2005 Mitsubishi LANCER: complaints, problems and recalls

NO OUT OF THE ORDINARY EVENTS LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE. MY VEHICLE, WHICH IS A DAILY DRIVER CAR WOULD ONCE IN A WHILE "STUMBLE" THEN THROW A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AFTER THIS I WOULD GO TO MY DEALER OR AN AUTOSHOP AND HAVE THE "PULL THE CODE" USING A ODB II ERROR SCAN TOOL. EVERYTHING IT WAS THE SAME "CODE" NAMED P0300. THIS WOULD HAPPEN INFREQUENTLY (5-6 TIMES A MONTH) BUT EVENTUALLY IT BECAME A OCCURRENCE ALMOST BY THE MINUTE. WHEN THE CAR "STUMBLES" THERE IS NO POWER TO MERGE, TURN OR CHANGE LANES. MY DEALER HAS OFFERED A RECALL - WHICH IS …

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10106279 at NHTSA ↗

BRAKE FAILURE AT 7032 MI BRAKES COMPLETELY METAL TO METAL LOSS OF MOST BRAKING FUNCTIONS VERY POOR RESPONSE TIME,BRAKE PADS REPLACED,BRAKE FAILURE AGAIN AT 13560 BRAKES AGAIN METAL TO METAL VERY POOR RESPONSE TIME,BRAKE PADS REPLACED AGAIN,BRAKE FAILURE AGAIN AT 18500 AGAIN BRAKES METAL TO METAL LOSS OF BRAKE RESPONSE TIME VERY LOUD GRINDING NOISES UPON APPLICATION OF BRAKING SYSTEMS SERVICE REFUSED BY DEALER ALL WITHIN 10 MONTHS OF VEHICLE PURCHASE BRAND NEW. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10142621 at NHTSA ↗

REAR GLASS RATTLING OVER BUMPS. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 8,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10143502 at NHTSA ↗

2005 LANCER ES, MANUAL TRANSMISSION, PURCHASED 8-11-05 IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. APPROXIMATELY 8,500 MILES, BEGAN TO HEAR RUBBING SOUNDS WHEN SLOWING FROM HIGH SPEED- THOUGHT IT NEEDED ALIGNMENT, SO TOOK IT IN, HAD WHEELS ALIGNED, AND ROTATED, (ALREADY HAD PREVIOUS ALIGNMENT AND ROTATION @ 6,000 MILES.) AFTER LOCAL (SURFACE STREET) DRIVING ONLY, AT 9,800 TOOK TO DEALER TO INSPECT PROBLEM, WITHIN 11 MONTHS OF PURCHASE. DEALER SAID IT WAS "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR". I HAVE NEVER HAD BRAKES WEARING OUT UNDER 15,000 MILES. SEEMS DEFECTIVE TO ME. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 8,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10162476 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A 2005 LANCER AND MY DECISION FOR THE PURCHASE WAS BECAUSE OF THE 4 AIR BAGS. I TOTALED THE CAR AND ALL FOUR AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS TOTALED ON 6-3-07 WITH ALOT OF DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE. PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 17,684 miles reported. Look up ODI 10193792 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MITSUBISHI LANCER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL AND THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. SHE SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. AS OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2007, THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10203999 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MITSUBISHI LANCER. WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD AND THE ENGINE REVVED. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND PLACED THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO PREVENT IT FROM SURGING. HE SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000. …

Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10206323 at NHTSA ↗

#1- REMOVING BOTH FRONT TIRES FOR BRAKE MAINTENANCE, AND CLEANING OF THE TIRE-WELL. #2- THREE OF THE BOLTS SECURING THE TIRE TO THE RIM FAILED. ONE SNAP UNDER LIGHT PRESSURE (RIGHT SIDE), TWO OF THE BOLTS WERE STRIP BY THE LOCKING NUT, RENDERING THEM USELESS (LEFT SIDE). THIS CAR FEATURE ANTI-THEFT WHEEL COVERS INSTALLED BY THE DEALER-DISTRIBUTOR IN PR WHICH REQUIRES DIFFERENT TYPE OF LOCKNUT FOR THE TIRE RIM. #3- THE CAR WILL BE TAKEN FOR SERVICE TO AN AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP AND I WILL REQUEST REPLACEMENT OF ALL BOLTS WITH NEW SAFETY NUTS…

Owner-reported narrative. 59,470 miles reported. Look up ODI 10240569 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2016-06-23 (June 23, 2016)

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.

Consequence: A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2017-09-14 (September 14, 2017)

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Lancer and Lancer Evolution vehicles and 2004 Lancer Sportback vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with a different inflator, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2017. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-17-001. Note: This recall supersedes recall 15V-321.

Reported: 2018-04-05 (April 5, 2018)

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicles that previously received a like-for-like passenger side frontal air bag inflator under recall 15V321 as interim remedy. Also recalled are 2004-2006 Lancer vehicles located in Guam or Saipan that previously received or never received a new inflator under 15V321 or 17V569. These passenger side frontal air bag inflators may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to explode in the event of an air bag deployment.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a final replacement passenger side frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on April 26, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-005.