USA 2020-PHEV - RBS Service - EV Failure

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jzfla01

Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Messages
7
2020 - PHEV, 8400 miles -- purchased 11/2019.

All has been wonderful with the car except for the last few weeks. Was coming back to the office from lunch and the battery was showing 0 miles remaining. Switched the CHARGE button on and within a few minutes, the car power dwindled down to about 15MPH, RBS Service Required and EV System Failure. Pulled over into a parking lot and stopped/started vehicle. Within a minute same messages. Call local Mitsu dealer and they said to bring the car in. Fortunately, I was only .50 mile from dealership. Limped into dealership. They kept the car overnight and charged the battery and told me to come pick it up the next day. They couldn't recreate the issue.

Three days later, same scenario, 0 miles of battery left, but this time, engine was running for about 10 miles or so, without a problem. Suddenly loss of power and messages. Again, fortunately, was .25 mile from home. Pulled in, charged battery half way, then turned on car. Messages persisted. Next morning, messages still persisted, but battery was fully charged. Was able to drive to dealership. This time, they tell me they were able to recreate the issue and send the codes to engineering.

The dealer ordered an Engine Control Unit which took over a week to arrive. They said they had to drop the battery and replace the part.

Today, after they have had the car for two weeks now, tell me that the ECU replacement didn't fix the problem and they are sending more data to engineering for analysis. They tell me that it would be another two to three weeks before I get my car back.

At least the dealership has given me a loaner car to drive during this time.

I'm really, really nervous about taking ownership of the car after they say it's fixed.

I am going to reach out to the general manager and see if I can trade the car and make a new deal for a gas powered vehicle. I really love the PHEV and the money it saves, but I can't be wondering if each every time I drive, if it's going to stall out.

Has anyone had any experience with a Mitsu dealer trading what is turning into becoming a lemon?
 
I stopped at the dealer on the way home from work and spoke with Gen. Manager. He went and had me talk to Service Manager. Talk about a surprise!!!

I was told that the part they ordered, the battery heater/blower part had arrived and it was the correct box, but wrong part number. So, they have to request the part to ship again from CA > FL. This will take about 5 days to ship. Then they will install and drive several times. Maybe by next Friday.

I told the service manager that someone is lying to me then. I was told earlier today that the engineers were gathering more data and needed to speak with engineering. NOTHING about that the part was ordered incorrectly. I can live with a part ordering mistake, but to tell me a non-truth about events that are not taking place. For example, I had to swap my loaner car two days ago. I was told that they were dropping the battery and installing the part. I was walking around the lot and saw my car parked in a spot. So, how could they be dropping the battery and installing with it sitting in the parking lot??

I explained to the GM, that I don't feel safe in this car and he indicated I would have negative equity for a trade. He said he would "DO" something to add to the value of my trade, but I feel that I should perhaps getting a little better treatment from the dealer than being lied to about the service.

I plan to contact Mitsubishi's customer service department and open a case with them to keep them informed of this.

I will wait for another week and hopefully, the heater / blower part will be the fix that is needed. I feel that the mistrust they have instilled in me is not going to go away quickly.

However, the 2022 Outlander I had earlier in this experience was an awesome car.....Might have to just say that they can keep the PHEV and I'll go back to paying for gas again.

Ugh, what a day.
 
Thanks for sharing, and we're very sorry to hear about the issues you've been having. We're just starting with our first PHEV (2020 SE), up here in Canada, and really enjoying it. Hope to enjoy it for many years.

The US has really good lemon laws (DMV-dot-org), so if the car is one, you may have better choices than we have north of the 49th. Please keep posting about the progress and outcome of this problem.
 
Sounds like they're both incompetent and dishonest - everything you sadly expect of a dealer. I wish you good luck in a resolution but don't have much advice. I guess I would advise leaving the vehicle with them and getting a full refund from them if at possible using whatever consumer protection that you have.
 
I second that. The dealership incompetent and dishonest.
Believe your vehicle will be fine and just needed a replacement of an failing component.
 
The saga continues....on 05-MAY, I contacted the service department and was told that the part had come in, but the part inside the box was incorrect, but the box was correct. A load of hooey if you ask me. So, they said they reordered the part and it would come from CA, delivering to Florida. It would take them 7 days to get the part.

On 11-May, I contacted the service manager via email and telephone, but no answer. I called today and spoke with the service writer who gave me an attitude, probably because I called him out last week. Told me the part came in but it didn't fix the problem. He said the part was the Heater/Blower control unit. Now, they are ordering the actual heater/blower unit.

He said that the part was coming from CA because they have more PHEV's on the West Coast of the US. Sounds fishy, huh? There are no other warehouses on the East Coast of the USA????

Now, it will take another seven days for the part to get here.

I'm seriously considering just going this Saturday and telling them I want a new car.

I'll investigate the lemon law and find out what options I have,

But, I'm not feeling good about this.
 
13-May -- Just got off the phone with the Mitsubishi Customer service and have a case number. We'll see where this goes.
 
14-May.

Got a call from the service department that my vehicle was ready for pickup. The "expedited" the part from the warehouse and everything is good to go, so they say. I will pick up the car tomorrow.

So, I called Mitsu Customer Care to update my case with them and informed them of what I was told.

The person from Mitsu said that they had talked with the service manager and had a bunch of notes. I asked her what they said. She replied that they took the part off a 2020-PHEV they had on the lot and put it on my car. She told me what that they spoke with engineering and all the data looks good.

Makes my head spin......the service department tell me, they expedited the part. Well isn't that special??? Expedited it off of another car in their lot.

I had hopes of perhaps staying with the Mitsu family and going back to a gas powered car like the Outlander SE Launch, which they let me drive and I love the car, but now with this false that they expedited the part, hooey is what I say.

My dad retired from Ford and I've been a Ford man my entire life. It might be time to go back to Ford. I don't know.

Anyhow, we will see how it goes when I pick up the car tomorrow. Might be driving over to the Chevy dealer and trading it for a Chevy Bolt. Who know.

Cheers to all!
 
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