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General discussion

Mitsubishi DLP Television WD-57831 Class Action Lawsuit

Jul 25, 2007 11:43AM PDT

Hello,

Is anyone interested in getting in on a class action lawsuit against Mitsubishi and their (known?) defective DLP televisions? I've seen numerous posts regarding lamps, ballast boards, DLP engines, total rebuilds, poorly assembled thermistor sensors, air flow problems, useless repairmen, etc. etc.

I too am experiencing the joy of making 3 Diamond Card payments as well as HD cable programming payments all for a television that stopped working back on June 30, 2007 and has had 2, now a pending 3rd, unsucessful attempts by incompetent "authorized repair centers" to fix it. ITS ONLY 6 MONTHS OLD!!! Randomly replacing parts without performing electronic troubleshooting is totally unacceptable.

Anyway, please let me know if anyone would be willing to sign some papers and get this thing going.

Thanks!

Discussion is locked

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THAT'S ENCOURAGING!!
May 15, 2008 4:13AM PDT

Your post gave me at least a little hope! My WD-52725 was just picked up a few minutes ago .... headed back to the shop for the SECOND replacement of the chassis (DM Module). The extended warranty folks did bring me a loaner TV but I turned it down .... it was smaller than the portable I am using now in place of the 52" -- LAUGHABLE IF IT WEREN'T SO SAD. Since we are now on our 3rd bulb, have had the Thermal Sensor replaced, and are now on the SECOND chassis, I will accept NOTHING LESS than a replacement should any other problems arise with the TV. I have documented everything in writing with MDEA via e-mail, have logged everything verbally with Mits Consumer Relations (of course they are located in the Phillipines - another joke) and I even went so far as to file a written complaint with the BBB. So far, I have not heard a single word from MDEA in response to my direct e-mail to them or even to the BBB complaint. The total costs of repairs to this TV (thru my warranty folks) is now only $925 short of the total purchase price I paid for the TV!! I'm still wondering at what point does Mits finally concede they sold a defective product to people and either refund their money or offer them a comparable replacement? Okay, I'm going to stop now ... I can feel my blood pressure rising even as I write this .... THIS SUX!!!!

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DEMAND A REPLACEMENT - BEFORE YOUR WARRANTY ENDS
May 15, 2008 5:30AM PDT

Prior to reading your posting... I just got off the phone with a Mitshubishi authorized repair shop and they quoted me a price of around $650 to take DM Chassis and repair (I mean send back to MIT for them to rebuild) with no guarantee how long that will last. Now that I am out of warranty ... no way am I going to sink that kind of money on a (maybe) fix. The model that they replaced mine with is a WD57833 - GOD I HOPE IT LAST WITH NO PROBLEMS...(KNOCK WOOD). So far - I've had it since Feb - WORKS GREAT - PICTURE IS CLEARER THAN WD52725. I think I am going to have to find somewhere to donate this one to - this could be poster child for televisions NOT to buy. Wonder if the President of Mitshubishi has one in his/her home..... probably has
a SONY!

ONLY in America where whether you buy a $3500 TV or a $12.00 CD...they want to sell you a $400 extended warranty and when there is a problem - they want to bury their heads in the sand....UNBELIEVABLE.

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UPDATE ...
May 15, 2008 6:01AM PDT

Just got a call from Mits in Irvine, CA (headquarters) to tell me the replacement chassis for the one PREVIOUSLY replaced has been shipped and will arrive next week. Since I was on the phone with an actual Mits person located in the U.S., I posed the question about where is the logic in spending $$ on never-ending repairs to the point that it almost exceeds the cost of the TV? He directly told me that because I have an extended warranty, I should bring this up with them and ask for a replacement TV of comparable value. He said if I didn't have an extended warranty, he (i.e. Mits) would recommend that the TV be replaced right now! After I hung up w/ him, I proceeded to thoroughly read my extended warranty "fine print". It says (I will quote) "When 3 service repairs, with 3 separate claim numbers, have been completed on the product, and that product requires a fourth repair, as determined by us, your product will be replaced with a product of like grade and quality by us, not to exceed the original retail purchase price. Preventative maintenance checks, cleanings, product diagnosis and accessory repairs or replacement are not considered repairs for the purpose of this claims limitation." I take that to mean the bulb malfunctions are not considered repairs and also this latest chassis repair/replacement is considered a "rework" of the original chassis failure (so no new claim #). I'm just wondering if I should argue/plead my case for a replacement this w/ my ext. warranty folks. This really is mind-blowing!

