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my ralliart evo7 is an expensive mistake

2K views 41 replies 0 participants last post by  sam elassar 
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#1 ·
hi there
i think i may have done the biggest mistake definitely the most expensive for a while. :(

i got a ralliart EVO7 through ware garage in december, 3000miles ago. since i got the car it had a fault with the electrics. the side indicators and the high beam and the windscreen wipers seemed to not work sometimes. it was an intermittent problem that happened once every week or so. then it started getting progressivly worse with time. until last week when they decided not to work at all now :(.


i have meanwhile fitted a boost gauge and oil pressure gauge and lambda link and knock link. all the power for these was taken from the 12v feed to the rear fog light.


now ralliart are saying that they are not going to honour their warranty because i have fitted a boost gauge and oil pressure gauge!!!!!!!!! and obviously that what have caused the problem. never heard that one before in my life?

my dealer is crap and can't really fix it they don't seem to know where to start really? they have only been trained to deal with 6s not 7s????? so what is the point of being a ralliart dealer then? i can't take it any where else because that will invalidate my warranty ?? but my dealer can't fix it. and what warranty ??


now i have paid 30k for a car that i could have bought for 27k ? i could have bought it from warrander or something and they would have allowed my to use most garages and would have been more logical about warranties probably. i know as my friend had an import and had no problems with warranty claims??

according to the dealer there is a problem with the electrics ecu behind the dash but they are not sure. they can't even get me a price for a replacment, they can't even get the part number from mistibushi!!!!!! WTF is actually going on here. these supposed to be ralliart dealers.


i wish i did not buy the car, i could have spent the extra money on mods or something knowing the i have got no warranty to worry about to start with.

so far the other problem i have with the car is a sticky clutch
i can't select the gears sometimes at high revs
very notchy gear box
rattle from the passenger a pillars.
they probably all my fault too as i must have driven the car to work or something. these cars should just be bought and garaged or other wise you will have to face the consequences!!! apparently

i am seriously thinking about selling the car and getting a 6. at least to will be cheaper and easier to mod plus poeple will understand it better as it has been around for longer. and no way am i ever going to buy a car through the same root again.


i am only stating my experience that i have had with my car to i can get help from other members so can some one please help??
 
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#3 ·
Sam,
Sorry to hear your problems.
This probably wont help but, Ive heared a lot about warranty problems with Mitsu dealers on modified cars. I believe this to be basicaly at the discression of said dealer. My reason for this is that I have a 6 RSX, purchased from Ralliart, Dudley. Since buying the car I have done quite a few mods - Boost Gague, Turbo Timer, Steering Wheel, Exhaust, Induction, Quick Shift, Springs and harnesses. Only last week, the car was in Dudley having a full set of lifters fitted - on warranty with no quible. I have also had problems with my alarm, and again no quible.
Would it be worth trying other dealers?
 
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#4 ·
sam

the electrics problem is hopefully easily fixed, just sounds like a bad connection and now that things have stopped working all together should be relatively easy to trace, just take it to a decent auto electrician

on the warranty, just ignore, it but you could try getting some performance parts like an exhaust or something which is easy to fit and getting the guys in the dealer workshop to bolt them on, if they start to take an interest in the car then the warranty situation might improve

i had a similar situation, when i got my 6 brand new it was dissapointingly slow and the handling was bad (terrible understeer)
i complained to the dealer and was told this is the fastest and greatest handling car in the world and you dont know how to drive

and when i suggested mods i was told that this would invalidate my warranty and would result in panel damage (presumably a reference to me not knowing how to drive)

anyway i bought an exhaust, lowering springs and had a total of 3 wheel alignments in quick succesion as i experimented with different settings

the end result of this was the car was noticeably quicker and handled very well, i convinced the dealer principal to have a drive and he emailed me later to say well done

since then i have done heaps of changes fitted a new ecu, etc, etc, most of which i do my self but i still get the dealer to do the oil change every 5000 and some other stuff like the clutch

