2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER Complaints

THE CLUTCH IN MY 2003 MITSUBISHI EVOLUTION FAILED HAVING 2995 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD 600 MILES ON IT WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED. WE HAD IT REPAIRED AT THE DEALER AT A COST OF $950. THEY PAID FOR 20% OF THE REPAIRS BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO BEING SOLD.

I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 MITSUBISHI EVOLUTION VIII WITH ABOUT 300 MILES ON APRIL 28TH 2004. APPROX. 3 MONTHS LATER I NOTICED THAT THE CLUTCH STARTED TO SLIP IN SECOND GEAR. I THEN PROCEEDED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE CLUTCH WAS BLOWN. AT THIS TIME I HAD APPOX. 3200 MILES ON MY NEW VEHICLE. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A REPLACEMENT CLUTCH PUT IN AND THAT FOR THEM TO EVEN LOOK AT THE CLUTCH IT WOULD COST $500 FOR THEM TO DROP THE PARTS NEEDED TO CONFIRM THIS PROBLEM, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS RIDICULOUS BECAUSE I WAS AT TRHE MERCY OF THE DEALERSHIP AND MITSUBISHI'S SUB-PAR REPLACEMENT PART. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL PERFORMANCE SHOP WHERE THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH WITH A MORE DURABLE AND WELL KNOW ACT RACE DICS. IN DOING THE REPAIR ALSO THE FLYWHEEL SEEMED TO BE DAMAGED SO THAT WAS REPLACED AS WELL. THE CAR WAS NOT EVER RACED OR EVER ABUSED OR DRIVEN TO ANY EXTENT OF WEARING PARTS EXCESSIVLY. THIS I FEEL IS KNOWN NEGLIGENCE OF SUB-PAR PARTS USED IN THIS VEHICLE.*AK

2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION WAS PURCHASED NEW 84 DAYS AGO WITH 1200 DEALER TEST DRIVE MILES. CLUTCH FAILED AT 4500 MILES. I HAVE CALLED MITSUBISHI AND THE DEALERSHIP, BOTH REFUSE TO COVER THE CLUTCH UNDER WARRANTY. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND MITSUBISHI CONSISTENTLY BLAMES THE CONSUMER. I HAVE NOT MISTREATED THE CAR. THE DEALER DROVE THE CAR HARDER THAN I EVER HAVE WHILE ON THE TEST DRIVE. *AK

MY CAR WAS/IS SLOW TO ENGAGE GEARS WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE THROTTLE. THE RPMS RISE APPROXIMATELY 1000, THEN SETTLE BACK DOWN AND THE GEAR SLOWLY ENGAGES. THE CLUTCH IS PRETTY MUCH GONE AND I HAVE LESS THAN 20,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I DO NOT RACE, TRACK, OR ABUSE MY CAR. IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDATIONS. THE CLUTCH WILL BE COMPLETELY GONE VERY SOON AND I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE A CAR THAT IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD! THE MITSUBISHI DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS'T A WARRANTABLE ITEM, AS DID THE WARRANTY HOTLINE, THEREFORE I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. AN ESTIMATE FROM THEM IS APPROXIMATELY $1200. *AK

WHEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT GEARS PROPERLY. NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE LEADS TO SLIPPING TRANSITIONS FROM GEAR TO GEAR MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN/REACH/SUSTAIN SPEED. THIS OCCURS IN BOTH HIGHWAY AND CITY ENVIRONMENTS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SERVICED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS OF EVERY 3000 MILES. I HAVE ABOUT 40000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AT THIS POINT. IT STARTED DOING THIS AT ABOUT 6000 MILES. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED MULTIPLE TIMES. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED ME NOTHING WAS WRONG. I HAVE CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AS WELL AS ALL FILTERS. I WAS TOLD THIS IS 'NORMAL' FOR THE CAR. I DO NOT THINK HOWEVER THAT THIS IS A TYPICAL BEHAVIOR FOR NEW VEHICLES.*AK

