2g Ball Joint Lower Lateral Control Arm Recall [ merged ]

[97dsmbishi]

All 2g ball joint recall threads are merged here.

guys just called dealership about transfercase recall...they said i didn't have any on my model, but the ball joint on the front suspension set did. anyone have any info on this? i'm getting mine replaced on tuesday, can't beat it since they will do the install for free. just a heads up guys, hope this is useful!
phil

 

[skeeter4200]

well thats cool I had mine done in Boise where im from and it wasn't an issue but I guess other dealers have that option to help who they want, we have to hook up when I get back and go cruise or something cause I was only at lewis for a couple of months prior to deploying

 

[tenn-gsx]

Ive read somewhere that the dealer has to do this repair Any time the balljoint is getting ready to fail. Even if the recall has been performed already. Is this true, and if it is can anyone link me to a legal document stating that fact?

 

[The_EE]

I had a ball Joint failure myself.

Pulling away from filling up the car. Forgive the crappy photo, took a picture of a picture on my cell phone.

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[Talnz167]

Absolutely they will. And I wouldn't worry about mods. You're not taking it in for a warranty repair, it's a recall. Something totally different. I had my 16g and such on when I took my Eclipse for a recal and no one batted an eye about it.

 

[meliketoball]

Hey guys, I just called the 888 number and the lady told me my car has been serviced for the recall. Okay? And she told me some BS about I can't do it about it being past the 12,000 miles or 12 month warranty. My stream of phone calls aren't done just yet! I don't understand if the part failed with the new part, why wouldn't they replace it again?

If you guys didn't notice, I am having some trouble with this now.

 

[diggerzmound]

I don't think I would feel too good about trying to claim warranty on a car that has ET times on the window. I am guessing that front end has seen more stress than it was designed for.

The part is less then $200 for a factory new part and very easy to put on. Less than $100 for an aftermarket piece.

The recall covered the originally installed control arm, during assembly something was tearing the boots, allowing water in. It only makes sense to me that they only cover replacing them one time.

After 12 years I would expect to have to replace these parts, if they are failing and you are losing your wheels, i would blame it on poor maintenance, not a torn boot.

 

[meliketoball]

I don't think I would feel too good about trying to claim warranty on a car that has ET times on the window. I am guessing that front end has seen more stress than it was designed for.

The part is less then $200 for a factory new part and very easy to put on. Less than $100 for an aftermarket piece.

The recall covered the originally installed control arm, during assembly something was tearing the boots, allowing water in. It only makes sense to me that they only cover replacing them one time.

After 12 years I would expect to have to replace these parts, if they are failing and you are losing your wheels, i would blame it on poor maintenance, not a torn boot.

If lowering your car was illegal and was stressed about damaging other suspension related parts they'd tell us wouldn't they? Most people on the board as well as myself try to find the easy way out to getting things fixed. I found about the recall and tried to get it fixed by them. It doesn't make sense that a corporation would only issue only ONE recall service if the part was defected or failing. I thought recalls were lifetime but, I guess that changed today...

 

[The_EE]

I don't think I would feel too good about trying to claim warranty on a car that has ET times on the window. I am guessing that front end has seen more stress than it was designed for.

The part is less then $200 for a factory new part and very easy to put on. Less than $100 for an aftermarket piece.

The recall covered the originally installed control arm, during assembly something was tearing the boots, allowing water in. It only makes sense to me that they only cover replacing them one time.

After 12 years I would expect to have to replace these parts, if they are failing and you are losing your wheels, i would blame it on poor maintenance, not a torn boot.

I didnt bother trying to get Mitsu to fix the problem as all recalls were already done. I replaced everything myself.

 

[The_EE]

If lowering your car was illegal and was stressed about damaging other suspension related parts they'd tell us wouldn't they? Most people on the board as well as myself try to find the easy way out to getting things fixed. I found about the recall and tried to get it fixed by them. It doesn't make sense that a corporation would only issue only ONE recall service if the part was defected or failing. I thought recalls were lifetime but, I guess that changed today...

I can see why they would not fix it again, if the problem part was replaced with one that was not defective then, they have no reason to replace it again. Over time, those parts fail. It is our responsibility to get our cars serviced and checked and replace what needs replaced.

 

[meliketoball]

I can see why they would not fix it again, if the problem part was replaced with one that was not defective then, they have no reason to replace it again. Over time, those parts fail. It is our responsibility to get our cars serviced and checked and replace what needs replaced.

What I am trying to point out is that since they replaced the defected part, wouldn't it be working for a good amount of time? If a recall notification is to be issued to the people who own the car, why should they only issue it one time? Yeah, they can say that the part will not go bad but what if it does? like in my situation.

 

[skeeter4200]

find out when the recall was done on your car and at what mileage cause they keep track of all that info

 

[meliketoball]

find out when the recall was done on your car and at what mileage cause they keep track of all that info

Yeah they told me it was done in 2004 when my car had 104,xxx miles on it. Boy, I wish my car had 104,xxx miles on it, shes up to 195,xxx miles on it. haha.

