2007 Mitsubishi Outlander: Key Fob Finale

Totally pathetic.
 
Of course Penboy is right, there are usually other dealership alternatives but such shoddy service doesn't do the manufacturer any favors. I sort of doubt such second-rate crap would fly at a Lexus dealership, for example. But, you generally get what you pay for ...
 
Anyhow I'm getting chest pain just reading the recap of the experience.

It's just a bit more problematic with a MItsubishi than with a Honda or Toyota or Ford or Chevrolet because Mitsu doesn't have many dealers, even here in LA where they're headquartered.

The service (or lack thereof) of an independently owned and operated dealership probably shouldn't necessarily be bucketed into the same group as Mitsubishi Motors North America's customer service. Let's hope what Phil experienced is limited to that particular dealership's service department. I give Phil credit for wanting to know what was (or wasn't) really done on the vehicle.

With all due respect Phil, the closing paragraph is very ...... confusing (?!).
What in the world has the "Mitsubishi customer service" to do with your bad experience with a lousy dealer? Mitsubishi Customer Service can be contacted at the1-800 number, but you never mentioned that you called them so your comment doesn’t make sense.
Like Suby said, you dealt with an independently own and operated business. This is just how the car business works for any manufacturer. Again, there are good and bad dealers for ANY car manufacturer, including luxury brands. If this would have happened to me I would’ve gone to another dealer after the first sign of bad service even if I would have to drive few miles. Simple as that.
Speaking of real Mitsu CS, try to call them and honestly report back how they treated you. I called Mitsu Canada in few occasions and their service was outstanding. Some forum members had very good experience with Mitsu NA too.
FYI: So far Mitsu seems to be very responsive and very quick to address the few issues the Outlander had, which cannot be said about many manufacturers.

I forgot about the TSBs... When was your vehicle built? My guess would be that it does apply. You have the throttle hesitation issue as reported in another blog a while back. You could check the VINs in the TSB for yourself. Don't trust the buggers....
Seriously, you guys should take your car to a different dealership and you should do your homework before you go in. The Internet is a good source of information.

I also agree with what a few others have been saying. While it does suck to deal with crappy service for a simple key fob problem (trust me I have had my fair share of conflicts with chevy dealers over the years) lets not jump the gun and say that Mitsubishi has horrid customer service because of one lousy dealership. what you should do phil is if visit number 4 does not solve the problem then take the outlander to a different Mitsubishi dealer and see if they can fix the problem and at the same time provide better service than this dealership

I would only say that in Philip's defense, most consumers don't distinguish a difference between the service they get at the dealer and the service they'll get on the 1-800 number. While it SHOULDN'T affect one's opinion of a specific car or car company, a lot of people can't help it. And can you blame them? As much money as people spend on cars today, everyone should be getting the red carpet treatment. For most people a car note is stretching the limit of their budget, be it an Aveo or a 3 series. So no matter what you bought, you are devoting a lot of your income to the vehicle, and you expect to be coddled a bit.
 
Example, the VW dealership near my house is total garbage. They use all of the sneaky mark up tricks like charging $800 for "Dealer Prep" and so on. I know there are other VW dealerships in my area, some quite reputable, but it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth and so after our test drive experience, my wife and I swore we wouldn't be buying a VW. Maybe that will change one day, but there it is.
 
The dealership is the face of the brand. The customer will always go to them when in need, ask them questions, and do business with them. I've never met someone who actually worked for Honda or Toyota, but I've met the people that work for their dealerships.

Let's face it: a bad dealer can sour you on the ownership experience. That's why Mitsubishi corporate should really tighten the screws on underperforming (in the customer service area) dealers. It is true, though that you can and should shop around when it comes to dealers. With my Toyota MR2 I avoid the Toyota dealer that's 5 minutes from home like the plague because of what thieves they are. Instead I take the car to a dealer that's about 20 minutes away and has mostly given me excellent service in the past. Of course the Toyota's old enough now that I mostly take it to a local independent shop that does the same.
 
