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#BS-2004-MITLAN-7780

2004 Mitsubishi Lancer

Based on reports from 96 owners and 7 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
96
Crashes
8
Fires
5
Recalls
7
TSBs
91
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 96 complaints, 8 crashes, 5 fires, and 7 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

ac heater not working properly

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

tweeters not working

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

clutch went out

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

19 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 60K 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

7
0–30K
22
30–60K
17
60–90K
7
90–120K
3
120–150K
4
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (22 reports) • Median: 60K 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: Airbags (19 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

Airbags19 (20%)
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System10 (10%)
Visibility9 (9%)
Other8 (8%)
Electrical6 (6%)
Speed Control5 (5%)
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System:windshield:electrical Heating Element4 (4%)
Suspension4 (4%)

2004 Mitsubishi Lancer: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 20% of all reports filed for the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 19 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 60,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 60K-mile mark.

Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System Issues

Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Visibility Issues

Visibility complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 9 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 6 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-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

2
04
14
05
12
06
3
07
5
08
4
09
11
10
3
11
7
12
4
13
4
14
7
15
8
16
4
17
7
18
1
19

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

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

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Recall History (7 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."

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.

16V458000Sep 2016

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM

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.

+ 2 more recalls 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.

2004 Mitsubishi Lancer vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

96

Class avg

205

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical compact cars vehicles. A good sign.

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. 96 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 7 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 →

2004 Mitsubishi Lancer: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer is related to the airbags, with 19 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer reliable?
The 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer has 96 complaints, 8 crash reports, and 5 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2004 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 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer has 7 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 60 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 60,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K 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 96 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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