Open safety recalls, the components owners report failing most often, crash-test results and running costs for the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer, assembled from NHTSA and EPA records.
Everything on this page applies to the model as a whole. Run its VIN to decode that exact car, its engine, trim, assembly plant and factory equipment, alongside these records.
Open a VIN recordRecalls and complaints are filed against a specific model year, so figures differ from one year to the next even within a single generation. See every Mitsubishi Lancer year.
Over 5 years this costs $2,500 more in fuel than an average new vehicle.
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for this make, model and year. Recalls apply to the model, so some may already be fixed on this specific car. A dealer can confirm from the VIN.
Issue: 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.
Risk: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
Remedy: MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN WILL MAIL A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTER CONTAINING A WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND A GRAPHIC OF THE BI-LINGUAL DASHBOARD AIR BAG WARNING LABEL. IN ADDITION, ALL CURRENT 2000-2004 NATIVA OWNERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE REPLACEMENT AIR BAG ALERT LABELS FOR THE SUN VISORS. THIS RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH OR APRIL 2005. THE NOTIFICATION TO THE NATIVA OWNERS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL OR MAY 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN AT 1-787-251-8715.
Campaign 04V428000
Issue: 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.
Risk: 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.
Campaign 16V458000
Issue: 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.
Risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: ALFAOTTO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 10, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ALFAOTTO AT 626-656-2992 OR VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT WWW.ALFAOTTO.COM.
Campaign 06E038000
Issue: 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.
Risk: DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
Campaign 09E025000

NHTSA frontal crash test
Rated configuration: 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer 4-DR.
The parts named most often across 155 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this make, model and year.
19 crashes · 13 injured
1 crash · 1 death
1 fire
2 crashes
1 crash · 2 injured
1 crash · 2 injured
Complaints are self-reported and skew toward problems people find alarming, so read this as where to look rather than as a defect rate.
2 complaint-reported fatalities on this model.
The contact's daughter owns a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she felt an air draft inside of the vehicle. The contact's daughter attempted to close the sunroof when she noticed that the sunroof had detached from the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the sunroof part was no longer manufactured and they were unable to get the part to perform the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 221,660.
SMOG STATION INSPECTION REPORT ;; RECALL ONREPROGRAM PCM AND REPLACE FAN CONTROLLER
THERE HAS NO BEEN AN INCIDENT YET. THE VEHICLE RATTLES IN THE FRONT END, EXACTLY WHERE THE RECALLED PART IS AT. I TOOK IT TO THE LICENSED DEALERSHIP THAT I WAS TOLD WAS QUALIFIED TO REPLACE THE PART AND THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE IT CLAIMING THAT THE VEHICLE IS TOO RUSTY AND THEY DON'T WANT TO LIFT IT UP ON THE AIR. I HAD JUST HAD 4 NEW TIRES PUT ON IT RECENTLY AND THEY USED A CAR LIFT WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. I WOULD LIKE THE PART REPLACED BECAUSE NOW I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE DEFECT CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF IT IS NOT REPLACED. THE REASON IT IS BEING RECALLED IS BECAUSE IT IS PRONE TO RUST AND MAY DETERIORATE OVER TIME AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT.
FRONT LOWER ENGINE SUPPORT & CRADLE ARE RUSTED OUT ALONG WITH THE CROSS MEMBER. I CAN FURNISH PICTURES IF NECESSARY.
THERE'S A LOT OF POPING UNDERNEATH FRONT END AND THERE'S A RECALL AL ON THE CONTROL ARMS
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST MITSUBISHI THAT HAS DONE THIS. MY EX'S 2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE ALSO HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER. I NEED TO KNOW HOW FAST I AM GOING.
TAKATS RECALL .MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBERSR-16-003
CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVERHEATING EMISSIONS RECALL. SECOND IS THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE SURFACES OF THE FRONT CROSS MEMBERS USED ON CERTAIN VEHICLES. IT WAS A RECALL ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVERHEATING. I NEED TO GET MY CAR FIX.
BRAKES LOCKED UP AND SUBFRAME SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING. FOUND OUT RECENTLY THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY CAR.
MY HUSBAND WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND OVER CORRECTED HIT AN EMBANKMENT AND A TREE AND THIS PUSHED HIM BACK INTO THE ROAD AND SPIN SHOOTING HIM INTO ANOTHER EMBANKMENT AND THIS RESULTED IN HIM BEING FORCED BACKWARDS AND INTO ANOTHER DITCH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD HITTING A MAILBOX AND ANOTHER DITCH. THE AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED AND THE SEAT BROKE AS IF HE WAS LAYING DOWN TO SLEEP BUT IT WAS BROKE INTO THIS POSITION. HE HIT HIS FACE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND INJURED HIS EYE SOME HOW AND THE HOSPITAL SAID THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING. WHY DID HIS SEAT GET THROWED BACK LIKE THAT AND BREAK PLEASE EXPLAIN. I COULD HAVE LOST MY HUSBAND..
I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR MY VEHICLE JANUARY 2017. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT TRANSITTOWNE MITSUBISHI AT 7428 TRANSIT RD. WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. 14221. THEY DO NOT ANSWER THEIR PHONE OR EMAILS.
RECALL INFO: "THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE SURFACES OF THE FRONT CROSS MEMBERS USED ON CERTAIN VEHICLES IF EXPOSED LONG TERM TO SNOW MELT WATER AND ANTI-FREEZING AGENTS MAY CORRODE DUE TO INSUFFICIENT PERFORMANCE OF THE RUST PROTECTION. SHOULD CORROSION OCCUR, A LOWER CONTROL ARM COULD BECOME DETACHED RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND POTENTIAL COLLISION. IN MAY 2016 WE HAD TO HAVE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM REPLACED ALONG WITH THE FRONT SWAY BARK LINK ASSEMBLY." I BELIEVE THIS IS ALL PART OF THE CORROSION MENTIONED ABOVE IN THE RECALL. CAR WAS MOVING WHEN LOWER CONTROL ARM BECAME DETACHED. $285.00 TO REPLACE LOWER CONTROL ARM & FRONT SWAY BAR LINK. *TR
Showing 12 of 155 complaints.