2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER Complaints

I HAD JUST ARRIVED FROM WORK AND PULLED-IN MY DRIVEWAY, I WAS IDLING MY CAR BEFORE SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE. I THEN SWITCHED OFF MY HEADLIGHTS, BUT THE HEADLIGHTS STAYED ON. I THEN PROCEEDED TO TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON, THEN OFF; AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE HEADLIGHTS FINALLY SWITCHED OFF, BUT THEN, THE HEADLIGHTS, PARKLIGHTS, MARKERS AND EVEN THE LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS SWITCHED OFF AND PULLED OUT THE KEY, BUT JUST BEFORE THIS INCIDENT I USED MY WIPERS TO CLEAR MY WINDSHIELD OF RAIN/MIST WITH A ONE WIPE/MANUAL SWEEP AND THE WIPERS JUST SEEMED THAT IT DIDN'T WANT TO STOP WIPING UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS SWITCHED OFF AND THE KEY PULLED OUT. THIS IS THE FIRST INCIDENT AND IT WAS RAINING OR HAD JUST RAINED. THE DEALERSHIP THEN REPLACED BOTH LIGHT AND WIPER SWITCHES AFTER DETERMINING THAT THERE WAS A SHORT. THIS SEEMED TO ADDRESS AND CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. THEN ON APRIL 28, 2008 I HAD JUST ARRIVED AT WORK AND WAS IDLING MY CAR BEFORE SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF, AS I SWITCHED OFF THE LIGHTS THE HORN STARTED GOING OFF CONTINUOUSLY. IF THE LIGHTS WERE LEFT IN THE ON OR PARK POSITION, THE HORN WOULD STOP, BUT WHEN THE LIGHT SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF, IT DIDN'T STOP GOING OFF EVEN WHEN THE IGNITION WAS OFF AND THE KEY PULLED OUT. IT ONLY STOPPED AFTER THE FUSE WAS PULLED OUT. AGAIN, THE WEATHER WAS RAINING OR HAD JUST RAINED. I THEN DROPPED OFF MY CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DETERMINED THAT WATER INTRUSION THROUGH THE DRIVER'S FRONT KICK PANEL TO JUNCTION BLOCK, INSTRUMENT HARNESS, FLOOR HARNESS AND CHASSIS HARNESS. CORROSION ON PINS AND CONNECTORS CAUSING FAILURES AND SHORTS TO ALL SYSTEMS. THEY HAD AN OUTSIDE VENDOR SEAL AROUND WIRING HARNESS BEHIND INNER FENDER WELL. AT THIS POINT NONE OF THE WIRINGS NOR HARNESS WERE REPLACED. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WOULD ALL BE CUSTOMER PAY AND NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AS I HAVE EXCEEDED THE 3/36 WARRANTY PERIOD. WIPERS HORN AND REMOTE UN/LOCK DON'T WORK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION. AT 65,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN OFF WHEN THE KEY WAS RELEASED FROM THE IGNITION. THE ONLY WAY TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE WAS BY REMOVING A FUSE. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD ACTIVATE BY THEMSELVES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A CORRODED WIRING HARNESS. THE FAILURE WAS CORRECTED TEMPORARILY, BUT THEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HIGH BEAMS, FOG LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, AND PARKING LIGHTS FAILED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT FIVE WIRING HARNESSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS NOT CURRENTLY REPAIRED DUE TO THE COST OF THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

I BOUGHT MY 2003 MITSUBISHI EVO SHORTLY AFTER RETURNING FROM A TOUR IN IRAQ IN 2006, AFTER A SHORT TIME OF DRIVING THE CAR I NOTICED A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE CAR WHEN I LET THE CLUTCH OUT IN 1ST GEAR, AND NOW REVERSE AS WELL. I BOUGHT THE CAR UNDER ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY AND WENT AS FAR AS TO PURCHASE THE PLATNUM EXTENDED WARRANTY. AFTER REPLACING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PARTS ON MY CAR IT HAS COME DOWN TO THE CLUTCH, WHICH IS A WEAR ITEM AND NOT COVERED. THE MORE DISTURBING PORTION OF THIS IS THAT I WAS TOLD ON MY SECOND VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT THE CAR WAS SOLD TO ME WITH AN AFTERMARKET CLUTCH, AND THAT SHOULD HAVE VOIDED THE ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY IN THE FIRST PLACE, TO INCLUDE MY EXTENDED WARRANTY AS WELL. NOW I AM STUCK WITH THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE TO LOOK FOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE. *TR

KNOB ON AC/HEATER CONTROL BROKE, NOW STUCK ON AC. CAN NOT USE CAR IN COLD WEATHER AS WINDSHIELD FOGS UP MAKING THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS A 2003 MIISUBISHI LANCER.*CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TOP COAT OF CLEAR PAINT IS PEELING OFF OF THE DRIVER SIDE FENDER AND HOOD. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. UPDATED 03-25-08 *BF UPDATED 03/25/08 *TR