the end result of all of this is that getting things fixed under warranty is not a problem (indeed some things have been fixed that shouldn't really be covered) and the dealer now sends his customers to me for tuning advice and from time to time the workshop call up to discuss mods or particular problems that a customer is having

andrew
 
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#5 ·
I had that problem on my evo 4 not long ago. If it is the same, then its very easy to fix. I did mine my self and it took me about an hour job max. what happen is that there is too much grease on where singles is going through e.d indicating lights etc. so from time to time because the single doesnt go torught and that means lights, wipers, indicators etc doesnt work. all you need to do is get a screw driver and unscrew the bolts at the botom of your steering wheel, it should fall into pieces then, (each thing has its little area), unscrew them and you can then see the connectors, so simply get a clean cloth and just wipe a bit of grease out and put it back together and it should work perfectly.

Leon.
 
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#6 ·
hi thorak
i am seriously thinking about it mate, i have had nothing but trouble with my 7 it is basically ****. speaking to a couple of other owners and they have got the same problems as me, hesitations, and difficulty slecting gears at high rpm!! ralliart have not heard about these problems and my dealer is useless again.

darwin
they are the only ralliart dealer around me, i would need to travel 100miles to get to another one :( but i am considering it anyway. the dealer i use is fife mistubishi and they were not happy that i did not buy the car from them although they could not supply me with one at the time!?.

andrew

i have fitted my exhuast my self, it is relatively straight forward. do you really think i am going to trust these guys with any thing any more?

evo4
will try that if they could not fix it. i am still in holiday just now :D that is why you guys are probably as sleep when i am writting this apart from andrew of course :)



what is really ####ing me off, is the dealer saying that they can't fix it and using the warranty excuse for it!! as if because i have got no warranty they can't do the work when in fact they did not know how to fix it. i find that very odd.


sam
 
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#7 ·
Sam

Have you contacted Ware? and what have Ralliart thenselves actually said? Is it your dealer who has spoken to them and told you they won't honour the warranty? For my own experience the people at Ralliart are reasonable and knowledgable. If you can show them that the mods could no way be responsible for the fault, I believe they would be sympathetic to the problems. It is only because I know you and your reputation that my first thought isn't that it must be caused by something you have done fitting the guages.

Overall though, it does seem you have a bit of a rougue car. It can happen with any model, or make for that matter. It has happened with 6's as well!

I am not suprised about your dealer! In fact, I would have been suprised if they had been trained in the 7. Although the dealer has the Ralliart tag, this was, as far as I know, done by Mitsubishi UK, not Ralliart UK. As Mitsubishi UK have not yet imported any 7's yet ( I think the first are due any day now) it is unlikely that a Mitsubishi dealer would have got people trained on them. I doubt they would even have a parts book! Even now, because Mitsubishi UK are importing so few cars, I doubt many of their dealers will get trained in 7's. From what i have read even those who were trained in 6's aren't much cop anyway.

This doesn't help much but I guess what I am trying to say is that you have both been unlucky and a victim of location. I hope it all gets sorted soon.
 
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#8 ·
Hi Sam

sorry to hear about your bad luck. I can fully understand your disappointment. Here in Switzerland it's even worse as the Mitsi dealers don't know anything about these cars. Unfortunately to keep the warranty I should have serviced the car by them. But there was no way to trust them so I reached an agreement to service the car in our own workshop by my dad and they just stamp the service book! Just when my bearings and hubs failed I had to exchange by them through the warranty. I had to give them a copy of the manuals, tell them how to remove the stuff so I wouldn't have to check geometry again. They did it the wrong way so I had to get a fresh alignment and in the process of exchanging the faulty parts they scratched my brembo callipers badly! That was the last time I went to them. Luckily my warranty has just run out. My dad and me have done all the stuff by ourselves despite the conrod bolts and the car now runs like a dream. I had some minor problems (threads gone off the excenter bolts to adjust the rear geometry e.g.) but otherwise very happy with the car.
In your case it's a bit difficult as you paid a premium over a non-official car which you don't just want to throw out of the window. I would speak directly to Ralliart UK as fitting a boost gauge should never invalidate a warranty especially considering the price of your car. If they're not willing to solve your problem get it to a well-known rally prep to get a thorough checkover so at least you can enjoy your machine!

