actually made by Rustoleum.... I'll go check for you.... It's this, from the label:
Rust-Oleum (Professional)
Cold Galvanizing Compound (#7585)
Zinc-Rich Coating
Superior Corrosion Resistance
For Recoating Galvanized Steel, Sheet Metal and Fences
Here is a link to it:
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp...ct_id=55&SBL=1
I'm sure you could use these as well and they will work just fine:
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp...ct_id=26&SBL=1
or this:
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp...ct_id=28&SBL=1
or this (if you don't want to grind off your rust first):
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp...ct_id=25&SBL=1
While looking at their site, I found this:
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp...ct_id=31&SBL=1. I'm sure it will do a similar job of what the phosphoric acid did in my case.