Worst 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
VISIBILITY
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | 28 | — | — | 107,753 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 28 | — | — | 85,339 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 19 | 2 | — | 30,885 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 17 | — | — | 24,163 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 15 | 1 | — | 39,250 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT | 12 | — | — | 62,920 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT | 10 | — | 1 | 70,443 mi | |
| SUSPENSION | 9 | — | — | 137,240 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 7 | 7 | — | 20,500 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 7 | — | 1 | 134,500 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN | 6 | — | — | 98,900 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 6 | — | — | 4,000 mi | |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 6 | — | — | 71,004 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 5 | — | — | 11,682 mi | |
| STRUCTURE | 5 | — | — | 41,002 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 | — | — | 61,007 mi | |
| STEERING:COLUMN | 3 | — | — | 71,083 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 2 | — | — | — | |
| ENGINE | 2 | — | — | — | |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 | — | — | 35,000 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | — | — | 165,000 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 2 | 1 | — | 100,000 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE) | 2 | — | — | 9,000 mi | |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 | — | — | 500 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 2 | — | — | 1,500 mi | |
| STEERING | 2 | 1 | — | 89,000 mi | |
| TIRES | 2 | — | — | 13,270 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 2 | — | — | 4,000 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 2 | — | — | 29,000 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 1 | — | — | — |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2003 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 2003 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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