2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO Complaints

View complaints related to 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 90 complaints submitted for the 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
    - WATSONVILLE, CA

    MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN MY LANCER EVOLUTION STARTED TO FEEL ROUGH AROUND 350 MILES I THOUGHT IN WAS NORMAL SINCE IT WAS A NEW CAR. BUT AROUND 1700 MILES THE PROBLEM GOT WORSE I TOOK IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT FORM BUT THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS FINE, SO I TOOK IT HOME THE WAY IT WAS. I NOW HAVE 5000 MILES AND MY CLUTCH IS ALL WORN OUT AND MY DEALER REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NEVER ABUSED OF THE CAR I AM STILL TRYING TO BREAK IT IN. SO I THINK IT DOES NOT MAKE SINCE THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE MY CLUTCH 20 TIMES BEFORE MY 100,000 MILES. SO I DON'T THINK THE CLUTCH WENT OUT UNDER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS CAR THERE HAVE BEEN TO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
    - LAUREL, MD

    JUST WITH TALKING TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR MY 2003 MITSUBISHI EVOLUTION THEY ARE TELLING ME MISTUBISHI IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT THE CLUTCH FAILURE PROBLEM . THEY ARE STATING THAT IT'S ALL OF US DRIVERS FAULTS. AND THERE APPEARS TO BE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS.*AK CLUTCH IS SLIPPING. NO FAILURE YET. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET. WAITING TO HEAR MORE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
    - PHOENIX, AZ

    CLUTCH FAILURE AFTER 2778 MILES OF DRIVING A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION VIII. PURCHASED NEW VEHICLE (USED BROKER JIM ESTRADA AUTOBROKER 602-683-2120) FROM MARK MITSUBISHI WITH 1586 MILES. AFTER DRIVING 1192 ADDTIONAL MILES THE CLUTCH STARTED SLIPPING. RETURNED CAR TO MARK MITSUBISHI TO FIND THAT CLUTCH PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED BY AUTO WARRANTY. AFTER RESEARCHING NHTSA WEBSITE I FOUND 13 SIMILAR FAILURES OF CLUTCH PROBLEMS WITH SAME RESULT WITH DEALERS. THERE ARE NOW 30 REPORTED INCIDENTS. I TRIED TO HAVE PROBLEM REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS MY PROBLEM. WHILE NEGOTIATING REPAIR MY DAUGHTER WAS TOLD BY SALESPERSON HE KNEW OF CLUTCH PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL CAR. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THIS SAME SALESPERSON THAT THEY HAD PROBLEMS. HIS REPLY WHEN ASKED WHY BUYER IS NOT INFORMED WAS THAT I SHOULD DO MY HOMEWORK. I DO NOT THINK A NEW CAR SHOULD HAVE A PROBLEM AT 2778 MILES OF DRIVING. MITSUBISHI HAD TROUBLES WITH THEIR TRUCK CLUTCHES SENDING ONE OF THEIR EXCUTIVES TO JAIL IN JAPAN. I HAD TO PAY $889.89 TO HAVE CLUTCH REPLACED. *LA

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
    - OXFORD, NJ

    I HAD 12000 MILES ON MY CAR IT IS 7 MONTHS OLD. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND IV BEEN DRIVING MANUAL CARS FOR OVER 8 YEARS. NEVER HAD ANY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BE FOR THEY HAD TO REPLACE SOME SYNCROS BECAUSE IT WOULD GRIND BETWEEN FOURTH AND FITH GEARS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AND THEY ALSO MADE A COMMENT ON HOW WORN MY CLUTCH IS AND THAT MY FLY WHEEL IS SCORED. EVERY NOW AND THEN WHEN I START OFF I SMELL MY CLUTCH BURNING AND SMOKE COMES OUT OF MY EXHAUST AND THEY SAY ITS FROM ABUSE WHEN ITS NOT. *LA

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
    - LAS VEGAS, NV

    THE CLUTCH ON MY 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION VIII WENT OUT AFTER ONLY 3000 MILES. MITSUBISHI REFUSED TO REPLACE IT UNDER WARRANTY SAYING IT WAS DUE TO CUSTOMER ABUSE. WHEN ASKED TO CITE A REFERENCE TO SUGGEST CUSTOMER ABUSE THEY SIMPLY SAID THAT THE CLUTCH HAD GONE OUT. AFTER TALKING TO MANY PEOPLE ON INTERNET FORUMS ABOUT THEIR EVOLUTIONS IT WOULD APPEAR THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM, AND MITSUBISHI HAS MADE EVERY PERSON PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE REPAIRS. *LA

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
    - BALTIMORE, MD

    I PURCHASED A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION 8 FROM ANTWERPEN MITSUBISHI IN RANDALLSTOWN,MD AND I COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FO A BETTER BUYING EXPIERENCE,THAT IS UNTILL MY CLUTCH STARTED TO SLIP....I BOUGHT IT ONLY 3 MONTHS AGO W/183 MILES ON IT(EVEN THOUGH THE CONTRACT SAID IT HAD 83 MILES ON IT)AND AT ABOUT 2200 MILES MY CLUTCH STARTED TO SLIP SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP .I FOUGHT WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER FOR DAYS AND THEY JUST DENIED THE CLAIM STATEING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY 350.00 TO HAVE THE CLUTCH INSPECTED TO EVEN SEE IF IT COULD BE WARRENTED BUT ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER IT WAS MORE THEN LIKELY DUE TO ABUSE AND IT WOULD NOT BE COVERD I AM NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND LET MITSUBISHI STEAL FROM US I BELIEVE THEY PUT A CHEAP CLUTCH IN THE CAR TO LOWER THE COST OF PRODUCTION TO KEEP THE PRICE OF THE CAR DOWN SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THIS SO NOW I AM FORCED TO PAY OVER $1000.00 TO HAVE A REAL CLUTCH PUT IN SO IF YOU OTHER EVO OWNERS OUT THERE FEEL LIKE I DO CONTACT A LAWYER LIKE I AM GOING TO TO ASAP!!!*AK

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
    - SPRING, TX

    THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE CONSUMER THOUGHT THERE WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
    - SAN JOSE, CA

    ECU REGISTERS P0300 (MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRE) OBDII ERROR CODE. ERROR CODE IS THROWN, SES LIGHT COMES ON, AND CAR STUMBLES UNTIL THROTTLE IS RELEASED. THIS TYPICALLY OCCURS AT LIGHT THROTTLE OR CRUISING (STEADY) THROTTLE. IT CAN OCCUR UNDER LOAD (ACCELERATION) BUT NEVER OCCURS ON DECELERATION. KNOWN FACETS OF THIS PROBLEM THUS FAR ARE: 1) MITSUBISHI IS AWARE OF 2 ISSUES: STICKY (DIRTY) INJECTORS AND A TRANSMISSION HARMONIC RESONANCE, WHICH THROWS THE KNOCK SENSOR 2) THE CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE WHEN THIS OCCURS UNTIL THE THROTTLE IS RELEASED. 3) MY VEHICLE IN PARTICULAR IS ALMOST 100% UNDRIVEABLE ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO THIS PROBLEM RECURRING EVERY 10-15 SECONDS DURING ANY SORT OF HIGHWAY DRIVING PERIOD. 4) IT _IS_ A SAFETY ISSUE AS I HAVE HAD THIS OCCUR UNDER LIGHT ACCELERATION ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, ONLY TO BE MET WITH WHAT FEELS LIKE A WALL WHEN THE ERROR CODE IS THROWN AND THE ECU RETARDS THE TIMING BECAUSE IT IS DETECTING KNOCK (WHICH IS NOT ACTUALLY OCCURRING). 5) MITSUBISHI (MMNA) IS APPARENTLY AWARE OF AN ECU REFLASH FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM (THE HARMONIC RESONANCE ISSUE, NOT THE INJECTOR ISSUE). THEY HAVE CLAIMED THAT THE FLASH WILL BE OUT "WITHIN 3-6 WEEKS" SINCE NOVEMBER 2003, AND IT IS STILL NOT OUT NOR AVAILABLE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS HELD UP IN EPA CERTIFICATION. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FOR ME LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF TIMES, AND NO DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT BECAUSE MITSUBISHI WILL NOT AUTHORIZE ANY WARRANTY WORK ON MY VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM, CITING THAT "A FIX IS ALREADY ON THE WAY, WAIT FOR IT." *NM

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
    - SPRING, TX

    PREMATURE CLUTCH WEAR ON NEW VEHICLE. EXPERIENCING CLUTCH SLIPPAGE AT 3000 MILES. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED BY MANY OTHER DRIVERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER (MITSUBISHI) HAS NOT EQUIPPED THE VEHICLE WITH A STRONG ENOUGH CLUTCH. *NM

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
    - LAS VEGAS, NV

    THE CLUTCH WENT OUT ON MY 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION THAT I BOUGHT NEW AND HAS 3200 MILES ON IT. *JB

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE