2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 65 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, 66% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 8,015 miles. The words owners use most often: “clutch started” (12% of reports).
- 65power train complaints
- 8,015median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,850typical repair cost reported by owners
- 53%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Clutch started: mentioned in 8 of 65 complaints (12%)
- Transfer case: mentioned in 7 of 65 complaints (11%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution at $1,850, and half of them between $1,650 and $2,650.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 50 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 65 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Lancer Evolution | 3 | 100% | 17,518 |
| 2014 Lancer Evolution | 3 | 50% | 32,769 |
| 2013 Lancer Evolution | 2 | 50% | 39,550 |
| 2012 Lancer Evolution | 2 | 67% | 16,075 |
| 2011 Lancer Evolution | 7 | 64% | 28,000 |
| 2010 Lancer Evolution | 20 | 71% | 43,000 |
| 2008 Lancer Evolution | 26 | 72% | 47,850 |
| 2006 Lancer Evolution | 3 | 13% | 65,000 |
| 2005 Lancer Evolution | 3 | 21% | 9,661 |
| 2003 Lancer Evolution | 65 | 66% | 8,015 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
2003 mitsubishi lancer evolution. Loud grinding noises coming from the transmission within a few thousand miles. Cars under 8 thousand miles having to replace clutches and transmissions. Gears popping into neutral. Dealership accepted warranty and is currently working on the car. Car was returned a…
The 5th gear syncro has failed on the car at 60,000 miles. This is a known defect to mitsubishi and they have developed new, stronger parts as part of a tsb. However, mitsubishi is refusing to repair the defect citing "abuse". *tr
I bought my 2003 mitsubishi evo shortly after returning from a tour in iraq in 2006, after a short time of driving the car i noticed a grinding sound coming from the car when i let the clutch out in 1st gear, and now reverse as well. I bought the car under original factory warranty and went as far…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 65 owner complaints about power train for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (66% of the 98 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 8,015 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,850 (half paid between $1,650 and $2,650), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution?
The most frequent phrase is “clutch started”, in 8 of 65 complaints, followed by “transfer case” (7).
See all 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution problems or power train problems across all Lancer Evolution years.