2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lancer years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 148 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer. That ranks 2nd out of 18 Lancer model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility (25 complaints, 17%), typically at around 92,000 miles. Complaints mention 32 crashes, 1 fire, 22 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 148owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 32complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 25 | 17% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 23 | 16% | 49,176 | — | — |
| Power Train | 22 | 15% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 19 | 13% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 16 | 11% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 15 | 10% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 8% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 7% | 69,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 5% | 153,954 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 5% | 91,750 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 4% | 38,003 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 3% | 175,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 2% | 175,766 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 2% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 49,176 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 211,186 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 180,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 7,142 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 89,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Mitsubishi Lancer recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: 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.
Risk: A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross member will be replaced with a new one that has a sealing/anti-corrosion agent applied to it. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-003.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the bilingual english/spanish removable air bag warning labels affixed to the dash and to the sunvisor do not meet the size requirements of the standard.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Mitsubishi caribbean will mail a customer notification letter containing a written description and a graphic of the bi-lingual dashboard air bag warning label. In addition, all current 2000-2004 nativa owners will also receive replacement air bag alert labels for the sun visors. This recall is expected to begin during march or april 2005. The notification to the nativa owners is expected to begin during april or may 2005. Owners should contact mitsubishi caribbean at 1-787-251-8715.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact's daughter owns a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she felt an air draft inside of the vehicle. The contact's daughter attempted to close the sunroof when she noticed that the sunroof had detached from the vehicle…
Smog station inspection report ;; recall onreprogram pcm and replace fan controller
There has no been an incident yet. The vehicle rattles in the front end, exactly where the recalled part is at. I took it to the licensed dealership that i was told was qualified to replace the part and they refused to replace it claiming that the vehicle is too rusty and they don't want to lift it…
Front lower engine support & cradle are rusted out along with the cross member. I can furnish pictures if necessary.
There's a lot of poping underneath front end and there's a recall al on the control arms
Other Mitsubishi Lancer years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Lancer | 6 | 0 |
| 2016 Lancer | 30 | 2 |
| 2015 Lancer | 23 | 1 |
| 2014 Lancer | 16 | 0 |
| 2013 Lancer | 5 | 0 |
| 2012 Lancer | 19 | 1 |
| 2011 Lancer | 34 | 3 |
| 2010 Lancer | 51 | 6 |
| 2009 Lancer | 98 | 8 |
| 2008 Lancer | 91 | 5 |
| 2007 Lancer | 2 | 2 |
| 2006 Lancer | 37 | 4 |
| 2005 Lancer | 24 | 3 |
| 2004 Lancer | 80 | 4 |
| 2003 Lancer | 199 | 2 |
| 2002 | 148 | 2 |
| 2000 Lancer | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 Lancer | 1 | 0 |
See all Mitsubishi Lancer problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
Similar Mitsubishi models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Owners most often report visibility, air bags, power train problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 25 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Lancer model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.