Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Visibility25
- Air bags23
- Power train22
- Engine and engine cooling19
- Service brakes, hydraulic16
- Suspension15
- Steering12
- Vehicle speed control10
- Unknown or other8
- Structure7
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 22 injuries and 2 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 15 2002 Lancer vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 15 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer failed the safety check 1.12% of the time — 44% less often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 141,554 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
21 cars built in 2002 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 54 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In New Zealand
633 2002 cars are on the New Zealand register; 39% arrived as used imports, 58% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
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.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mitsubishi told its dealers about the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637154 | BULLETIN REVIEW REGARDING TSB-02-42B-001 DESCRIBING WELDED PANEL REPLACEMENT - SERVICE MANUAL REVISION. *TT |
| 637150 | BULLETIN REVIEW REGARDING TSB-02-35-003 CONTAINING A NEW STANDARD VALUE FOR BRAKE BOOSTER PUSH ROD PROTRUSION. *TT |
| 637146 | BULLETIN REVIEW REGARDING TSB-02-13-006 CONTAINS POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) REPROGRAMMING INSTRUCTIONS FOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0507. *TT |
| 637107 | CUSTOMER COMPLAINT ABOUT VEHICLE DRIFT. *TT |
| 637106 | BRIEF SUBJECT REGARDING GOODYEAR EAGLE LS P195/65R15 87T ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRE REPLACEMENT. *TT |
| 636973 | BULLETIN REVIEW TSB-02-42A-007 REGARDING BODY STANDARD DIMENSIONS - BODY REPAIR MANUAL REVISION. *TT |
| 636960 | BULLETIN REVIEW TSB-02-13-011 REGARDING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0441 DIAGNOSIS - SERVICE MANUAL REVISION. *TT |
| 636941 | SUBJECT REGARDING SRS DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE 22 - UPDATE. *TT |
| 636936 | INFORMATION ON INSTALLING ACCESSORY SPOILER. *TT |
| 636927 | VEHICLE TECHNICAL INFORMATION REGARDING POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) REPROGRAMMING FOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0507. *TT |
| 636921 | BULLETIN REVIEW REGARDING TSB-02-13-008 - CORRECTS ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM / PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE BACKUP POWER SUPPLY CIRCUITS. *TT |
| 636905 | VEHICLE TECHNICAL INFORMATION REGARDING SRS DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE 22. *TT |
| 636894 | VEHICLE TECHNICAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE CLUTCH RELEASE CYLINDER. *TT |
| 636855 | BULLETIN REVIEW REGARDING TSB-02-23-004 - REVISES BOLT TIGHTENING TORQUE VALUES FOR TRANSMISSION OUTPUT SHAFT RETAINER AND TRANSMISSION OIL PUMP. *TT |
| 636851 | SERVICE REVIEW REGARDING TSB-02-13-014 - FUEL TANK DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE SENSOR - SERVICE MANUAL REVISION. *TT |
| 636830 | SUBJECT REGARDING SRS DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE 22 (HIGH RESISTANCE CONDITION IN THE CLOCK SPRING). *TT |
| 636827 | INFORMATION ON INSTALLING THE ACCESSORY SPOILER. *TT |
| 636825 | ON SOME VEHICLES, CUSTOMERS MAY FIND THAT WHEN PROGRAMMING THE RKE ANSWERBACK FUNCTION THE DESIRED FUNCTION CHANGE MAY NOT TAKE PLACE. *TT |
| 636818 | SUBJECT REGARDING POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) REPROGRAMMING FOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0507. *TT |
| 635125 | SUBJECT REGARDNG BODY STANDARD DIMENSIONS - BODY REPAIR MANUAL REVISION. *TT |
| 635121 | SUBJECT REGARDING BALL JOINT END PLAY CHECK PROCEDURES - SERVICE MANUAL REVISION. *TT |
| 635113 | SUBJECT REGARDING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0441 EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL INCORRECT PURGE FLOW DIAGNOSIS - SERVICE MANUAL REVISION. *TT |
| 635099 | THIS BULLETIN REVISES THE TIGHTENING TORQUE VALUES FOR THE TRANSMISSION OUTPUT SHAFT RETAINER BOLTS AND THE TRANSMISSION OIL PUMP MOUNTING BOLTS. *TT |
| 635092 | SUBJECT REGARDING FUEL TANK DIFFERENTIALPRESSURE SENSOR - SERVICE MANUAL REVISION. *TT |
| 634609 | POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING FOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0507. *JG |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)