Complaint Review: Mitsubishi Motors Of America

My daughter went to AutoHaus Mitsubishi in Harrisburg,PA to purchase a car. When she was informed she needed a co-signer I agreed to co-sign. After the loan was approved, I find I am not a co-signer but the registered owner of the 2002 Mitsubishi Galant that was purchased. The loan was held by Mitsubishi Motors of America in Cypress, CA.

My daughter became deliquent in her payments and rather than sending information that the car would be repossessed I was sent a letter that the loan was "seriously" past due in February 2003. After contacting Mitsubishi Motors of America in CA, I was informed that I needed to contact Systems & Services Technologies, Inc. out of St. Joseph, MO because they were now handling my loan.

Upon contacting SST I was told to wire via "quick collect" over $1500. After doing exactly as I was instructed to do and wiring the money promtly, I recieved a phone call from a person asking me if we wanted to do this the nice way or if he had to track the car down. I was totally dumbfounded!! I asked what he was talking about and he informed me that he had a repossession order for the car. I told him he must be mistaken that I had made the payments and done exactly as I had been told so that the car would not be repossessed.

I again attempted to contact MMCA only to be told that they had "washed" their hands of my account and it was now being handled by SST. Upon contacting SST I was told that Mitsubishi now wanted my car or $19,000. I told them that I didn't have that kind of money and they said that was the only thing that could be done to keep my car. I told them I would get the money somehow and pay the car off.

Two days later my car was "repossessed" while my daughter was at work even though I was at that time current on all payments. Once again I attempted to contact MMCA and once again they refused to give me any information except to contact SST. When I contacted SST they informed me that I was to send $19,772.79 to get the car back in my possession.

I applied for & recieved a loan at my local bank and the loan officer attempted to contact SST for the "payoff" amount. The loan officer was informed that she would have to contact them back in 3 hours because they only got "payoffs" at a certain time each day. I went to the bank on a Friday to get the loan to pay the car off and the loan officer contacted SST to double check the amount to send. SST informed the bank that they would have to call back "first thing" Monday to get the "actual" payoff since they couldn't get a payoff amount except once a day from Mitsubishi.

After spending a nerve racking weekend wondering what was happening with my car, I once again go back to my bank on Monday. Once again the bank contacted SST and was informed that we would have to call back in 3 hours because they couldn't get the payoff until then. I returned home, contacted MMCA and was informed that SST could request a payoff at anytime not just at a "given" time.

Once again I return to my bank, once again the loan officer contacted SST to be informed that the payoff amount was the exact amount they had quoted us on Friday right down to the penny. We were instructed to make a copy of the cashiers check and the tracking number from the overnight delivery, fax it to SST and the car would be released.

We done just as we were instructed and the bank faxed all the information to SST. Problem solved correct? WRONG. I contacted SST when I returned home to ask how long it would take for them to get in contact with the people who had my car so I could pick it up and was informed that I had to wait until they recieved my payment before they would "release" my car.

The next morning I tracked the overnight delivery to find it had been delivered at 2 that morning. Once again I called SST to see when my car would be released, I was told that I needed to send another $600 to finish paying off the car. I informed them that not only I but my bank person had contacted them before the cashier's check was sent to make sure that we were sending the right amount.

My wife, who was listening in on the conversation, was livid. She told me just to hang up the phone that being a government employee I had "other options" and didn't have to put up with sort of "ripoff" scam. The lady from SST, after hearing my wife said hold on I'll check with my supervisor. After coming back on the line the lady said she would fax the release papers immediately so I could have my car returned.

I contacted the Manheim Auto Auction in Manheim, PA that had the car and was told it would be a couple of days before I could actually pick my car up because they would have to "locate" my car and get it ready to be picked up. Finally after 3 weeks of pure torture from everyone involved in this ordeal I am called and told I can pick up my car.

Upon arriving at the Auto Auction to pick up my car, I find it now has damage to the rear bumper and the battery has been stolen. I asked why the battery was taken and was told that I must be mistaken that's the battery that was in the car. I said I don't think so when this is a 2002 car and the battery is plainly marked with punch out date of 1998. In the back seat was my battery cover and in the front floor board was the part that secures the battery in the car. They had placed a battery that was twice the size of mine in the car and it didn't even fit in the battery holder. Of course the car didn't start because the battery was dead.

NEVER AGAIN WILL I EVEN THINK OF PURCHASING ANYTHING THAT MITSUBISHI SELLS!!! Infact my wife is going to start an ANTI-MITSUBISHI campaign so that no one else will ever have to go through the hell we have gone through.

Warren
Dry Run, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.

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