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ARGUE YOUR CASE!!! AND REQUEST REPLACEMENT
May 15, 2008 6:20AM PDT

I look at it like this... if that repair person has been out there at least 3 times...that's enough for me. When I told my tech I wanted a replacement... he went ahead and tried to repair it by ordering the chassis ... 2 days later they called and said they would replace.
You've suffered enough...

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TOOK YOUR ADVICE ....
May 15, 2008 10:05AM PDT

After I read your post, I called my Ext. Warranty people and told them I wanted a replacement TV ... period. The air-headed girl I spoke with told me "the same part has to break at least 3 times" before they will consider the TV a lemon?? I almost laughed in her face. I then asked to speak w/ her supervisor. Next thing I know, she comes back on the phone, tells me she is "sorry" she misinterpreted the ext. warranty contract .... claimed she got it confused with another company they provide warranties for?? Then she said someone from the "Lemon Department" (again, I rolled my eyes .... they actually have a "Lemon Department"?) would be calling me back in 2-3 business days. So I guess the verdict is now "wait and see". In the meantime, here I sit with my husband's 19" RCA color TV from his college days (yes, it still works!) in the den, in place of my 52" Mitsubishi DLP TV .... what a sad state of affairs ...

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Question ...
May 18, 2008 8:37AM PDT

When your ext. warranty folks gave you the new WD-57833 to replace your WD-52725, were you also offered the option to purchase a new extended warranty for the replacement (WD-57833) TV? Seems like having that option would be only logical considering all the problems you had with the first TV. The reason I'm asking is because I think my ext. warranty folks are on the verge of offering me a new replacement TV and I will definitely want to purchase an extended warranty for it. Look forward to your response.

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Re: Question
May 18, 2008 9:12AM PDT

If I was you I wouldn't even get another Mitsubishi TV! To many problems and poor customer service.

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So what are my options?
May 18, 2008 11:58AM PDT

Are you suggesting that instead of a new Mits replacement TV I should ask for financial compensation/reimbursement? I'm okay with that too .... provided they offer me a fair price for the current TV. And by the way, how the heck does one know what a "fair price" is? The TV is now 3 yrs. old with problem after problem ... but with all the repairs/parts replaced to date, it should be considered to be practically brand new. I paid $3200 for the current TV in Jan. 2005 ... I would have no idea what a fair price would be based on today's date. Anyone have any recommendations on a "fair price" for a 3 yr. old WD-52725??

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Re: So what are my options?
May 18, 2008 10:38PM PDT

What I mean is get another brand of TV for the $3200 value. They have to allow you $3200 since the TV is a lemon. And the age of the TV doesn't matter, because its still under warranty thus you get $3200 credit. I don't know if they will give you cash or not, but they may allow you to choose a different brand TV.

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Offered compensation for my WD-52725
May 20, 2008 12:22AM PDT

My warrranty Company offered me 2 options. Cash of $1700 or a replacement TV (WD-57833). I took the replacement TV because I did not want to be out of any money(more than I had to). The TV was shipped to me from a Company out in Colorado and it took 2.5 - 3 weeks(It was on back order from Mits) from when I agreed to accept replacement TV. Once I received the TV in Mid Feb, I dealt with the Company in Colorado about getting an extended warranty - I think it might be a different warranty company than my original one. Anyway.. I got a 3yr warranty and I figure if it last that long and if it every breaks again... I would propably opt for the cash and go with another brand of TV for sure.
RIGHT NOW...SO FAR SO GOOD SINCE FEBRUARY.... Good Luck!!

