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#BS-2003-MITLAN-7780

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer

Based on reports from 241 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
241
Crashes
17
Fires
2
Recalls
6
TSBs
77
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 241 complaints, 17 crashes, 2 fires, and 6 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

speedometer not working properly

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

car jerks when accelerating

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

hard to shift lurches jams into gear

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the VisibilityHIGH

34 owners reported visibility issues — failures commonly reported around 53K miles.

!Inspect the Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac SystemMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

61
0–30K
24
30–60K
35
60–90K
18
90–120K
10
120–150K
12
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (61 reports) • Median: 53K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Visibility (34 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Visibility34 (14%)
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System28 (12%)
Other25 (10%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission19 (8%)
Power Train:clutch Assembly17 (7%)
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System:windshield:electrical Heating Element12 (5%)
Suspension9 (4%)
Air Bags:frontal7 (3%)

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Visibility Issues

Visibility complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 34 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 53,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 53K-mile mark.

Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System Issues

Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 28 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 19 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:clutch Assembly Issues

Power Train:clutch Assembly complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:clutch assembly-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

28
03
34
04
16
05
9
06
26
07
10
08
18
09
35
10
19
11
9
12
7
13
5
14
2
15
6
16
5
17
5
18
5
19
1
21
1
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

04V428000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

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.

06E023000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

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."

06E038000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

06E064000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

09E025000Jul 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

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.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Mitsubishi Lancer is the 2011 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

241

Class avg

231

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars vehicles from 2003.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 241 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Mitsubishi Lancer Model Years

2017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996
View all Mitsubishi Lancer years →

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer is related to the visibility, with 34 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer reliable?
The 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer has 241 complaints, 17 crash reports, and 2 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer have any recalls?
Yes, the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Mitsubishi Lancer problems start?
Based on 160 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 53,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 241 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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