kikiturbo

if you autoX with a dead pump you will have annoying understeer... otherwise nothing will break because the pump is not working..

SamsonEvoX

Add me to the growing list of irate Evo X owners who has been denied warranty replacement of the pump. 22,000 miles on a 2011 GSR. Dealer had to take pictures of mods on the car and also the code that was thrown. Corporate Mitsubishi said because of the mods and tune, the drivetrain warranty is null and void now.

SamsonEvoX

My son's 2011 GSR with 23,000 miles experienced a flashing AYC light. Took the car to the dealer and at first, the dealer was willing to fix the problem. However, Mitsubishi requires the code as well as photographs of the engine bay and other parts of the car be sent to them first before any warranty claims will be handled. Well, Mitsubishi denied warranty coverage.

His customer copy says, "The tech found the CVN code for the vehicle not to match the CVN code from the factory. This is an indication the software package installed in the vehicle has been modified, thus cancelling the powertrain warranty for this vehicle".

We have filed a report with NHTSA and will also file one with Mitsubishi.

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

Don't file a report with Mitsu. Tell them, in writing, that you want to go to arbitration.

coryl

So they're trying that tactic now? Since Mitsubishi doesn't consider this pump under the 5 year drive chain warranty how can they deny you under the drive chain warranty? I'd be taking this one farther.

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

First, as pointed out above, it's amusing if Mitsu said anything about powertrain when they don't consider the part to be covered by that part of the warranty. If you have that in writing, please share it.

Second, do your mods have anything to do with the ACD or AYC? If so, then I would say that you're out of luck (but maybe not; see below). But if they don't, then go to arbitration and see how they will try to blame your mods for a dead pump.

Note: if you can show that the pump died due to corrosion, then the only mods that would seem relevant to a warranty denial would be things like mud-flaps or removing any of the underbody protection. Someone with serious patience and no mods of this sort really should take them to arbitration. The key to this is having evidence (in hand) that the pump died due to corrosion and not, for example, over-use. That's the part that will be difficult, but if someone could get such evidence and take it to arbitration, they might have a shot and it might set a precedent.

SamsonEvoX

Thanks for the advice. I haven't sent in the paperwork yet, so I will do as advised. I did file a report with NHTSA and emphasized the safety issue even though Mitsubishi cleverly worded things such that ACD is placed under "Driving Pleasure" rather than "Toughness and Safety". http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/...brary/asc.html

Both my son and I understand that modifications done to our Evos could affect warranty claims when the aftermarket part has a causal relationship to the factory part that has been damaged or broken. The AYC pump on the other hand, is kind of like an air conditioning compressor. An exhaust or intake or tune should not have any effect on the reliability of these parts. The dealer admitted that in just the last month, it had done 6 Evo Xs with pump failure and that severe corrosion was to blame. Their hands are tied because Mitsubishi said that the CVN code was not the code for the factory. So, everything on the car regarding powertrain is no longer being covered.

SamsonEvoX

Both my son and I own 2011 Evo X GSRs. His is driven in the winter while mine is stored and never driven even in rainy conditions. He has 23,000 miles on his. His AYC pump took a dump on him on a particularly hot day on August 26 at a major Mitsubishi car meet in Minnesota.

He took his Evo to a local Mitsu dealer and at first, they were happy to fix the car under warranty. Later, the service manager called my son and told him that he needed to send the code that was thrown to Mitsubishi as well as take pictures of the engine bay and any other mods done to his car.

The car was kept for two days. Late in the afternoon, the service manager sheepishly called my son to tell him that warranty coverage was denied and that he had also had his powertrain warranty voided as well.

My son has an ETS intake, UICP/LICP, 4" intercooler, Grimmspeed 3 port, Synapse BOV, MAP 02 downpipe, Ultimate Racing test pipe and Invidia N1 exhaust along with a very safe tune by Ron Soliman of RS Motors. The customer copy he got says, "The tech found the CVN code for the vehicle not to match the CVN code from the factory. This is an indication the software package installed in this vehicle has been modified, thus cancelling the powertrain warranty for this vehicle."

After reading countless posts, threads and comments by others who have been denied warranty coverage and worse, had their powertrain warranty voided, it seems to me that only some sort of class action suit against Mitsubishi will help to resolve this. [For those who have not experienced this, the AYC pump is located at the rear passenger fenderwell where snow, ice, salt and sand can accumulate, thus exacerbating the corrosion process. The pumps have no protection or isolation from the elements and do not have any type of sealant, gaskets or other protection to prevent corrosion.

