2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO Complaints

I HAVE A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION. THE TEMPERATURE KNOB BROKE OFF WHILE ADJUSTING FROM COLD TO WARM. MY CAR IS NOW STUCK WITH THE AC ON COLD, THIS ISN'T SO MUCH OF A PROBLEM IN THE SUMMER BUT IT IS GETTING RATHER COLD NOW AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE SOME HEAT. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE DEFROST IS NOW USELESS UNLESS IT NEEDS TO BE ON COLD WHICH IS PRETTY INEFFECTIVE IN THE WINTER TIME. THIS PROBLEM STARTED HAPPENING IN 2009 WHERE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND FINALLY IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR IT COMPLETELY BROKE. *TR

MULTIPLE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ACTIVATED SIMPLTANEOUSLY (ABS, SRS, BATTERY, EMERGENCY BRAKE) AT THE SAME TIME THE HORN AND WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED IT WAS QUITE DISORIENTING AND HAPPENED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN A RAINSTORM! QUITE UNSAFE.

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

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

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 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

I LAUNCHED MY CAR FROM ABOUT 5500RPM. I PREVIOUSLY HAD A NEW EXEDY CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL INSTALLED ABOUT 2 MONTHS EARLIER. THE CAR JUMPED BUT WOULDN'T GO ANYWHERE AFTER I LET THE CLUTCH OUT. I THOUGHT MAYBE FIRST GEAR WAS GONE BUT WHEN I TRIED ALL THE OTHER GEARS IT SEEMED AS IF THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL. I HAD THE CAR TAKEN TO A LOCAL PERFORMANCE SHOP AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BEING MY TRANSFER CASE. THE TOTAL COST FOR THE NEW OEM TRANSFER CASE WITH FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AND LABOR TO PUT IT IN WAS AROUND 3400. MITSUBISHI NEEDS TO ACT ON THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT AND HAVE HEARD MANY STORIES FROM EVO OWNERS ABOUT THEIR TRANSFER CASE ISSUES. *TR

I HAVE REPLACED PART #138110 BLOWER MOTOR 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 7 MONTHS. APPARENTLY THERE IS WATER/CONDENSATION THAT BUILDS UP AND SHUTS DOWN THE MOTOR. TODAY, THE MOTOR STOPPED AGAIN. I AM NOW HAVING TO TAKE IT TO BE REPAIRED FOR THE 4TH TIME AND I AM SURE NOT THE LAST TIME. THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER FLOOR AREAS ARE SOAKING WET. I PUT A NEW TOWEL ON FLOOR AREAS EVERY DAY AND THEY ARE DRIPPING WET BY THE END OF THE DAY. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE EXACT PROBLEM IS. IT IS DANGEROUS NOT TO HAVE A FAN FOR DEFROST/DEFOG ISSUES. I WENT ALL WINTER LAST WINTER WITHOUT ANY HEAT/DEFROST. I AM SO TIRED OF REPLACING THIS PART. THE REPAIRS ARE REALLY TAKING A TOLL ON MY FINANCES TOO. IT IS VERY INCONVENIENT TO HAVE TO KEEP TAKING THE CAR IN TO BE REPAIRED. *JB