2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER Complaints

MY VEHICLE HAD REPEATEDLY SHOWN A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOR A MISFIRE CODE. EVERY TIME I GET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT,THE CAR VIBRATES AND LOSES AT LEAST 45% POWER. I FEEL THAT THE CAR IS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR FOR DIAGNOSIS 7 PLUS TIMES. HELL, THEY EVEN REBUILT THE ENGINE IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIX THE PROBLEM! THAT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM. NOW I AM OUT OF WARRANTY.*AK

WHEN I BOUGHT THE LANCER IN 2003 THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS THE KNOB FOR THE AIR AND HEAT WAS REALLY HARD TO TURN. MY DAD AND I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED IT WAS HARD TO TURN. THE SALESMAN GOT IN THE CAR AND TURNED THE KNOB HE SAID YEAH IT IS A LITTLE HARD TO TURN BUT THEY ARE MADE LIKE THAT. I TOLD HIM IT FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BREAK AND HE SAID IT WONT AND ONCE AGAIN THEY ARE ALL MADE LIKE THAT. I ONLY TURNED THE KNOB ONLY WHEN I HAD TO BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BREAK. I TOOK IT BACK IN AND THE DEALER SAID THEY GET THIS COMPLIANT ALL THE TIME AND IT WOULD BE $800 DOLLARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I TOLD HIM IF THEY GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS MAYBE THERE IS A DEFECT. IN 2006 I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM A TRIP AND I TURNED THE KNOB FROM AIR TO HEAT AND IT BROKE OFF. WHEN I GOT HOME THE NEXT DAY I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR A CHECK I EXPLAINED THAT I DID AND EVERY TIME THEY BLEW IT OFF. HE SAID WELL TO FIX IT, AND IT WILL COST $800-$900 DOLLARS. IS THIS CAUSE FOR COMPLAINT. *AK

(1) THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL ON MY 2003 LANCER ES WAS ALWAYS A BIT HARD TO MOVE. 2) NOW THE SWITCH HAS GOTTEN SO HARD TO CONTROL THAT IT FEELS ALMOST AS IF IT DOES NOT WORK WHEN YOU FINALLY PLACE IT IN THE RIGHT POSITION. 3) I TOOK IT INTO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP MAYWOOD MITSUBISHI, NJ WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AND THEY SAID IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND WANTED TO CHARGE ME 700 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE A RECALL. I KNOW FOR A FACT THE LANCER FROM 02-04 HAS HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. MITSUBISHI DOES NOT RESUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR FAULTY SWITCHES. THIS GOES TO SHOW HOW MUCH THEY "BACK" THEIR PROBLEMS.*AK

AFTER PURCHASING MY VEHICLE I NOTICED TWO THINGS, ONE THAT IS TROUBLESOME AND THE OTHER A MAJOR INCONVENIENCE. ONE DAY AFTER STEPPING OUT OF MY VEHICLE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING WITH THE A/C ON I HEARD A LOUD RATTLING SOUND EVERY TIME THE A/C KICKED ON. I TOOK IT INTO A DEALERSHIP WHILE I WAS HAVING THEM CHECK MY TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB (THE OTHER PROBLEM) AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT. THEY JUST PUT GREASE ON THE KNOB AND TOLD ME THAT THE A/C IS SUPPOSED TO SOUND LIKE THAT. WELL, JUST THIS LAST FALL MY A/C COMPRESSOR (I THINK IT IS THE COMPRESSOR) BLEW OUT AND STARTED SMOKING. I THOUGHT THAT THE FREON WAS EMPTY BUT IT IS NOT. IS THIS LEGITIMATE FOR A COMPLAINT? *JB

TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB BROKE COMPLETELY OFF. AT FIRST IT WAS HARD TO TURN AND WHEN IT WAS SWITCHED OVER TO HEAT FOR WINTER, IT BROKE OFF. WENT TO MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP; WAS TOLD THEY GET THAT AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK THEN WE WERE QUOTED AROUND $900 TO FIX(PARTS PLUS LABOR). SOUND TO ME IF THEY GET 3 A WEEK THEN MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T BE CHARGING ANYBODY AND FIXING IT SEEING AS IT IS DEFECTIVE. *JB

I AM CURRENTLY ON THE 5TH TRANSFER CASE FOR MY 03 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION 8. I HAD 2 GO OUT UNDER WARRANTY, ANOTHER REBUILT AND NOW I AM ON MY LAST ONE. THE FIRST WENT AT ~33K, REPLACED AND BROKEN WITHIN A MONTH REGULAR HIGHWAY DRIVING. *JB

JACK WAS ON LEVEL SURFACE JACKED UP THE CAR TO REPLACE A FLAT AFTER I BEGAN TO PUT THE SPARE ON THE JACK BENT IN HALF CAUSING THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE CAR TO LAND INTO THE GROUND. *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED AND ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION HE TURNED ON THE IGNITION WHILE IN NEUTRAL AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER STATED EVERYONE WITH THE SAME VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.

AC/HEATER KNOB IS DEFECTIVE, CAN'T CHANGE BETWEEN A/C AND HEAT TO EFFECTIVELY USE DEFROSTER. *NM

MY HEATER KNOB IS BROKE. IT HAS BEEN VERY HARD TO TURN SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR. IT WAS USED BUT THIS IS MY SECOND CAR OF THE SAME TYPE. IT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE CAR BEFORE THIS ONE AND THERE WAS ONLY A 1 YEAR DIFFERENCE IN THEM. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS PROBLEM. MOST OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW ON THE INTERNET FORUM HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. *JB