I used to belong to 8th Generation Civic as was a supermoderator there. For a long time, the 2006 to 2011 Honda Civic Si had 3rd gear problems. At first, most people were denied warranty coverage as Honda said that the problem was due to how owners were driving. Later, they said that mods done to the car voided the warranty and they would not fix the transmission. One guy got a local TV station to do a news report on this. Others started a class action suit and ultimately, Honda decided to at least fix the transmissions on a case by case basis rather than a blanket rejection.

So, I am wondering how those of us with AYC pump failures could proceed. NHTSA of course should be made aware of this problem. And, their is 3rd party arbitration. But what will it take for Mitsubishi to admit that the pump location is a major factor in why the pumps are failing in the first place. I would appreciate your thoughts and opinions on this, especially Iowa999 as he is perhaps the most insightful person on this sight regarding this subject.

SamsonEvoX

Also, it would be great to have a list of links for NHTSA, Mitsubishi and 3rd party Arbitration as well as anyone else who could look into this matter. I have some of these, but I would like to see what others have done in this situation.

NHTSA: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

Arbitration: http://ncdsusa.org/documents/Mitsubi...aim%20Form.pdf

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

Well, it's a tad more linked than an AC compressor because the pump will run more often when you drive harder and might also be argued to run more often when you have more power. That's why I suggest that the line of attack be much more focused on the fact that the pump died because it became corroded. It would not matter if the pump was never used (other than at start-up). If the pump is going to corrode due to the lack of sealant combined with the location, then it broke during the bumper-to-bumper warranty window for reasons that have nothing to do with anything else.

I would love to be in an arbitrator's office (if I were still in my bumper-to-bumper window) and, after Mitsu says their BS about how I drive and what I've done to the car, just flop the pile of corroded aluminum on the desk and say "and how, exactly, does anything that you just said have anything to do with what happened to this pump?"

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

ps. yes, the dealer's hands are tied, since they cannot do warranty work over $500 without pre-authorization; that's why you have to go to the regional rep and, in some cases, the only way to even meet this person is to file for binding arbitration

edit: pps. if you have not read the Moss-Magnuson Warranty Act, do so; it's the key to all this

SamsonEvoX

Yeah, I agree about the pump being more related than an AC compressor. Probably not the best analogy, but the point that Mitsubishi needs to see is that these pumps are failing due to corrosion, not because of severe abuse.

I have read the Magnusson-Moss Act. When I was over at 8th Gen, I did a thread about HondaCare and their position on warranty coverage when aftermarket parts were concerned. My only concern is that a "tune" is not an aftermarket part like an ETS intake. The bone of contention with Mitsubishi was a CVN code not the same as the factory software code.

coryl

Absolutely! Great advice. I'd love to see this one fought and won to set a precedent. If it costs them more money to deny legitimate claims then they'll think twice about doing that. It's too easy for car manufacturers to deny a claim and put the burden of proof on us. In this case they clearly know these pumps are cheaply made and placed in a high risk for corrosion area. It would have taken very little thought on their part to relocate the pump between the battery and washer fluid reservoir on the X or for the Ralliart move it to the right boot space I'm sure none would have minded a slightly smaller trunk area or slightly smaller washer reserviour than to deal with this $3100 pump here in Canada. Fairly sure Mitsu realized the future cost for them placing it where they did and was the reason it got put under the 3 year/60,000kms and not the powertrain 5 year. Since I'm working on trying to get us a relocation kit for our cars here in North America I've got a spare pump I've been using to look over and I really can't believe how cheaply they're made. Putting something like that underneath a car exposed to cold, salt, water, debris, or getting damaged other ways, etc, is shocking to me and I can't imagine who could come up with that idea.

SamsonEvoX

I sent you a copy of what the dealership said. The dealer said, "powertrain warranty is cancelled" because the CVN code is not the same as the software code from the factory. We will be proceeding to arbitration. Even the dealer said that the problem was due to corrosion of the pump. In fact, the dealer went out of their way to help us out. They too are disappointed by the ruling It was only when Mitsubishi pressed them for the code that they had to report what they had found.

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the copy of the invoice. That the dealer is sympathetic explains why they didn't charge for diagnostics, even when the warranty was denied.

Do the dealer (who seems cool) a favor: don't cite them when talking to Mitsu. You'll just get them in trouble with Corporate. For now, just say that you want to go to arbitration because you believe that the pump died due to corrosion and not because of anything you did to the car.