I PURCHASED A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER ES BRAND-NEW FROM A DEALERSHIP IN THE SUMMER OF THAT YEAR. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE, I REALIZED THE TEMPERATURE-CONTROL KNOB WAS STIFF AND WOULD HAVE TO BE FORCED TO SWITCH FROM HEAT TO COOL AND VICE VERSA. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE A SERVICE TECHNICIAN OILED IT. THAT HELPED FOR A FEW MONTHS BEFORE IT STARTED STICKING AGAIN. BASICALLY, IT WOULD FEEL AS IT THE KNOB WAS STUCK BETWEEN HOT AND COLD. IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FORCED BEYOND THAT POINT. ONCE FORCED, IT WOULD EITHER NOT STICK IN THE MOST EXTREME TEMPERATURE SETTING (I.E. MAX AC OR HIGHEST HEAT SETTING) OR IT WOULD NOT MOVE MUCH AT ALL. IT WOULD OFTEN FEEL AS IF IT WERE ON THE VERGE OF BREAKING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP IN 2005, WHERE I WAS TOLD IT WAS A COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG 2003 LANCER OWNERS. THE SERVICE TECH AT THAT TIME TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $800 TO FIX BUT THAT SO LONG AS THE HEATING AND AC WORKED MOST OF THE TIME, IT WOULD BE SMARTER TO HOLD OFF UNTIL MITSUBISHI ISSUED A RECALL. HE INDICATED THAT A RECALL WAS IMMINENT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS HE WAS AWARE OF. THE KNOB ON MY CAR OFFICIALLY BROKE LAST WEEK. THERE IS STILL NO RECALL ON THE PART, BUT A SERVICE TECHNICIAN I SPOKE TO THIS MORNING SAID THAT MITSUBISHI RECENTLY RELEASED A FIX-IT KIT TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO HIM, THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS. THE BAD NEWS IS THAT IT WOULD COST $1,000 TO REPAIR, BECAUSE THE ENTIRE DASH HAS TO BE REMOVED TO MAKE THE REPAIR. TOTAL ESTIMATED REPAIR TIME IS ABOUT 8 HOURS. IT'S MY BELIEF THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON ENOUGH TO WARRANT A RECALL ON THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB AND COMPANY-PAID REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE STEERING COLUMN FELL IN THE CONTACT'S LAP WHEN SHE PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, SHE NOTICED THAT THE COLUMN FELT LOOSE. SHE WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. TWO WEEKS LATER, BEFORE SHE ARRIVED AT THE DEALER, THE STEERING COLUMN FELL COMPLETELY OFF. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND IT SEEMED AS IF SOMEONE WAS PULLING ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE HAS SINCE BEEN REPAIRED. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, SHE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE STEERING COLUMN AND SHE FEELS THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,624 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 12/12/2007 *BF UPDATED 12/12/07

MY STEERING COLUMN WAS SLIGHTLY LOOSE, BUT A MECHANIC ASSURED ME THERE NO PROBLEM. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER, THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN FELL INTO MY LAP AS I ATTEMPTED TO INSERT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. I WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE COLUMN BACK INTO PLACE AND GET THE CAR ACROSS THE STREET TO A MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND HAD TOO MANY MILES. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A WARRANTY ISSUE AND TOLD THE PERSON AT THE DEALERSHIP MY BELIEF. I ALSO ADVISED HIM THAT I HAD HAD CARS THAT WERE TOTALED OUT IN ACCIDENTS AND THE STEERING MECHANISM NEVER FELL OUT. IN ADDITION, I HAD ONE CAR THAT I PUT CLOSE TO 200,000 MILES ON IT, BUT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN FALLING OUT. I CONTACTED MITSUBISHI AND GOT THE SAME RESPONSE REGARDING WEAR AND TEAR AND THE OUT OR WARRANTY SITUATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE ADJUSTER KNOB FOR THE DEFROSTER WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND EVENTUALLY FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TEMP CONTROL CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS A TSB NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 10006466. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 29,200.

SENSOR ONE HAD AN INTERNAL FAILURE. MITISUBISHI SERVICE TECH STATED IT WAS DUE TO THE BAD GAS IN NORTH CAROLINA. ACCORDING TO THAT IT WOULD BE MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. BUT WAS TOLD SINCE NO RECALLS, WOULD HAVE TO PAY $400 PLUS TAX TO HAVE IT FIXED. IF NOT FIXED WOULD AFFECT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND WOULD CAUSE THE CAR NOT TO RUN. *TR