2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Typical pattern

5.2% of complaints about the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2003 vehicle — around the middle of the 228 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 1.9 yr in service. The most-reported system is power train (70 complaints), typically at 1.8 yr or about 7,853 miles.

Complaints: 116
Median age at failure: 1.9 yr
Median mileage: 13,506 n=93
Crash / fire / tow: 0.9% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

16V458000 2016-06-23

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 me

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

04V138000 2004-03-23

Equipment:other:labels

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES AND PUERTO RICO, THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR) AND GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING (GAWR) AS STATED ON THE CERTIFICATION LABEL ARE IN ERROR.

OVERLOADING CAN DAMAGE YOUR VEHICLE, ADVERSELY AFFECT VEHICLE PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING HANDLING AND BRAKING, CAUSE TIRE FAILURE, AND RESULT IN A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Power train 5,000 mi 1.5 yr in service

THE CLUTCH WORE OUT PREMATURELY WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 45-55 MPH. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATED THAT THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLE. *AK

Power train 10,100 mi 1.6 yr in service

EXTREMELY LOUD NOISES COMING FROM TRANSMISSION/FRONT TRANSFER CASE. I KNOW OF MANY OTHERS WITH THIS ISSUE. MITSUBISHI NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS SEVERE DEFECT IN THE EVO VIII FRONT TRANSFER CASE!*AK

Power train 7,600 mi 1.6 yr in service

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER SHIFTED GEARS AND SMELLED A BURNING ODOR. VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SHOULDER, AND THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE PUSH ROD TO THE CLUTCH WAS BEND. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE PUSH ROD WAS INDEED BEND. *AK

Other Lancer Evolution model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Lancer Evolution model years

How to read this