Topic: 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander - paint and debris

[20vcq]

After all my whining and moaning earlier this year about paint chips I thought a follow up now is in order.
I mounted running boards added plastic film to front end along with a magnet bra to the hood and  film to the rear doors lower sections. Then I installed a class three trailer hitch and  a 3000lb travel trailer and headed to Dawson City and back (7000 km all together).
A variety of road conditions, and the only chips I got were from passing trucks and only a couple at that. Except on my tail gate - whoda' thunk - gravel bouncing forward off the trailer? 
The main point is the running boards solved the problem - I didn't want my new paint job to get totally trashed so the $500 delivered price was a good value. 60 minute install.

[carcrazy]

I take you are happier now. Who paid for the paint job in the end?
How did the car feel pulling the 3000 lb trailer over 7,000 km?

[mrthompson]

Nice to see an SUV being used for something other than a trip to the mall.  The new generation Outlander looks great.  Would like to hear more about the trip.

[20vcq]

The trip was great - up via 97 and down via 37 - incredible scenery, very nice gov't camp grounds, friendly folk everywhere even those pistol packin' yanks on their pilgrimage to Alaska were nice for the most part - pedantic to a fault but nice. . Towing was really easy as was the Alaska Hwy - with the Class 111, equalizer and sway control bar (would not have been as pleasant without those) I kept up with all but the nut bars 100 - 115 kmph was not impossible albeit thirstier. Averaged 15 mpg. Lotsa hills!! There was a day out from Fort St John where Mitsu never saw 5th gear but did see 3rd and 4500 rpm for some serious stretches. Klondike Hwy is good shape all the way to Dawson City - kinda like Hwy 1 in from Wawa west, without shoulders and 10 feet narrower. Now throw in some 18' grades and you get the idea. I have a small photo album online with Kodak  but would need an email address to link you to it. Or go to my web site and send me a note there MoneyBC.ca

[Martin]

To say I am disappointed in this one side of the vehicle is a huge understatement. While I know it is not an Audi Quattro it does for the most part live up to expectations. I describe it as "your grandmothers awd".
My beef is with MMCA who disavow any blame for the vehicles inability to travel on winter roads without accepting severe paint damage. "What they learnt at Dakar.." a phrase from their TV ads certainly gives the impression this would be a  vehicle that would withstand normal winter road debris especially in the areas of the rear wheel well leading edge and the doors above the rocker panel. Well they don't. After only 1200 km of snowy winter roads the vehicle has more paint chips on those areas of than all the cars I have driven those roads over the past 30 years combined.  Ridiculous when one sees how this vehicle is sold in Japan with plastic protection rapping the wheel wells and the lower 50% of the doors. And we get none at all and the little strips they offer, at a cost, would be ineffectual. I would like to hear from other Outlander owners from the east coast especially. And yes I have mud flaps installed since one week after purchase.

[Martin]

To say I am disappointed in this one side of the vehicle is a huge understatement. While I know it is not an Audi Quattro it does for the most part live up to expectations. I describe it as "your grandmothers awd".
My beef is with MMCA who disavow any blame for the vehicles inability to travel on winter roads without accepting severe paint damage. "What they learnt at Dakar.." a phrase from their TV ads certainly gives the impression this would be a  vehicle that would withstand normal winter road debris especially in the areas of the rear wheel well leading edge and the doors above the rocker panel. Well they don't. After only 1200 km of snowy winter roads the vehicle has more paint chips on those areas of than all the cars I have driven those roads over the past 30 years combined.  Ridiculous when one sees how this vehicle is sold in Japan with plastic protection rapping the wheel wells and the lower 50% of the doors. And we get none at all and the little strips they offer, at a cost, would be ineffectual. I would like to hear from other Outlander owners from the east coast especially. And yes I have mud flaps installed since one week after purchase.

