2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER User Comment / Complaint

When i bought the lancer in 2003 the first thing i noticed was the knob for the air and heat was really hard to turn. my dad and i took it back to the dealer and explained it was hard to turn. the salesman got in the car and turned the knob he said yeah it is a little hard to turn but they are made like that. i told him it felt like it was going to break and he said it wont and once again they are all made like that. i only turned the knob only when i had to because i didn't want it to break. i took it back in and the dealer said they get this compliant all the time and it would be $800 dollars to fix the problem. i told him if they get a lot of complaints maybe there is a defect. in 2006 i was on my way home from a trip and i turned the knob from air to heat and it broke off. when i got home the next day i called the dealership and they told me i should have brought the car in for a check i explained that i did and every time they blew it off. he said well to fix it, and it will cost $800-$900 dollars. is this cause for complaint.