The problem doing this with a Mitsubishi, though, is that you're talking about a limited dealer network. There are probably 3 Toyota dealerships within 15 minutes of my home. But there is only one Mitsubishi dealer that close, and the next one is about 20 minutes away. I guess I'm lucky that my Mitsubishi dealer is pretty decent, even though its owned by the same guy who owns the horrible Toyota dealership. Only problem with my Mitsubishi dealership is that it looks like a lemonade stand compared to the GM and Ford dealerships that surround it, LOL!

I own both an '07 Outlander XLS AWD and an '08 Lancer GTS. With over 6,000 miles on each vehicle, I have not experienced any problems whatsoever. The Chicago area Mitsubishi dealer I purchased my cars from has provided nothing less than stellar service. I've purchased several Mitsubishi's from this dealer in the past and part of my reason for being faithful to Mitsu has to do with the exemplary service I receive from the dealer I go to. Your subpar experience with the key fob needs to be reported; the service your Mitsubishi dealer provided ( or didn't provide ) does not in any way correlate to the experience I receive from my dealer.

I used to have a great Mitsubishi dealer very close to my home. That dealer closed a few years ago. Then I started driving 25 minutes to the Long Beach dealer, and this dealer just sucks. Now I take my car to the Huntington Beach dealer which is 50 minutes away, just to get good service.
  
Although Long Beach Mitsubishi is an independent dealer, I can't ignore the impact this crappy dealer has on the Mitsubishi brand for local residents.
  
Owning a car is an experience made of not only of driving enjoyment, utility, comfort and performance, but also how much time and effort you put in to keep your car running. If servicing your vehicle requires you to make multiple visits, endure the service staff bad attitude, and rely on someone else's ride because you won't get a loan from the dealer, I am certain this will weight in next time one is shopping for the next vehicle.

I would certainly confirm that in the eyes of most consumers there is little to distinguish the dealer from the manufacturer. I work for a manufacturers finance arm and deal with it daily. A bad dealer experience can keep someone from working with that manufacturer for a long time.

Imagine if you had a serious problem.

I too believe that the bad service you received should be reported to MMNA. I don't know if I a bad dealer experience would prevent me from buying a car from the same manufacturer, but a bad experience with manufacturer's customer service it could. If hypothetically all the dealers in my area were bad I wouldn’t buy from that manufacturer either. I have at least 6 dealers in my area and they don’t look bad facility-wise (Mitsu is fairly new in Canada) but the irony is that the one I go to is the least flashy, but supposedly the best.

All I have to say is go find that little small dealer in the little small town with like 20 or 30 new cars on the lot and a service department. I'll bet they have a good reputation. These dealerships are located in towns with less than 5000 people. Not something you can find in SoCo anyway. Try rural Nebraska for service. I'll bet they are friendly and helpful. But they don't take American Express.

Where's Loren and his Edmunds Dealer Rating push? ;-) j/k Loren

Whoomp! There it is! :o)
 
http://www.edmunds.com/dealerships/index.html

Re: Going to a different dealership
Typically, don't dealerships treat people who bring in for warranty service cars bought at other dealerships as second-class citizens?

I wouldn't let this poor service experience permanently ruin my opinion of Mitsubishi or the Outlander. But it does color my thoughts temporarily, particularly while I'm evaluating the car. My blog post was written while I was under the influence of irritation. As the car continues to perform it wil become a footnote in the car's history.
 
I think the Outlander is a lot of car for the money with lots of great features. I've owned three Mitsubishis in the past and they've been bullet proof (in Southern California that's important).

While I can understand your irritation at the time, this blog will remain here and down the road people will read it, without necessary reading all the comments below and implicitly your explanation. It is possible that they will get the wrong idea about Mitsu Customer Service, which hasn't been involved in this incident at all. Should you guys not write while angry? Sort of don't drink and drive.... :)
 
What you just said in regards to the three Mitsus you've owned, is exactly what made me go past the stereotype (Mitsu = crap) after reading owner's reviews for Mitsu cars and now I'm happy I did it.