[Ivett]

Hi 20 VCQ!
I have the same problem with my Outlander. While I love the car, the paint on it is cheap. My Outlander is only 7 months old but it looks like a much older car that has used for 4x4-ing. I only ever drive it on the highway and in the city. I have purchased the undercoating and the diamond coat for paint protection and also paid for the extended warranty, because I was hoping to have this car for a long while.
When I informed Victoria Mitsubishi of what was going on with my car a guy in service told me that unfortunately this was a flaw in design of the vehicle and I really should look into getting mudflaps to prevent further damage. He also told me that they have had numerous customers back getting brand new paint jobs on their outlanders because of this exact reason.
After this I called the Sales manager, to tell him what his service guys just told me. To which he replied that he has been in the business for a long time and he had never heard of this before. He said he would talk to the service guy and would call me back. When he did so, he offered to order me mudflaps and that he would pay for them and the installation. When I asked him what he would do about the paint, he simply relied "Well what do you want"? This was over a month ago and I still don't have the mudflaps they said they would order for me.
I then phoned Suburban Motors to file a complaint, over a month ago as well and have still not heard from anyone. So I called them again last Friday, wanting to follow up on my complaint. The interesting part was they could not find the file.
So this morning I get a phone call from the Service guy telling me that he wants to make sure he clarifies his statements from our conversation. Because I obviously misunderstood him. He didn't tell me that the car had a design flaw. That is very professional. Having the service guy calling me to follow up on the complaint.
I have now written a letter to Chris Olsen, but I think I will get further if I have more people backing me up. I am also wanting to write to the BBB.

[carcrazy]

Don't give up. Mitsu knows about this issue very well. Just have a look at the 2009 models and you'll notice they've changed the black side sills.
Ask to have your rear doors re-painted and immediatelly wrap the rear flares in 3M film (I paid about $60 for both sides). Ideally, get the mud flaps and the side door garnish (JDM accessory).
I did not get any new chips in the area after last winter.

[Ivett]

Thanks carcrazy!
I have tried to get them to repaint my doors, but they said that I should go to my insurance company and do it through them. I don't think it's right that my insurance company should have to pay for this or that I should have to pay the deductable. 

[carcrazy]

Did you call Mitsubishi directlly?

[Ivett]

I have been trying to deal with Victoria Mitsubishi.
I did phone Mitsubishi Canada, but they want me to take it in to the Dealership to have it inspected bye the service department. But after the sales got the service manager to call me to tell me that I miss understood when he told me that there was a flaw in the designe, that was not what he ment, and that it is common sence to put mudflaps on thise vehicles, I don't think they will go ahead and say that it they are from the front wheels.

[carcrazy]

I would suggest calling MMC again and asking for the regional rep to meet you at the dealership and inspect your car. BTW: Is this the dealership where you service your car? I would assume yes, but just checking.
Try to be polite with them; being aggressive usually gets you nothing in this situations. Be firm in your request: ask to have the rear doors repainted as a "goodwill" rather than warranty (unfortunately you have no grounds to request this under warranty, unless perhaps you take them to court or something). DO NOT threaten them by any means (to rant on the Internet, complain to BBB, let the world know about this issue, etc.)
I had somehow to deal with a similar situation (premature rust) with Mazda, and it worked out in the end.

[Ivett]

Yes this is the dealership I get my car serviced. My husband is going to call them today and see what they will do. Hopfully they will just say ok bring it in. My only conserne is that it took them a Month after the original phone call to have them call me back and even than it wasn't a manager. It was the service manager to tell me that I heard him wrong. When he said that the car had a designe flaw, that was not infact what he ment.
I'm worried that now they are just going to brush it off.

[carcrazy]

Anyone with common sense would agree (including Mitsubishi since they've updated the design for 2009) that the side sills design makes the car vulnerable to self inflicted damage. The mudguards can only help to contain the damage to the lower part of the door flare. I don't think the paint quality is the biggest problem here (the Subaru Forester has a similar design and it had similar problems). Continuously throw a significant quantity of small stones or salt, at relatively high speed, in any car and sooner or later the paint will chip.
Now, getting Mitsu to agree and make it right for you (repaint the doors) is the real challenge. Some have been successful with little effort, some weren't so lucky. It mostly comes down to the dealership you are dealing with.
Good luck and post an update when available!

[Ivett]

thanks! I phoned Saburban Motors again today with what MMC told me, and the lady said she would add that to the original file, and that they might just bring the car into their shop for inspection. They are a MMC approved shop, and hopfully they will help me resolve the problem. I am willing to fight for this one thoug. I will go as far as I can to have them fix it. I could just do it through the insurance, but I don't think that's right.