Mitsubishi · Lancer · 2003
6
Recalls
297
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer has 6 recalls and 297 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: power train (108 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 28, 2026
The 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer page works best as a research starting point. Complaint totals show how much owner-reported activity exists, while recalls and investigations help show whether any of that activity turned into formal safety action.
Because this is a newer-era vehicle page, it usually helps to compare this year against nearby model years before deciding whether a complaint pattern looks isolated or persistent. On this page, the most prominent complaint area is power train with 108 reported complaints.
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
If you are researching a used vehicle, start with the complaint categories, compare them against the recall list, and then check nearby model years to see whether the same issue profile repeats. That usually produces a better buying or research signal than treating the raw complaint total as a standalone safety ranking.
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 Lancer, 2004 Lancer Wagon, 2003-2006 Lancer Evolution, 2003-2006 Outlander and 2007-2013 Outlander V-6 vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
Remedy Status
MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross member will be replaced with a new one that has a sealing/anti-corrosion agent applied to it. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-003.
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
Remedy Status
DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Remedy Status
TRADESONIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRADESONIC AT 626-934-8884.
CERTAIN ALFAOTTO COMBINATION HEADLAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Remedy Status
ALFAOTTO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 10, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ALFAOTTO AT 626-656-2992 OR VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT WWW.ALFAOTTO.COM.
CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
Remedy Status
ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH REMOVABLE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS AFFIXED TO THE DASH AND TO THE SUNVISOR DO NOT MEET THE SIZE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
Remedy Status
MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN WILL MAIL A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTER CONTAINING A WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND A GRAPHIC OF THE BI-LINGUAL DASHBOARD AIR BAG WARNING LABEL. IN ADDITION, ALL CURRENT 2000-2004 NATIVA OWNERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE REPLACEMENT AIR BAG ALERT LABELS FOR THE SUN VISORS. THIS RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH OR APRIL 2005. THE NOTIFICATION TO THE NATIVA OWNERS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL OR MAY 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN AT 1-787-251-8715.
Need to correct manufacture recalls. Car has 262000 miles. Actual owner in my family. Want to correct issues before accident happens. I have very poor vision when driving because of car head lights being foggy.
My vehicle was clean title but then it was considered salvage title, it was involved in a car accident on 9/07/2023 . I never knew about the recall because I am not the first owner. how i found out about the recall was because I have to do brake and lamp inspection and it failed ...
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Corrosion on cross member
The faulty control arm issue was repaired in 2017. When I went in for a front end alignment on 9/14/2021 they noticed that the control arms were rusting through. I live in Wisconsin and noticed that there is a recall on 2007 lancers for a similar problem where the control arms ...
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UPON INSPECTION OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE IN THE REAR, AREAS OF SEVERE CORROSION HAS DEVELOPED UNDERNEATH THE REAR ON THE ALUMINUM SUBFRAME BAR THAT HOLDS THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND OTHER SUSPENSION COMPONENTS IN PLACE SUCH AS THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL & LATERAL CONTROL BARS THAT CAN SUREL...
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OK EVER SINCE THE GASKET WENT BAD AND REPLACED THE GASKET ON THE LANCER THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS BEEN GIVING ME ISSUES NOT JUST GAS BUT ISSUES SOUNDS AND PINGS IN THE ENGINE PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT'S THE ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE I KNOW THERE IS SOME TYPE OF RECALL ON THIS EXACT...
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THE AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATER CONTROLS KNOBS ON DASHBOARD. DO NOT TURN. CAN'T. ADJUST TEMPERATURE ELECTRICAL CERCUIT IN THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM HAS LOW VOLTAGE THAT CAUSES THE ENGINE.LIGHT TO CPME ON AND TURN OFF AT RANDOM. THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY WEEK IN LUMINS. WHEN DRIVI...
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THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB BROKE OFF. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. THE ARM INSIDE CAN BE TURNED WITH A NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS, BUT ONLY TOWARDS THE COLD/AC SIDE. IT STOPS WHEN TURNED TOWARDS THE HEAT SIDE AND WILL NOT GO- FEELS AS THOUGH IT COULD BREAK IF IT WAS FORCED. THIS IS EXTREMEL...
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NOTICED SUSPENSION NOISE WHEN GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS OR POTHOLES. SOUNDS COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM.
SEVERE REAR FRAME RAIL UNIBODY RUST. SPECIFICALLY WHERE THE REAR ALUMINUM SUBFRAME MOUNTS TO THE BODY. MY VEHICLE, ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OTHER, HAVE SHARED SIMILAR RUST AND ROT FROM THE EXACT SAME LOCATIONS ON 2003-2006 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTIONS. ABSOLUTELY NO FRAME PROTECTION ...
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Showing 10 recent complaints from 297 total
View Full Complaint LogThe strongest comparison flow is usually: exact vehicle-year page, then nearby years of the same model, then other 2003 Mitsubishi models. That sequence helps separate one-off year spikes from broader make-wide patterns.
The 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer has 6 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 297 owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer are power train (108 reports), visibility (59 reports), structure (13 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 6 recalls on record for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.