2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER Complaints

2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER OZ RALLY - HEATER CONTROL KNOB NOT PROPERLY WORKING. PURCHASED VEHICLE USED IN MARCH 2007, NOTICED CONTROL KNOB HARD TO TURN. TOOK INTO DEALERSHIP TO FIX A RECALL ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD & GASKETS, HAD THEM ALSO CHECK THE A/C TEMP KNOB BECAUSE IT WAS HARD TO TURN FROM HEAT TO COLD. WARRANTY DID NOT COVER, WAS STILL OPERABLE, SO DID NOT GET REPLACED. EVENTUALLY THE KNOB COMPLETELY BROKE OFF IN DECEMBER 2007, PAID TO REPLACE HEATER CONTROL ASSY #MN185137HB (LUCKILY WARRANTY COVERED PARTIAL - TOTAL COST 347.27, WARRANTY COVERED 247.27, PAID 100.00) AFTER KNOB WAS REPLACED THE HEATER WAS WORKING FINE. AGAIN,EVENTUALLY THE TEMP CONTROL KNOB WOULD NOT STAY ON HEAT, WOULD RETURN MIDWAY BETWEEN HOT & COLD. DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED REPLACING: HEATER BLEND DOOR (7801A360 - $80.22) & LINK & LEVER (7801A110 - $30.03), WITH AN ADDITIONAL 8 HOURS OF LABOR WOULD BE $850 + TAX. AFTER REVIEWING OTHER COMPLAINTS, I HAVE NOTICED MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, SPECIFICALLY DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO USE DEFROSTER. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE REVIEWED. *TR

2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION. LOUD GRINDING NOISES COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION WITHIN A FEW THOUSAND MILES. CARS UNDER 8 THOUSAND MILES HAVING TO REPLACE CLUTCHES AND TRANSMISSIONS. GEARS POPPING INTO NEUTRAL. DEALERSHIP ACCEPTED WARRANTY AND IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE CAR. CAR WAS RETURNED A 2ND TIME TO BE LOOKED AT AGAIN. *TR

ALL THREE BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING WITH NO WARNING. 1. NORMAL DRIVING TO AND FROM WORK, UNSURE OF ANYTHING LEADING UP TO FAILURE. WAS ALERTED BY ANOTHER DRIVER THAT WAS BEHIND ME WHILE DRIVING AND THEN PULLED UP NEXT TO ME AT A LIGHT. WAS LUCKY THERE WAS NO CRASH. 2. LIGHTS ARE COMPLETELY OUT, HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THEM BACK ON 3. HAVE CHECKED THE FUSE AS LABELED IN THE MANUFACTURERS HANDBOOK, CHECKED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, CHECKED THE LIGHT BULBS, ALL ARE IN OK FASHION AND WORK WHEN TESTED SEPARATELY. *TR

I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE HEAT/COLD KNOB AND THE VENT KNOB. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND THEY QUOTED ME ALMOST $1900 TO FIX. YEAH RIGHT!!! THIS IS A SOLUTION.... NOT A COMPLETE FIX BUT I GET HEAT IN THE WINTER AND A/C IN THE SUMMER. I HAVE TO REACHED UP UNDER THE DASH AND MOVE THE CONTROLS AT THE HEATER BOX. IF YOU STILL HAVE A KNOB TURN IT WHILE YOU ARE MOVING THE PLASTIC ARM FROM UNDERNEATH. THE VENT CONTROL IS A LITTLE HARDER TO GET TO BUT IT'S UP THERE, JUST A LITTLE HIGHER AND IT'S SMALLER SO IT'S HARDER TO GET LEVERAGE. HOPE THIS HELPS ALL OF YOU. LOOK UNDER FROM THE DRIVER SIDE. YOU'LL SEE THE CABLES AND THEY'RE CONNECTED TO A PLASTIC ROTARY ARM THING. IT WORKS... YES IT'S A PAIN... BEATS DISHING OUT MAJOR BUCKS FOR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT OUR FAULT. *TR

KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE CLUTCH AREA. EVERY TIME I RELEASE THE CLUTCH ON MY CAR I HEAR THIS KNOCKING NOISE, WHEN I DEPRESS THE CLUTCH THE NOISE GOES AWAY. *TR

THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND HAD NO PROBLEMS THEN WHEN I STARTED IT UP ONE DAY THE DASH LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS STARTED PULSING. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE ALTERNATOR SO I HAD IT CHECKED OUT. THE SHOP SAID THE ALTERNATOR IS IN PERFECT CONDITION AND COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. THE PULSATING LIGHTS IS STILL GOING ON, AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. *TR

AT NIGHT DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN, UNABLE TO TURN OFF AIR CONDITIONER AND SWITCH ON WINDSHIELD DEFROST BECAUSE HEATER, TEMPERATURE DIAL BROKE OFF. *TR

THE 5TH GEAR SYNCRO HAS FAILED ON THE CAR AT 60,000 MILES. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT TO MITSUBISHI AND THEY HAVE DEVELOPED NEW, STRONGER PARTS AS PART OF A TSB. HOWEVER, MITSUBISHI IS REFUSING TO REPAIR THE DEFECT CITING "ABUSE". *TR

I HAD JUST LEFT MY HOME. I HAD NOT BEEN DRIVING FOR MORE THAN 2 MINUTES WHEN MY FRONT SPEAKERS SHUT OFF. I THEN START TO NOTICE A BURNING SMELL. I SEE THE INTERIOR START TO FILL UP WITH SMOKE. I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ENGINE FIRE AT FIRST UNTIL I NOTICED A FIRE IN MY PASSENGER DOOR SPEAKER. I PULLED OVER BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. I MADE A CALL TO 911 TO SEND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THANKFULLY THE FIRE HOUSE WAS VERY CLOSE AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BEFORE IT DAMAGED MORE THAN JUST THE DOOR. I HAVE THE DOOR AND SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE SCHEDULED TO BE REPAIRED AUG 18TH 2008. I HAVE NOT TAKEN APART, REPLACED, OR UPGRADED ANY DASH, RADIO OR ELECTRICAL COMPONENT OF THE CAR. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS. ADDITIONALLY I AM ALSO MISSING THE HEAT AND A/C KNOB AS IT BROKE OFF LAST WINTER. *TR

ADD MY BUMBLE BEE TO THE GROWING LIST OF LANCERS WITH BROKEN OFF HEATER/A.C. KNOBS DUE TO THE BADLY DESIGNED AND FAULTY COMPONENT COUPLED WITH IN AN INEPT SERVICE DEPARTMENT. SHOULD HAVE MADE THIS COMPLAINT WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED INSTEAD OF JUST WAITING FOR THE RECALL THAT NEVER HAPPENED. *TR