2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER Complaints

WHEN DRIVING MY LANCER EITHER ON CITY OR HIGHWAY, IT REFUSES TO SHIFT. THE RPMS GO UP, BUT THE CAR WONT ACCELERATE. IT ACTUALLY SLOWS DOWN AS IF I'M PRESSING ON THE BRAKES (AND IM NOT) THEN OUT OF NOWHERE THE GEAR WILL SHIFT AND THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. IT DOES THIS ALL THE TIME. THE LAST TIME IT DID IT I RAN INTO A CAR. THIS IS A HUGE HAZARD. WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKES THE CAR ALMOST STOPS, THEN JUMPS FORWARD ABOUT 2 FEET BEFORE ACTUALLY STOPPING. THIS IS A HORRIBLE THING TO DO TO A DRIVER. THE CAR LITERALLY HAS A MIND OF IT'S OWN AND THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I'VE SEEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND ALL OF THEM SAY THAT THEIR TRANSMISSION DIED COMPLETELY THUS LEAVING THEIR CAR PERMANENTLY MOTIONLESS. I CAN'T EVEN LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THIS FIXED...I CAN ONLY LOOK FORWARD TO.....NOTHING. I CAN'T SELL THE CAR NOR GET A NEW ONE BECAUSE I'VE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY ON THIS LANCER AND NOTHING FIXES IT. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE BRAKE PADS, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THE TIRES, THE GAS PEDAL LINE, AND AIR IN THE BRAKES... I HAD ALL OF THESE THINGS REPLACE AND NO CHEAP COSTS AND IT'S STILL NOT FIXED. PLEASE! ORDER MITSUBISHI TO RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION! IT SHOULD BE A CRIME TO SELL SUCH A DEFECTIVE AND DEADLY PRODUCT. MITSUBISHI SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED! ALSO, WHEN THE CAR'S RPMS ARE ABOVE 4000, THE POWER STEERING DIES AND I CANNOT TURN LEFT OR RIGHT, THUS I LOSE ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE HENDERSON NV DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO TYPE OF RECALL AND EVERYTHING SHOULD BE FINE....I'VE NEARLY CRASHED AND PROBABLY COULD HAVE LOST MY LIFE COUNTLESS TIMES. COUNTLESS. MITSUBISHI SHOULD BE BANNED FROM MAKING VEHICLES IN AMERICA! *TR

THE HEAT/AC KNOB IN MY 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER WILL NOT TURN. IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT FOR YEARS, BUT FOR FALL/WINTER 2009 I HAD TO HAVE A MECHANIC CRAWL UNDER THE DASH AND FORCE IT WITH PLIERS, THEN I LEFT IT THAT WAY ALL WINTER. NOT VERY SAFE OR CONVENIENT. I'M LOOKING AT A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FROM MITSUBISHI WHICH THEY SHOULD PAY FOR. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, YOU CAN'T DEFROST YOUR WINDOWS WITHOUT HEAT, NOR SHOULD YOU HAVE TO USE SUCH LOUSY EQUIPMENT. MITSUBISHI NEEDS TO STEP UP AND ISSUE A RECALL, I'VE SEEN THIS COMPLAINT ALL OVER THE INTERNET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH THAT DESTROYED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONTAL DRIVER AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FRONTAL PASSENGER AIR BAG DID. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A POLICE IMPOUND AND WAS NOT EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF THE AIR BAG FAILURE. UPDATED 10/21/10. LJ THE CONSUMER CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. UPDATED 10/26/10*JB

MITSUBISHI 2003 LANCER ES PROBLEM: AC KNOB WON'T SWITCH ALL THE WAY OVER TO HEAT?IT KINKS. IF YOU TURN IT TOO HARD, IT BREAKS AND YOU REQUIRE TO CHANGE THE WHOLE CONSOLE WHICH COSTS AROUND $388.00 PLUS THE LABOR REQUIRED TO INSTALL IT, THEN THE TOTAL WILL BE AROUND $675.00! THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2008 BUT IT WORSENED WITH TIME TO THE POINT OF BREAKING RECENTLY. THE TWO OUTSIDE KNOBS ON THE HVAC UNIT (THE KNOBS THAT CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE AND WHERE THE AIR FLOWS OUT FROM) ARE CONNECTED TO THE HEATER CORE VIA METAL WIRES. WHEN YOU TURN THE TEMPERATURE KNOB TO THE RIGHT THE WIRE PUSHES OUT AND WHEN YOU TURN IT BACK TO THE LEFT THE WIRE PULLS IN. THIS WIRE IS CONNECTED TO A PIECE OF PLASTIC ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE HEATER CORE. THIS PIECE OF PLASTIC IS CONNECTED TO A GEAR AND IS SUPPOSED TO WORK HARMONIOUSLY WITH THE PIECE OF PLASTIC THE AIRFLOW KNOB (RIGHT OUTSIDE KNOB ON HVAC UNIT) IS CONNECTED TO. THAT IS WHERE THE PROBLEM IS. THESE TWO PIECES OF PLASTIC, BLEND LINK AND LEVER, WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO SLIDE BACK AND FORTH WITH THE TURNING OF THE KNOBS, DON'T WORK WELL AND THE WIRE ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO FORCE THE PIECE INTO THE HEAT POSITION. THE RESULT IS THE WIRE OFTEN KINKS. ON THE DRIVER SIDE, UNDER THE DASH, UP AND TO THE RIGHT THERE ARE TWO PIECES OF WHITE PLASTIC, ONE CLOSER TO THE FIREWALL THEN THE OTHER. THERE IS A METAL WIRE CLIPPED TO EACH. THIS IS THE PART YOU HAVE TO TURN TO CHANGE IT TO HEAT. THE 'BOTTOM' IS THE TEMPERATURE KNOB. YOU CAN EITHER GRAB THE WIRE OR THE PIECE OF PLASTIC IT CONNECTS TO AND TURN IT TOWARD THE FIREWALL MOST PEOPLE SIMPLY TURN THE DEVICE BY HAND NOW BUT THAT?S NOT SAFE TO DO WHILE DRIVING! I BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN BY MITSUBISHI THAT RESULTS IN A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN THE WIND SHIELD FOGS UP AND YOU CAN?T TURN THE KNOB BECAUSE IT KINKS. MITSUBISHI NEEDS TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT?S HAPPENING TO HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. *TR

