Worst 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
AIR BAGS
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VISIBILITY
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 12 | 12 | — | 107,877 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 12 | 12 | — | 57,896 mi | |
| VISIBILITY | 10 | — | — | 95,571 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 9 | — | — | 185,300 mi | |
| SUSPENSION | 8 | — | — | 108,427 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 8 | 1 | — | 138,402 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 8 | 2 | — | 74,003 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 6 | — | — | 135,750 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 6 | — | — | 118,209 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 6 | 2 | — | 20,381 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 5 | — | — | 67,749 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 5 | 1 | — | 27,460 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 5 | — | — | 52,625 mi | |
| STEERING | 5 | 2 | — | 174,283 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT | 5 | — | — | 97,022 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 4 | — | — | 175,000 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 4 | 2 | — | 22,154 mi | |
| STEERING:COLUMN | 4 | — | — | 80,800 mi | |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 4 | — | — | 29,750 mi | |
| ENGINE | 3 | 1 | — | 175,766 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN | 3 | 1 | — | 39,470 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 | — | — | 9,280 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 3 | 1 | — | 38,003 mi | |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | — | — | 112,177 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 | 2 | — | 28,000 mi | |
| STRUCTURE | 3 | — | — | 65,250 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 | — | — | 135,850 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE) | 2 | — | — | 51,608 mi | |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 | 2 | — | 49,176 mi | |
| SEATS | 2 | 1 | — | 211,186 mi |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
1 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~194,674 vehicles.
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 Lancer, 2004 Lancer Wagon, 2003-2006 Lancer Evolution, 2003-2006 Outlander and 2007-2013 Outlander V-6 vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
Other Mitsubishi Lancer Years
Wider context: See the full Mitsubishi Lancer reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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