2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 71 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer, 36% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 71,820 miles. The words owners use most often: “broke off” (30% of reports).
- 71visibility complaints
- 71,820median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,400typical repair cost reported by owners
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Broke off: mentioned in 21 of 71 complaints (30%)
- Control knob: mentioned in 20 of 71 complaints (28%)
- Hard turn: mentioned in 16 of 71 complaints (23%)
- Hot cold: mentioned in 11 of 71 complaints (15%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility repair on the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer at $1,400, and half of them between $1,200 and $1,550.
Based on 18 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2012), 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 visibility problems happen?
Based on 47 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 71 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Mitsubishi Lancer visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Lancer | 1 | 3% | 36,000 |
| 2011 Lancer | 1 | 3% | 90,000 |
| 2010 Lancer | 4 | 8% | 2,500 |
| 2009 Lancer | 3 | 3% | 111,000 |
| 2005 Lancer | 1 | 4% | 8,500 |
| 2004 Lancer | 21 | 26% | 73,249 |
| 2003 Lancer | 71 | 36% | 71,820 |
| 2002 Lancer | 25 | 17% | 92,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists visibility for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. 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.
The climate control knob was hard to turn and final broke so i can't use my car in the winter because i can't turn it to heat and i have 2 young children. There should be a recall this has appended to thousands and its a safety hazard in multiply ways. *tr
The temperature control knob was very hard to turn on the ac/heater module and eventually broke off. A failure of the temperature selection could result in inability to defrost the windshield properly, resulting in unsafe driving environment. *tr
The hot/cold switch broke off. Since i bought this car it has been difficult to turn the switch for temperature control. Both knobs are damaged and now im not able to control the direction of the air neither the temperature. This has to be a manufacture defect since. During my research online i've…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Mitsubishi Lancers have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 71 owner complaints about visibility for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer (36% of the 199 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 visibility?
No recall currently lists visibility for this vehicle.
At what mileage do visibility problems start?
The median reported mileage is 71,820 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix visibility problems on the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,400 (half paid between $1,200 and $1,550), from 18 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer?
The most frequent phrase is “broke off”, in 21 of 71 complaints, followed by “control knob” (20).
Other 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer problems
- Power Train problems (51)
See all 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer problems or visibility problems across all Lancer years.