THE A/C KNOB ON THIS CAR HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND HAS NOW BROKE OFF. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY STIFF WHEN GOING FROM A/C TO HEAT AND NOW DUE TO BEING USED WITH SUCH FORCE REPEATEDLY IT HAS BROKE OFF, THE VENT SELECTOR HAS NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE ITS SMOOTH AND TRANSITIONS EASILY AFTER ALL THESE FEATURES ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE THE VEHICLE MORE COMFORTABLE AND SAFE AND WARM ON COLD NIGHTS... I JUST WENT TO A SITE WHERE AT LEAST 150 PEOPLE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PART IS OVER 200$ FROM A DEALER AND THE DEALER CHARGES OVER 700-800$ TO REPLACE THE PART(TALK ABOUT A RACKET) AND YET WITH SOOOO MANY COMPLAINTS I FEEL BAD FOR PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT ARE STUCK IN THIS VEHICLE DRIVING UNDER MISERABLE AND YES UNSAFE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T DEFROST THEIR WINDSHIELD OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE A HARD TIME MAINTAINING BODY TEMPERATURE... A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED A LONG TIME AGO, ESPECIALLY IF THE MANUFACTURER HAS SINCE DEVELOPED A "REPAIR KIT" (IN OTHER WORDS HERE'S THE FIX TO SOMETHING WE KNOW DOESN'T WORK BUT WE WANT ALL YOU HARD WORKING PEOPLE TO PAY FOR IT) SO AGAIN LETS SCREW THE LITTLE GUY RIGHT? *TR

2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER - DIFFICULTY TURNING THE TEMPERATURE KNOB. HAD IT FIXED AT THE DEALER JUST ENOUGH SO THAT I COULD TURN THE KNOB, BUT IS STILL VERY DIFFICULT AND HE WARNED THAT IF I USE IT TOO MUCH IT WILL LIKELY BREAK. APPARENTLY MITSUBISHI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED THE CAR,THE KNOB FOR THE AC/ HEATER WAS HARD TO TURN. THEN ABOUT 2YRS AGO I CANT TURN IT WITHOUT THE CAR BEING PARKED. IT TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH TO TURN. MOST OF THE TIME I WOULDN'T USE MY HEAT. THEN ONE NIGHT MY WINDSHIELD WAS FOGGED UP. I TRIED DRIVING WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN. BUT I HAD TO STOP TO TURN THE HEAT ON FOR THE DEFROSTER.DRIVING ACROSS A BRIDGE WITH FOGGED UP WINDOWS IS SCARY. WHEN I TURNED THE KNOB IT BROKE OFF. I HAVE TRIED TO GET USED PARTS FOR IT BUT IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THESE CARS. AND THE DEALERS WHAT BETWEEN $700 AND $900 TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR CARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT STATED THE KNOBS ON THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL PANEL WERE BREAKING OFF. THE DEALER ADVISED THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE YET THE IMPROVED KNOBS WERE ON BACKORDER. THE CONTACT FELT THE FAILURE COULD POTENTIALLY BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE HEAT LEVELS IN THE VEHICLE CABIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,931.

HEATING/COOLING KNOB HAS BEEN HARD TO TURN SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. EVENTUALLY THE KNOB BROKE OFF. I WAS TOLD BY A MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP THAT THEY'D HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT WHICH WOULD RUN ME ABOUT $300 FOR THE PART. I NOW HAVE TO DRIVE IN FULL WINTER CLOTHES WHEN IT'S COLD BECAUSE I CAN'T GET THE THING OFF THE COOL SETTING. *TR

I'D BEEN HAVING DIFFICULTY TURNING THE TEMPERATURE KNOB ON MY 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER FOR A WHILE. THEN, IT BROKE OFF. I FOUND OUT THAT MITSUBISHI IS "AWARE OF THE PROBLEM", EVEN MAKING A REPAIR KIT, BUT THEY HAVEN'T ISSUED A RECALL, & IT COST ME $888 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED!!!!! A KNOB!!!!!! I THINK MITSUBISHI SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR SHODDY WORKMANSHIP & ISSUE A RECALL. *TR