2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lancer years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 80 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer. That ranks 5th out of 18 Lancer model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility (21 complaints, 26%), typically at around 73,249 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 3 fires, 4 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 80owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 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 | 21 | 26% | 73,249 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 19 | 24% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 7 | 9% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 9% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 9% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 9% | 30,708 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 8% | 114,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 6% | 123,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 4% | 64,250 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 4% | 44,367 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 3% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 3% | 33,226 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 3% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Mitsubishi Lancer recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicles that previously received a like-for-like passenger side frontal air bag inflator under recall 15V321 as interim remedy. Also recalled are 2004-2006 Lancer vehicles located in Guam or Saipan that previously received or never received a new inflator under 15V321 or 17V569. These passenger side frontal air bag inflators may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to explode in the event of an air bag deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a final replacement passenger side frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on April 26, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-005.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Lancer and Lancer Evolution vehicles and 2004 Lancer Sportback vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with a different inflator, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2017. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-17-001. Note: This recall supersedes recall 15V-321.
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.
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture (PE14016) — opened Jun 11, 2014, closed Mar 2, 2015, led to recall 13V172000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Takata recall. Had original airbag replaced 2 yrs ago. Received a letter from mitsubishi stating i needed to have it done again. I called customer service for mitsubishi when i learned they no longer have a mitsubishi dealership locally. I was advised at that time that the nearest dealership , in…
2004 mitsubishi lancer. Consumer writes in regards to airbag safety recall. *ld the consumer stated he is too visually impaired to drive the long distance to have the vehicle repaired; therefore, accepting all responsibility of the consequences. *js
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mitsubishi lancer. The contact stated that the vehicle was pulling to one side and the tires were worn down. The vehicle was taken to an independent tire facility where it was diagnosed that the cross member needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and…
I was going to replace the front control arms on my own but now i am only going to be able to replace the front passenger control arm because the driver side control arm is corroded and the bolt does not come out. I was going to buy the crossmember myself but than a family member showed me a link…
2004 mitsubishi lancer. Consumer writes in regards to passenger side airbag safety recall. *ld the consumer stated the dealership would not provide a convenient option to have the recall repair completed.*js
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 | 80 | 4 |
| 2003 Lancer | 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 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Owners most often report visibility, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 21 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 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 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.