Mitsubishi Lancer Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the Mitsubishi Lancer across 8 model years. The 2003 model year has the most (71). The words owners use most often: “control knob” (28% of reports).
- 127visibility complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $1,450typical repair cost reported by owners
- 62%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.
- Control knob: mentioned in 36 of 127 complaints (28%)
- Broke off: mentioned in 35 of 127 complaints (28%)
- Hard turn: mentioned in 22 of 127 complaints (17%)
- Hot cold: mentioned in 15 of 127 complaints (12%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility repair on the Mitsubishi Lancer at $1,450, and half of them between $1,250 and $1,600.
Based on 27 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2013), 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 84 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 127 complaints, 1 an 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 (2)
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
Model years: 2008, 2009, 2010
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Outlander, 2008-2010 Lancer, 2009-2010 Lancer Evolution, and 2010 Lancer Sportback vehicles equipped with sunroofs. The sunroof glass may detach from the sunroof assembly, becoming a road hazard to other vehicles.
Risk: If the sunroof glass detaches from the assembly while driving, it can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sunroof glass assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-003.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:fan/motor
Model years: 2009, 2010, 2011
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Lancer vehicles manufactured March 16, 2009, to March 30, 2011, 2010-2011 Lancer Sportback vehicles manufactured June 17, 2009, to December 1, 2010, 2010-2011 Lancer Evolution vehicles manufactured July 14, 2009, to January 7, 2011, 2009-2011 Outlander vehicles manufactured February 10, 2009, to June 22, 2011, and 2011 Outlander Sport vehicles manufactured August 26, 2010, to November 19, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the blower motor may fail.
Risk: Failure of the blower motor may reduce the performance of the windshield defroster, diminishing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace a suspect blower motor, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-15-003.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are 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…
Tl* the contact owns 2011 mitsubishi lancer. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the defogger failed to operate as air stopped flowing through the vents. The contact stated that the heater, air conditioner and defogger failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was not taken to an independent…
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 mitsubishi lancer. The contact stated that an abnormal noise was heard coming from the blower motor upon turning on the air condition system. Max madsen's aurora mitsubishi (3990 ogden ave, aurora, il 60504) was contacted and the contact was informed that the vehicle was…
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 mitsubishi lancer. While driving highway speeds, the sun roof assembly fractured without warning. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was notified. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was not available.
I was driving down the freeway at 65 mph, when i heard a very loud sound, like a gunshot, and my sunroof shattered. There was no rock or impact to my car, it just spontaneously exploded with glass raining everywhere. When i took it to the dealership, they told me it was clear that there was no rock…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Mitsubishi Lancers have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 127 owner complaints about visibility for the Mitsubishi Lancer. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Mitsubishi Lancer visibility?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list visibility. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix visibility problems on the Mitsubishi Lancer?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,450 (half paid between $1,250 and $1,600), from 27 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the Mitsubishi Lancer?
The most frequent phrase is “control knob”, in 36 of 127 complaints, followed by “broke off” (35).
Other Mitsubishi Lancer problems
- Power Train problems (159)
- Air Bags problems (112)
See all Mitsubishi Lancer problems.