I HAVE A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION. AT 19,000 MILES THE CAR DEVELOPED A VERY LOUD SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR AT SPEEDS ABOVE 30MPH. I WORK AT A AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND CONCLUDED THAT THE SOUND IS COMING FROM THE TRANSFER ASE/FRONT DIFFERENTIAL. MORE THAN LIKELY FROM RING GEAR BEING IMPROPERLY SHIMMED FROM THE FACTORY. IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT RESOLVED WITH THE TRANSFERCASE/FRONT DIFFERENTIAL, WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS WITH OTHER LANCER EVOLUTION OWNERS THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE TRANSFERCASE/DIFFERENTIAL COULD LOCK UP CAUSING A ACCIDENT OR CAUSE MORE DAMAGE TO OTHER PARTS OF THE DRIVETRAIN.*AK

LANCER OZ RALLY EDITION: WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, NOTICED PROBLEMS WITH CRUISE CONTROL, OCCURING AT ANY SPEED IN WHICH CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTION IS USED: WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN CRUISE CONTROL AND ACCELERATING AT SET SPEED, CAR WOULD ACCELERATE EXCESSIVELY FOR VERY MINIMAL INCLINES. WHEN USING THE COAST FUNCTION, VEHICLE WOULD SLOW DOWN UNTIL YOU LET OFF THE SWITCH, AND THEN SPEED WOULD RAPIDLY INCREASE BEYOND PREVIOUS POSITION, BEFORE FINALLY SETTLING BACK TO THE REDUCED SPEED CHOSEN. WHEN USING THE ACCELERATE OPTION, VEHICLE WOULD SPEED UP WHEN SWITCH USED AND WOULD CONTINUE FAST ACCELERATION AFTER RELEASE OF SWITCH. WOULD INCREASE ABOUT 2-3 MILES PER HOUR PAST RELEASE OF THE SWITCH AND THEN FINALLY SETTLE BACK TO THE FASTER SPEED CHOSEN. NOTIFIED LOCAL DEALERSHIP OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THEY TEST DROVE THE CAR AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THEREFORE, IT WAS NOT AN ISSUE. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO DO THIS AND WHEN TRYING TO COAST WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL I HAVE HAD TO APPLY BREAKS RAPIDLY TO AVOID CAR FROM SPEEDING TO FASTLY, POSSIBLY HITTING SLOW MOVING VEHICLES INFRONT OF ME. ALSO, LOCAL DEALERSHIP DID NOT PROVIDE ME WITH A RECIEPT SHOWING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR SAID PROBLEM, OR THAT ANY THING HAD BEEN DONE TO CHECK FOR IT....I ONLY HAD THE WORD OF THE SERVICE WRITER.

I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE. I LET THEM KNOW IT WAS MAKING AN ODD RATTLE TYPE NOISE. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED WITH. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER THE ENGINE FAILED. IT WAS IN THE SHOP FOR TWO WEEKS. THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. THEY REBUILT THE ENGINE. *AK

BOUGHT MY 2003 EVO ON AUGUST 18TH 2004...ON AUGUST 20TH THE CLUTCH WENT OUT WITH ONLY 14K MILES, I HAD JUST BROKE 150 MILES IN THE 2 DAYS....FOUND OUT THE CLUTCH WASNT WARRANTIED BUT THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT OFF OF FELT BAD AND AGREED TO PAY FOR IT TO GET FIXED...I DIDNT LOSE ANYTHING OUT OF THE DEAL BUT READIN SOME OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND SEEIN MITSU SAYS WE ALL DRIVE OUR CARS TOO HARD, THATS A LOT OF PPL!! BUT SO WHAT IF WE DO, THE CAR IS MADE TO DRIVE FAST, IT SHOULD HAVE THE CLUTCH IN IT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE POWER AND HANDLE THE AWD.....IF THIS ONE GOES OUT, IM PUTTIN IN A DOUBLE DISK SO I WONT HAVE TO WORRY AGAIN...MITSU'S WARRANTY POLICY ON AFTERMARKET PARTS SUCKS TOO. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION, UPON IMPACT, FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. *AK