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2003 Mitsubishi LancerProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 199 owner complaints about the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer, most often about the visibility. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-458 the manufacturer reports only 17% of affected cars repaired.

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
31
CarFlaw IndexUse caution2.3× the Lancer median · #2 of 13 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 17%Owner complaints19923 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage71kVisibility, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 8, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer has problems

199 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Visibility710
Power train513
Equipment131
Structure130
Electrical system121
Suspension100
Air bags87
Vehicle speed control70
Visibility/wiper60
13 other systems326

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

17%repaired · 2018 Q2

Control arm: lower arm

Recall 16V-458 · Jun 23, 2016 · 194,674 vehicles · 32,605 repaired

Risk. A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mitsubishi.

Mileage at failure

When do visibility problems start?

71kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 46 visibility complaints. 74% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
7under 30k miles34under 100k miles12100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Visibility

19 owners mentioned a cost

$900median

Middle half: $575 – $990

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other Lancer year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Lancer median. How we score

'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer safety ratings

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2003 Mitsubishi Lancer side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA15001 · still open
    Led to recall 14V-668
In owners' words

What Lancer owners report

Recent visibility complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

THE CLIMATE CONTROL KNOB WAS HARD TO TURN AND FINAL BROKE SO I CAN'T USE MY CAR IN THE WINTER BECAUSE I CAN'T TURN IT TO HEAT AND I HAVE 2 YOUNG CHILDREN. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL THIS HAS APPENDED TO THOUSANDS AND ITS A SAFETY HAZARD IN MULTIPLY WAYS. *TR
Complaint 10534780 · Aug 11, 2013
THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB WAS VERY HARD TO TURN ON THE AC/HEATER MODULE AND EVENTUALLY BROKE OFF. A FAILURE OF THE TEMPERATURE SELECTION COULD RESULT IN INABILITY TO DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD PROPERLY, RESULTING IN UNSAFE DRIVING ENVIRONMENT. *TR
Complaint 10511594 · May 12, 2013 · 180,000 miles
THE HOT/COLD SWITCH BROKE OFF. SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO TURN THE SWITCH FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL. BOTH KNOBS ARE DAMAGED AND NOW IM NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF THE AIR NEITHER THE TEMPERATURE. THIS HAS TO BE A MANUFACTURE DEFECT SINCE. DURING MY RESEARCH ONLINE I'VE…
Complaint 10500998 · Mar 1, 2013 · 60,000 miles

Own a 2003 Lancer?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.