There are 12 owner-reported suspension complaints for the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THERE'S A LOT OF POPING UNDERNEATH FRONT END AND THERE'S A RECALL AL ON THE CONTROL ARMS
TAKATS RECALL .MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBERSR-16-003
I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR MY VEHICLE JANUARY 2017. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT TRANSITTOWNE MITSUBISHI AT 7428 TRANSIT RD. WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. 14221. THEY DO NOT ANSWER THEIR PHONE OR EMAILS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V458000 (SUSPENSION) IN AUGUST. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE RECALL REMEDY WERE STILL NOT AVAILABLE AND NO ESTIMATED TIME FOR RECEIVING THE PARTS COULD BE PROVIDED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V458000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
ON 5 OCCASIONS NOW WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN THE ENGINE ACCELERATES ON IT'S OWN REVVING EXTREMELY LOUD. IF I DON'T PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURN OFF THE IGNITION IT FEELS LIKE IT WILL TAKE OFF AND CAUSE A SEVERE ACCIDENT. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW AND THIS FIRST OCCURRED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER BUYING THE VEHICLE. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE VEHICLE AND A FEW MONTHS LATER HAPPENED AGAIN. IT HAPPENS SPORADICALLY BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS IT IS QUITE SCARY. NOW MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND AUTOZONE PRINTED ME A RECEIPT THAT INDICATED THERE IS A MALFUNCTION IN THE TURBINE SPEED SENSOR. I AM GOING TO GIVE THIS A TRY AND HOPE IT RESOLVES MY ISSUE. IT SEEMS THIS HAS BEEN A MALFUNCTION SINCE THEY SOLD ME THE VEHICLE. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS VEHICLE.. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS ISSUES WITH THE REAR SUSPENSION.. IT SOUNDS LIKE I AM DRIVING AN HUGE SCHOOL BUS... IT SQUEAKS AND SOMETIMES SOUNDS LIKE THE BACK END IS GOING TO FALL APART...*JB
LEFT REAR OF CAR WAS MAKING A INTERMITTENT NOISE THAT WAS FASTER WITH SPEED OF CAR. CHECKED STRUT ON LEFT REAR FOUND IT TO BE DEFECTIVE. WHILE WAITING FOR PART TO BE SHIPPED THE STRUT ON LEFT REAR CAME COMPLETELY APART. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO COMPLETE SEPARATION OF TOP AND BOTTOM OF STRUT.*AK
MITSUBISHI LANCER ES 2002, VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAKING AN ANNOYING SQUEEKING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OT THE CAR. THREE ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE DEALER TO CORRECT PROBLEM, TO NO AVAIL. IT SEEMS THAT EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS WORKED ON THE SOUND DISSAPPEARS FOR SEVERAL MINUTES (30 MNS.) AND THAN IT RETURNS. THEY CLAIM TO BE STEMMING FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM TO POOR BUSHINGS TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. THEY CLAIM THAT ALLL OF THE ABOVE HAVE BEEN REPAIR OR REPLACED BUT NOT SUCCESSFULLY.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH DRIVER'S SIDE CONTROL ARM POPPED OFF THE WHEEL . HOWEVER, DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT. VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO BENT CHASSIS. *AK
I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR SUSPENSION OF MY 2002 MITSUBISHI LANCER. SERVICE TELLS ME THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED A BULLETIN FROM MITSUBISHI REGARDING AN ISSUE WITH THE CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. APPARENTLY BOTH ARE BAD ON MY AUTOMOBILE. THE RECOMMENDED FIX TO THIS PROBLEM ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE BULLETIN IS A SPECIAL LUBE, HOWEVER AFTER TWO ATTEMPTS THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS UNDER A FULL BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY, SERVICE HAS MADE NO ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM FOR OVER A MONTH, DESPITE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND PROTESTS BY ME. THEY ARE INSTEAD "WAITING FOR MITSUBISHI TO TELL THEM HOW TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM". IN THE MEANTIME I AM FORCED TO DRIVE A DEFECTIVE AUTOMOBILE. *JB
THE BRAKES WORE OUT PREMATURELY. THE PART WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED EXISTS. *AK THE VEHICLE LEFT BLACK OIL SPOTS ON THE GARAGE GROUND NEAR ALL FOUR TIRES THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD IT WAS FROM EXCESS FACTORY OVER COATING. THE BRAKES SQUEALED CONTINUOUSLY, THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WORE OUT PREMATURELY AND A NAIL WAS IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE REAR TIRE AND COULDN'T BE REPAIRED BECAUSE TO THE FRONT AND REAR STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO LEAKAGE, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER WAS GETTING DIFFERENT OPINIONS REGARDING THE STRUTS. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CALIPERS AND OR BRAKE DESIGN WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKES TO PREMATURELY WEAR OUT. *SCC THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED *JB
HAVING A PROBLEM WITH REAR SUSPENSION. THE ENTIRE BACK END SOUNDS AS IF THE FRAME IS BROKEN. WAS ASSURED BY MITSU SERVICE THAT IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED BEARINGS AND BUSHINGS AND PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER. THIS IS A 2002 LANCER OZ WITH 30000 MILES THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO A CAR OF THIS AGE. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE I FEEL IF THERE ARE TWO COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE THERE ARE MOST CERTAINLY DOZENS MORE OUT THERE OR MORE TO COME.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026