Good luck

Mike
 
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#9 ·
Sam - I sympathise with you , my local Ralliart dealer is totally crap too ! :( ( Mill Lane / Hook )

I have all my real work done by local specialists and amp; I carry out all the normal service work myself , I only send the car into Mill Lane for the stamp in the warranty book , it went in last week for a 18K service and I asked for the alternator belt to be changed irrespective to its condition as a precaution and was told they don`t stock them and have never had to change one ever ! This just goes to show how little they know and amp; do with Evo`s.

The car went in with a number of known faults which I have parts on order , for example both the drop links to the front anti-roll bar are shot - but these were not picked up on the service , the car was returned with the oil over filled 3/8 over the top mark and amp; the header tank was under the low mark in the header after the anti- freeze change . Minor points I know but if they can not get the SIMPLE things right what chance have they with any thing complicated :(

Of course they never forgot to charge for SCREEN WASH , main dealers give SH*TE VFM and they wonder why people slate them http://www.lancerregister.com/graphics/laugh1.gif border|EQU| 0 align|EQU| absmiddle >

Just my 2p`s worth , I feel better now :)
 
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#10 ·
sam

my 6 had a similar problem with the gearbox when new (see my web page) so i had the oil changed and later found out that the wrong oil (not high enough temp rating) had been fitted at the factory

unfortunately you do need to train and supervise your dealer its all part of the unique evo ownership experience
if the relationship can be retrieved and an understanding reached then it is worth it to keep up the service record and get things fixed under warranty if needed in the future

if you are not comfortable with them doing a certain job (like clutch) then just get it done elsewhere and dont tell them

andrew
 
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#11 ·
Hi Sam

Very sorry to hear about your problems. If you have already formally complained to your Dealer and amp; had no joy I would suggest you write a letter to the Warranty/ Complaints department at Colt Car Co explaining the situation fully.

Contact Details
Colt Car Company
Watermoor
Cirencester
Glos


Brian
MLR Mag Editor/ PR
 
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#12 ·
Brian / Sam

Contacting Colt Car Company won't help because they have nothing to do with the car. It was brought into the country by Ralliart UK, not CCC. The warranty is with Ralliart, not CCC and the dealer will be acting on Ralliart's behalf. All such correspondence should be aimed at Ralliart UK in Dudley.

Sam, call me ;)
 
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#13 ·
If you're having problems with the dealer, then complaining to CCC about them will help. It certainly has for me in the past, one Ralliart dealer certainly isn't allowed to sell or service Evo's anymore due to the treatment I received from them.

Regarding the lights, if it's done it since new, then it comes under the sales of goods act 1979. Don't put up with the warrenty thing, it's just an excuse. If it's been faulty since the start, then your statutary right is for either a replacement, or it to be fixed. The minor mods you've done, shouldn't change that right.

You could always get a solicitor envolved although that is the last resort, once you've tried reason.
 
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#14 ·
Sam, sorry to hear of your troubles mate. Main dealers are pi5h'....... period!!! No doubt I have told you about my run in with the other 'Ralliart' dealer in Edinburgh.

Not wanting to plug a particular outfit but give Grant @ AWD a call, he has an ear of someone at Ralliart/ Coord. Maybe he could find out some info for you?? As far as clutch goes, Evos are crap on standard clutches again AWD repalaced mine with standard from Coord and I know they have experience of clutches on a 7.

Like the rest of the guys say don't let them away with the easy option. Although it is potentially going to be a pain in the ass for you, constantly having to heckle to get a job done that should have been sorted first time around.
I had a simiar problem with my Scoob and the local dealer got in a contract auto-electrician, who found the fault very quickly. maybe worth the outlay to ensure you are not stranded at night somewhere isolated. He can then give a report on the fault for you to claim monies for his service.


Anyway see you Sunday.

Possibly one of my last outings in the Evo as I'm heading down a different motoring route in the next few months for definite, selling the Evo in the Summer.
 
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#15 ·
Not all Mitsubishi dealers are bad,
Not all Evo specialists are good,
As Simon says this is not a Colt car Company problem but a suppyling dealer problem, Mitsi dealers as yet have no info on sevens but it is available from ralliart dudley who also supplied the warranty,

Sam, it does not sound like a serious problem,ask ralliart dudley if you can take it to an electrical speciliast
and send them the bill for the repair.

Good luck

Tony
 
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#16 ·
Sam, Ware Garage is my Dealer,what colour is your Seven is it red,was it the demonstrator?

It is not Ware garage that control your Warranty,it is Ralliart Dudley.I have a good contact at Ware garage would you like me to have a chat on your behalf?

Barry
 
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#17 ·
thanks guys for the support

my dealer is fife mitsubishi in fife as they are the closest. do you guys recommend that i should get in touch with ware garage? they have been very nice to me when i bought the car ( donald) but i have never used them for any sort of after sales problems due to the distance.


i have not managed to speak to ralliart yet but i have tried for a whole afternoon and i could not get through to speak to Tony. but will try again soon when i come back to the country as i am away in holdiday just now :D


i never thought of the consumer act rights so this is a good point to bear in mind.

andrew
i am not the only 7 owner with a gear box problem!! i know of at least 4 who have got hte exact same problem! i will check your web site and see what oil you have used once i am finished with this problem.that is if i decide to keep the car.


simon so are you saying the ccc and ralliart are two completely different things?



sam
seriouly thinking about selling this car.
 
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#18 ·
Sam

Yes. CCC and Ralliart are 2 very seperate companies. If you do a search, I have explained this all before but in brief, they are both British owned companies who have a franchise! CCC from Mitsubishi Cars Japan and Ralliart UK from Ralliart Japan. Mitsubishi cars and Ralliart are sister companies owned by the same parent in Japan!So, although they have the ultimate relationship with Japan, it is through different branches of the same family tree. Their 1 attempt to work together ended, IMO, in distater, namely the warrantees on the E6's. That is why your warranty is with Ralliart, not CCC.

I still think that cutting out the middle man is the way to go. I would speak first to Ware, as supplying dealer they have the first responsibilty. Then I would speak to Ralliart. Just like with all consumer goods, you should go to the place you bought it from, rather than the manufacturer /importer.

Anyway, call me when you get back

Simon
 
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#23 ·
VII SIN

Not sure why you think that. CCC have nothing to do with the Evo 7's that are already in the country, namely the GSR's and RS's. CCC provide no support for them. I even wonder how they are going to support the few 7's they are bringing in!
 
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#24 ·
Simon.
They can only help if asked. all information (Technical) is availible for the dealers, and I heard a rumour that the dealer network will be getting 7 manuals from this month.
The problem lies with the dealer comunicating with Technical dept, some dealers just arn't interested in greys or Evo's come to think of it.

If you ask customer services, with a please they will find out information through Technical, even though they are not in the building and out on the road, so say.
 
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#26 ·
VII SIN

who are you? you seem to know an awful lot about my car?

i am just back from my holiday. and thanks to fife mitsibushi the car was ready and fixed!! they have worked very hard with CCC to get the car sorted. yes CCC technical have been more of a help than ralliart.

i can't say much now as i need to speak to ralliart and ware garage tomorrow and see what they have to say about the situation but as i not happy about the treatment my car got or the treatment and support fife mistubishi got from ralliart. but surely every story has got two side and i want to hear the other side of the story and i hope it is just a misunderstanding of somesort.


will keep every one posted as the treatment the car got is un acceptable for a 30k, 3 months old car.

needless to say i have paid several hunderd pounds worth of repairs, including paying for finding and fixing rattles??


sam
will post soon
 
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