2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lancer years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 199 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. That is the most of any Lancer model year in the database (18 years). The most reported problem area is visibility (71 complaints, 36%), typically at around 71,820 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 1 fire, 13 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 199owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 13complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 problems | 71 | 36% | 71,820 | “broke off” (30%) | $1,400 |
| Power Train problems | 51 | 26% | 11,000 | “clutch failed” (10%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 16 | 8% | 43,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 13 | 7% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 13 | 7% | 19,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 12 | 6% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 5% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 8 | 4% | 20,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 4% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 3% | 102,312 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 3% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 3% | 6,900 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 3% | 10,869 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 2% | 14,250 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 165,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 13,270 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 137,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA15001) — opened Feb 24, 2015, still open, led to recall 14V668.
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 front subframe on the drivers side of the vehicle broke while maneuvering a right turn at a safe speed. This incident caused additional damage to the vehicle, with noticeable damage to the quarter panel. Additional damage is expected and may include the tie rod, wheel bearing, struts, sway bar…
Need to correct manufacture recalls. Car has 262000 miles. Actual owner in my family. Want to correct issues before accident happens. I have very poor vision when driving because of car head lights being foggy.
The faulty control arm issue was repaired in 2017. When I went in for a front end alignment on 9/14/2021 they noticed that the control arms were rusting through. I live in Wisconsin and noticed that there is a recall on 2007 lancers for a similar problem where the control arms were not replaced…
The air conditioning and heater controls knobs on dashboard. Do not turn. Can't. Adjust temperature electrical cercuit in the emissions system has low voltage that causes the engine.light to cpme on and turn off at random. The front headlights are very week in lumins. When driving on the highway…
2 years ago i brought a new catalytic converter for my car from de dealership. That cost me 496.76$ few months ago the check engine turn in and when i check i have the code p0421. That is the code for the catalytic converter again. I couldn't believe it. I when to mitsubishi 2 days ago and they…
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 | 199 | 2 |
| 2002 Lancer | 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 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Owners most often report visibility, power train, unknown or other problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 71 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.