Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Visibility21
- Air bags19
- Engine and engine cooling7
- Vehicle speed control7
- Electrical system7
- Power train7
- Suspension6
- Unknown or other5
- Structure3
- Equipment3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 13 2004 Lancer vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 13 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. 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 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer failed the safety check 2.92% of the time — 33% more often than the average 2004 passenger car (2.21%). Median odometer at inspection: 139,292 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 petrol (72 kW, 97 hp) and 2.0 petrol (99 kW, 133 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 petrol | 72 kW 97 hp | 122 |
| 2.0 petrol | 99 kW 133 hp | 24 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
152 first registered in 2004 are on Dutch roads; 8% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €32,910.
Most common APK defects
- Band onvoldoende profiel60
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm49
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt42
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen41
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)41
- Licht- donkerscheiding dimlicht onduidelijk39
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde39
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm36
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
175 cars built in 2004 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 319 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
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 380 of these cars first registered in 2004 took their annual MOT test. 84% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2004 the figure was 56%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2004 |
|---|---|---|
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.2% | 7.5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.3% | 21.8% |
| Visibility | 3.9% | 7.7% |
| Brakes | 3.7% | 13.8% |
| Suspension | 3.4% | 17.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 2.6% | 9.1% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
194 of these cars first registered in 2004 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 245,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
996 2004 cars are on the New Zealand register; 31% arrived as used imports, 67% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 8.7–10.8 L/100 km (about 22–27 mpg US), CO₂ 200–248 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancer · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.8 | 7.4 | 8.7 |
| Lancer · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.8 | 8.2 | 9.6 |
| Lancer · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.5 | 8.8 | 10.3 |
| Lancer · Compact · Regular gasoline | 12.0 | 9.3 | 10.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer.
| 2018166 6 Apr 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the passenger frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the … |
| 2017444 15 Sept 2017 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the passenger frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the … |
| 2016317 21 Jun 2016 | Structure On certain vehicles, road salt can corrode the front crossmember assembly, which may ultimately lead to separation of the control arm at the mounting point. Th… |
| 2015236 28 May 2015 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the passenger frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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.
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 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010045 | This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Arizona addresses to inform them of open Takata recalls. |
| 11008814 | This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Georgia Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Georgia addresses to inform them of open Takata recalls. |
| 11008790 | This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Georgia Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Georgia addresses to inform them of open Takata recalls. |
| 11008766 | This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Georgia Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Georgia addresses to inform them of open Takata recalls. |
| 11006079 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with New York addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 11001197 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with California addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10249796 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Commission, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Alabama addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10249795 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Texas addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10246262 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with New York addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10243486 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the Puerto Rico Traffic Safety Commission, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Puerto Rico addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10243485 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Florida addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10240443 | This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023. |
| 10240442 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Nevada addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10238899 | This is a revised Safety Recall bulletin sent to dealers informing them of new Takata inflator return procedures. |
| 10238897 | This is a revised Safety Recall bulletin sent to dealers informing them of new Takata inflator return procedures. |
| 10237508 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from USAA, notification letters on USAA letterhead are being sent to vehicle owners insured by USAA to inform them of open Takata recalls. |
| 10235609 | This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of rap-film adhesive residue. |
| 10235608 | This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load carrying capacity be affixed to vehicles when the total net weight of accessories is more than 1.5 percent of the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or 100 lbs. |
| 10235606 | This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd quarterly technician quiz for 2023. |
| 10234017 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Massachusetts addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10234014 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with New Mexico addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10232640 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Colorado addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10226083 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with New York addresses to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10222737 | This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with South Carolina address to inform of open Takata recalls. |
| 10217126 | This is a Technical Information Notice sent to all dealers informing them that affected owners in Virginia were sent a reminder to have a Takata recall completed on their vehicle. The letters were printed with State of Virginia letterhead. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation