2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback

Routine

Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System3
000
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System1
000
Visibility/Wiper1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System1
000
Air Bags1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Nov 24, 2017157,833 milesNC

TAKATA RECALL - I TOOK MY CAR IN TO HICKORY MITSUBISHI IN HICKORY, NC TO GET THE AIRBAG FIXED. I PICKED UP MY CAR IN THE AFTERNOON. IT STARTED TO GET DARK ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, SO I TURNED MY LIGHTS ON. I HAVE NO INTERIOR LIGHTS ON MY CAR. I CAN'T SEE MY ODOMETER, SHIFT COLUMN,ETC. I HAD TO TRAVEL A SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE TO GET THIS REPAIR SINCE THERE IS NO LONGER A MITSUBISHI DEALER WHERE I LIVE. NOW I HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK THERE AND SIT FOR ANOTHER 2.5 HOURS WHILE THEY TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY DID TO MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I'M NOT SURE I WANT THEM TO EVEN TOUCH MY CAR AGAIN.

Electrical System
Filed Feb 20, 2017110,000 milesMI

AFTER CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB ON THE DASHBOARD WAS STUCK AND WAS UNABLE TO TURN FROM COLD TO WARM. WHEN TURNING THE KNOB, THE KNOB BROKE EXPOSING ELECTRICAL PANELING. THE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS NO LONGER ADJUSTABLE AND WAS WOULD ONLY BLOW COLD AIR WITH THE OUTSIDE BEING BELOW-FREEZING TEMPERATURES. THIS HAPPENED WHILE CAR WAS STATIONARY IN DRIVEWAY, BUT IF HAPPENED WHILE MOVING COULD HAVE CREATED AN UNSAFE DISTRACTION LEADING TO A DANGEROUS INCIDENT.

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Oct 31, 2016184,790 milesVA

ETACS FAILURE. LOSS OF ABILITY TO SIGNAL TURNS, LOSS OF WIPER FUNCTION BELOW HIGHEST SETTING, LOSS OF REAR WIPER, LOSS OF DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT, LOSS OF HIGH BEAMS, LOSS OF WIPER FLUID CONTROL. LOSS OF FUNCTION CAME ON SUDDENLY, MIS SPRING 2016 RETURNED INTERMITTENTLY OVER SUMMER, THEN FAILED COMPLETELY BEGINNING OF OCTOBER. A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE HAS BEEN RELEASED FOR MY VEHICLE TYPE OF A LATER YEAR., BUT MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT RECALL

Electrical System
Filed Dec 31, 201420,000 milesTX

I HAVE A 2004 MITSUBISHI LANCER SPORTBACK. THE FAN CONTROL UNIT IS DEFECTIVE AND WAS FIXED ONCE AT THE DEALERSHIP OF PURCHASE HOWEVER, SINCE THAT TIME FAN HAS REPEATEDLY MALFUNCTIONED IN TERMS OF IT RUNNING DURING THE ENTIRE TIME THAT THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION IN ADDITION TO IT STAYING ON EVEN AFTER THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF AND THE KEY IS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. *JS

Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System
Filed Jan 12, 2012TX

MY HEAT AND COOLING CONTROL STICKS AND IT HARD TO TURN THE KNOB FROM COLD TO HEAT AND HEAT TO COLD. THE PIECE FINALLY BROKE 3 ON 11/12/11. THE UNIT NOW HAS TO BE CHANGED UNDER THE DASHBOARD WHICH I AM UNABLE TO DO WHILE DRIVING, WHEN MY WINDOWS ARE FOGGY I HAVE TO DRIVE WITH THEM BEEN FOGGY IF IT IS NOT IN THE RIGHT POSITION. IT APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MITIS. SINCE I SEE MANY ISSUES WITH THIS ONLINE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 3, 2011100,000 milesOK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MITSUBISHI LANCER SPORTBACK. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN ACCELERATING ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION BY APPLYING THE BRAKES ABRUPTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP THAT ADVISED THAT THE FLY-BY-WIRE WOULD NEED REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 20, 2010104,000 milesMD

I OWN A 2004 MITSUBISHI LANCER SPORTBACK. THE HEATER AND COOLING CONTROL KNOB FOR INTERIOR HEATING AND COOLING WILL NOT CHANGE OVER FROM AIR CONDITIONING TO HEAT. IN THE AREA THAT I LIVE IT IS VERY COLD IN THE WINTER MONTHS ( 20 - 30 DEGREES). ACCORDING TO RESEARCH I HAVE DONE ON THIS ISSUE IT IS S KNOWN ISSUE AT MITSUBISHI. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO THE HEATING SYSTEM NOT WORKING TO DEFROST MY WINDSHIELD WHEN NEEDED AND NO HEAT. IF MITSUBISHI KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE THEN WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE LOCATED MANY COMPLAINTS WITH THIS AND IT IS ON NEWER MODELS AS WELL. SO NEW PRODUCTS ARE COMING OUT WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THIS NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED BEFORE MORE VEHICLES ARE PRODUCED AND THE USED ONE NEED TO BE FIXED SO THAT OWNERS DO NOT RUN INTO A HAZARDOUS CONDITION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Mar 6, 200950,000 milesCA

I HAVE A 2004 MITSUBISHI LANCER SPORTBACK. THE FAN CONTROL UNIT IS DEFECTIVE AND RECALLED ON OTHER VARIOUS MITSUBISHI MODELS INCLUDING OUTLANDER AND LANCER. HOWEVER, SINCE MY MODEL, THE LANCER SPORTBACK WAS NOT LISTED UNDER THE RECALL, MITSUBISHI REFUSES TO REPAIR/REPLACE IT. *TR

8 of 8 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2004
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20133000Routine
20120100Routine
20110300Routine
20101600Routine
20090200Routine
2004 — this page8000Routine

Compare every Lancer Sportback year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.