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Thought you'd like to know ....
May 24, 2008 2:46PM PDT

Check out post #210 on page 18 .... looks like there are problems with the WD-57833 chassis! This poor guy is on his 3rd replacement chassis after only owning the TV for 6 months? I think you told me you purchased an extended warranty on your replacement TV. GOOD THING YOU DID!!! Sorry to be the bearer of (more) bad news concerning the Mits DLP TVs ....

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WOW ... TOOK YOUR ADVICE!!
May 22, 2008 6:46AM PDT

You won't believe this! The TV tech came out to the house today to work on this latest problem (no HDMI and TV makes clicking noise and then shuts down) and decided he couldn't fix the problem so he took the TV with him to the repair shop. He did manage to leave us a 42" Mits LCD in it's place. Anyway, after he left, the more I thought about it, the more HACKED OFF I got. SO ... I proceeded to call the ext. warranty folks and DEMAND my $$ back or a new replacement TV. Would you believe, IT WORKED! I told them I expected the biggest and best Mits they could find since I had paid $3200 for mine in 2005 they didn't flinch. I also told them I would need to buy another extended warranty and they said when the new TV is delivered there will be info in the box about all that. I am trying not to get my hopes up because I've been so disappointed with these people before, but I can't help but feel a little vindication. Anyway, many many thanks for all your help and advice. I appreciate it so much!!
-Vicki Galloway

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I will try your way
Nov 7, 2008 11:40AM PST

Hi
I will be calling them after the repair guy comes out. The lady I spoke with at the repair shop said they are getting 4-5 of these tv's breaking every week!!! They said the DM goes out, and that its a facotory default!! . I will demand a new TV

Jon

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Getting New TV
Jan 8, 2010 12:20PM PST

So everyone. Since my last post this is what has happened. Last december after many calls with Mitsubishi my Chassis was replaced and I was given a one YEAR Gurantee that if any thing went wrong I would get a new set. Well 4 weeks the set went out again! The picture just went hay wire. I called Mitsubishi and they got the people who fixed it to come get it. While on the phone the lady told me I would be getting a new 2009,2010 wd-60737 set. Its suppose to be a great improvement. I am waiting now to hear back from them as to whether it will be from a local dealer or get mailed to me. Anyone had issues with the replacement models? What models did others get??

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Congrats...
Nov 24, 2008 12:24PM PST

I am going to have to do the same thing.. my TV went out with only 1 months use after it came back 6 weeks later... the DM module went out... before that the service tech replaced one of the parts... i will see what the tech says tomorrow and go from there...!!1

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mitsubishi sucks
May 19, 2008 7:45AM PDT

I have a wd-62525, and after filing a complaint with the BBB and dealing with mitsubishis customer servive department, they said because my tvs out of warranty they are refusing to do anything. They just expect me to dish out $300 every 3 months on new lamps because of their poor design. I'm so aggrivated right now I'm ready to smash this thing with a baseball bat and post the video on youtube.

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Suggestion ....
May 19, 2008 10:28AM PDT

Do not waste your time dealing w/ Mits Consumer Relations toll free number (800-332-2119) ... this is a call center in THE PHILIPPINES .... yes, you read it right. Instead, try contacting Mits in Irvine, California @ (949-830-8364)... you will want to try speaking to Vigil White first .... if you don't get results there, keep working your way up the ladder to Kimm Winter and if that doesn't work, try Tachi Kiuchi, the CEO. BE PERSISTENT. In addition, I would recommend you send an e-mail to mdeaservice@mdea.com detailing the timeline of repairs and expenses for the repairs in your e-mail. That way you will have written documentation to back up everything. Good luck and hang in there ... I am in the midst of this nightmare myself but am finding the persistence is paying off. I don't have a replacement TV or a refund yet, but I am getting close ... Again ... best of luck and if you have any other questions, feel free to ask me here through the forum.

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Mits. 65732 3rd light engine has gone bad in 18 months
May 16, 2008 1:38AM PDT

I just got off the phone with Mits customer service and they told me since my 1 yr warranty is up there is nothing they can do. I find that funny because the last time the light engine went out was 2 days before the warranty was to expire and I was specifically told if the same problem occurred again that would be considered a lemon (a lemon is referred to as the same problem/part going bad 3 times) and they would replace it even though it was out of warranty. Purchased 11/06, first repair 05/07 light engine replaced, second repair 11/07 light engine replaced, now 05/08 light engine went bad again. Now unless my math is off this would be the fourth light engine going in this t.v. It came with 1, replaced on 05/07 now we are at 2, replaced again on 11/07 now we are at 3, and now 05/08 it needs its 4th one. I would greatly appreciate any advice that anyone has. I worked a part time job on top of my full time job for over 8 months just to buy a nice t.v. and now I am having health problems and unable to do this again. Again any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

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Re: Mits. 65732 3rd light engine has gone bad in 18 months
May 16, 2008 6:56AM PDT

Actually you can't count the original light engine as #1. You're actually on the third repair which means that it can't be repaired again. However, since you don't have an extended warranty you may have some problems. What I would have did was bought the extended warranty before the 1 year went up. And as for classifying something a lemon it doesn't have to be the same part 3 times. The TV itself would have to have been fixed 3 times and need a 4th fix.

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Thank you for responding.
May 16, 2008 8:56AM PDT

I purchased the t.v. from Best Buy and was told I had a month after the sale to purchase the extended warranty. When I purchased the t.v. I did not have enough to buy the extended warranty so I saved up and went back in to purchase it but they said it was too late. What they failed to tell me was it's 30 days not 1 month. They said I was a day late.

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Re: Thank you for responding.
May 17, 2008 2:12AM PDT

That's through best buy not Mitsubishi. Through Mitsubishi you have to buy the extended warranty before the original 1 year warranty is up.

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MY SUGGESTION ....
May 16, 2008 2:50PM PDT

Do not waste your time calling Mitsubishi Consumer Relations (toll free number)--these calls are handled by a call center in THE PHILIPPINES (yes, you read it right). First, as soon as possible, file a written complaint with the BBB against MDEA (the headquarters is located in Irvine, California). You can do this online. Go to google and click on the BBB link then click on U.S. and follow the instructions to "File a Complaint". Eventually you will get to a page that prompts you to put in the company name and type in MDEA (stands for Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc.) Write a detailed description about your problems with the TV and your extreme dissatisfaction. Add up the costs of all previous repairs for the light engine (these totals will be on the receipts your warranty company provides you when the TV comes back from repair). Be sure to mention the cost you paid for the TV when you bought it vs. the costs spent to date on the TV (even though it wasn't $$ out of your pocket, the warranty company had to pay). In addition to filing the complaint with BBB, send an e-mail detailing the exact same thing about all your TV problems/repairs to the following address: mdeaservice@mdea.com. You will eventually get a response back from the BBB and MDEA telling you they are researching the matter. Doing all this may seem like hassle but it is the only way to make sure you will get an acceptable response. If you want to call Mitsubishi direct in Irvine, their # is (909)825-7280 -- the person's name is "Vigil White". I personally did not do this because another poster here said Vigil White was of no help whatsoever. It may be beneficial for you to call him though just so Irvine has a record of your complaints. When someone finally calls you back from MDEA after they receive your e-mail, stress to them that there is no way you will accept anything less than a comparable replacement TV due to the fact that the totals of your repairs meet or exceed the purchase price you paid for the TV -- period. BE FIRM AND PERSISTENT. You should get results. I am in the midst of this whole nightmare myself and I have had 4 calls from different Mits people in the last two days. AMAZING!! If you have any other questions, list them here and I'll respond ... GOOD LUCK!!

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Lucky...I guess...
May 20, 2008 12:43AM PDT

I've had my Mitsu 57831 since Jan 07. Guess I'm a lucky one as I've been on the same bulb since I purchased the tv. Kids watching it all afternoon. I did have set for slow turn on which coincidentally I turned off last week because I grew tired of everyone complaining how long it took to power TV up. I thought...wow that is much faster. Guess it might have come at a price.