Anyway, I was thinking. All they told me was that my car has been in for that recall but didn't say anything about it getting replaced. Inspection doesn't count for recall does it?

 

[bmoha2]

They replaced them for the recall. Haha Meliketoball I was just going to suggest you look for this post. When they again failed two years later, and I had moved to Madison that does not have a Eagle dealer the Mitsubishi dealer refused to work the recall. Saying it had already been done. I tried to go back to the Eagle dealer in Milwaukee and they had gone out of business. I went back to the Mitsu dealer in Madison and he still refused to work the recall. When I got frustrated and said #### it, I'll buy new replacement ones, he refused to work on my car because it was lowered and modified! I bought them and did it myself. I was aggravated because the recall replacement control arm with the new ball joints failed within 13k miles and did it on both sides of the front suspension practically at the same time! I got it home and put it up on four jack stands with all my new parts just to find out that the Eagle dealer in Milwaukee must have run into a seized bolt when he recalled the lateral control arm and went nutty with a die grinder. To the point that he ground down one side of the fork that the front strut sits in down to about two millimeters thick. Total failure waiting to happen. Of course Eagle was gone and the plymouth/dodge dealer that was there wanted nothing to do with it. I had driven the car with lose lateral control arm balljoints to the point that it also damaged both the compression control arm balljoints. There isn't a recall on those apparently. It also seems to have damaged the right front wheel bearing. Whether that was from driving it on loose balljoints or because I used to drive the snot out of it (with loose balljoints) is debatable. I'm older now and don't have a death wish. None of that is wise to do. As it sits, I have a 96 Eagle Talon that has brand spankin new lateral and compression control arms, new sway bar links and new strut forks on both sides. I also purchased new Toikiko Illumina adjustable struts and H&R spring with the polyurethane upper mounts. Car looks like crap but handles like a brand new car. I also replaced every single part of the brake system front and rear and all four wheel bearings. (that was due to a separate issue.) I learned a lot and am now very comfortable working on any part of the Talon suspension/ brakes and drivetrain. I have never had any problems with the rear suspension at all. Go figure.

 

[diggerzmound]

If lowering your car was illegal and was stressed about damaging other suspension related parts they'd tell us wouldn't they? Most people on the board as well as myself try to find the easy way out to getting things fixed. I found about the recall and tried to get it fixed by them. It doesn't make sense that a corporation would only issue only ONE recall service if the part was defected or failing. I thought recalls were lifetime but, I guess that changed today...

The recall was for torn boots, that got torn during the building process of the car. Not all of the boots were torn. A torn boot allows water to get into the joint, rust, and prematurely wear. After one replacement the boot that MAY have been torn by the factory is replaced, therefore covering the recall. If the boot is torn again, it was the dealer that did the install not the factory. It is a lifetime recall that covers the Lateral Control arm that was installed at the factory.

 

[BigRedMonster]

So the curved control arm is the one to replace?

 

[meliketoball]

So the curved control arm is the one to replace?

The straight one.

 

[WILOWNU]

if i have never had this recal taken care of, even though it is a 95 making it a 13 year old car, they will replace it at the dealer for free?

 

[BigRedMonster]

Just got off the phone with a local Mitsu dealer here in Maryland, and the dude said bring her in tomorrow and they will replace the ball joints, free of charge!!! Thanks DSMTuners!!!!!!!

 

[WILOWNU]

wow, so i called my local dealer and they are replacing them for free in one week. cant beat that.

 

[meliketoball]

It's good to feel a little bit of jealousy from you guys when I have to do it all myself..

Anyway, I took off my lateral control arms today. I swear, the damn things just slipped off. I got the ball joint separator all ready but it like fell out when I tapped the separator.

 

[bmoha2]

Shouldn't just fall off like that.

 

[meliketoball]

All good. I fixed it. No more creaky and I raised my car. I'll post pics later; you guys will get a hoot out of it.

<a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj220/meliketoball/?action=view&current=SpringBreak2008019.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj220/meliketoball/SpringBreak2008019.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Rally status.

 

[baker838838]

My cars at mitsubishi for the ball joint recall. My car collapsed onto it's self. They are going to order the parts free of charge, but the lady I spoke to called me today and said that my axle was "shot". She quoted me 350 parts and labor should I fight this. Would the ball joint failing cause my axle to be shot?

 

[97 4G63]

Yes if the ball joint fails then most likely you will need a new axle and i douth that mitsu will pay for it just pick one up at your local auto parts and bring it to them.
But they will still charge you to install it.

 

[dsmmaniac12787]

Ok so the top thread of my lower ball joint is mushroomed. I loooked through my tap and die kit and didnt have anything big enough. Tried using a dremel to just take off the top thread. Didnt turn out so great (wonderful idea).

Do you think the dealer would replace it if I take it in there with no nut on it and it being stripped and abused? That is if it is even a good idea to drive it any distance without the nut....