Well...Monday afternoon when the kids turned it on...screen stayed black, and made several fast, loud clicks. Then the TV appeared to shut itself off with non-blinking red light. I'm guessing this is not a symptom of a bulb having gone out. Is this typical of light engine failure? The loud clicks have me very concerned.

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Re: Lucky...I guess...
May 20, 2008 2:50AM PDT

Doesn't sound like a light engine at all. A light engine problem will have picture problems. Like the picture colors, lines and flickering of the picture.

It could be just that you need a new bulb or it could be a thermal sensor problem.

Mitsubishi extended the warranty on the thermal sensor for your TV by an additional 2 years.

http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com/j/i/18312/Warranties.html?mid=148956

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Any diagnosis yet on what's wrong with your TV?
May 20, 2008 11:04AM PDT

Tonight my TV did the EXACT same thing yours did. I turned it on, screen went black and made a very loud fluttering/clicking sound then the lamp light started flashing green and the TV turned itself off. I waited about 20 minutes, tried turning the TV back on, had a good picture. That lasted 10 minutes, then the screen turned blue this time and the lamp light started flashing green and the TV turned off again. I sort of doubt it is a lamp issue since we are on the THIRD lamp and the thermal sensor has already been replaced. We are also on our second chassis. This is absolutely mind-blowing. Just wondering if your problem had been diagnosed yet. Look forward to your response.

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No answers yet
May 20, 2008 12:53PM PDT

No answers yet. Unfortunately I won't have time to have looked at until next week. I tried again today and it did the same thing. Clicks no picture, repeat, shut down completely. The lamp light came on the last time. Debating whether or not to invest in fix or put towards new lcd since I know it's probably about time for a lamp on top of whatever the problem is. Wished I had gotten the extended warranty.

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Think I might know??
May 20, 2008 2:50PM PDT

I found a post on the internet (website is www.fixya.com) about someone with a Samsung DLP that had this same (weird sound) thing happen to their TV. A TV Tech guy wrote back to him and said the weird clicking/fluttering noise is the ballast attempting to fire the lamp up. He went on to say to check the lamp and make sure it is seated properly. Also, he said if the lamp appears ok and is not shattered internally, then the color wheel is probably shattered. He said you would hear the loud clicking noise for a bit, then it would stop.

My Mits (WD-52725) went thru this clicking, then no picture, then flashing green lamp light, then TV turned off -- for a total of FOUR times tonight. As of now, the TV picture is fine and the TV is working. We just had to keep waiting a little while after it turned off and then we would turn it back on again. Like I said, it went through this process 4 times tonight. I am so infuriated about all the problems we've had with this TV I COULD SCREAM! We have a TV tech coming out on a different issue Thursday (TV won't work when we use the HDMI cable) so of course I will tell him about these latest incidents. In the meantime I called our extended warranty people tonight and told them this TV should have been declared a lemon by them A LONG TIME AGO and I demanded a new replacement TV of comparable value. They told me the "Lemon Department" (hilarious) would be contacting me in 3-5 business days to tell me their decision. JUST FREAKING UNBELIEVABLE .... I will keep you posted on what develops and what I find out from the TV tech on Thursday... I will see if he will definitively tell me what is causing the clicking/turning off, what the repair part is and what it will cost in case you're interested. Will post update here on Thursday ....

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Re: Think I might know??
May 20, 2008 3:22PM PDT

The color wheel is part of the Light Engine which Mitsubishi TV's are having a big issue with.

You need to mention the Federal magnuson-moss warranty act to your extended warranty company.

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Re: No answers yet
May 20, 2008 3:24PM PDT

You need to have a tech come out and look at it first, because if its the thermal sensor Mitsubishi will pay to fix it. If it's not I would purchase either an LCD or a Plasma and definately not a Mitsubishi.

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Thanks ....
May 21, 2008 1:00AM PDT

I had the thermal sensor replaced already on 3-11-08 .... I can't believe the replacement would already be going out? I was aware Mits extended the warranty on the thermal sensor but unfortunately, my model (WD-52725) is not included in the list of models that received this added coverage. Thanks for your input though -- I appreciate it.