2004 Mitsubishi Lancer problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (17) · Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System (10) · Visibility (7)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mitsubishi Lancer model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
46 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2018-04-05 · campaign 18V220000 · 17,120 vehicles
Defect: 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 i
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2017-09-14 · campaign 17V569000 · 66,001 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm 2016-06-23 · campaign 16V458000 · 194,674 vehicles
Defect: 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 Co
Risk: A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (91)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Air Bags 2025-11-10 · TIN-25-00-013 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this technical information notice informs 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 them of open takata recalls.
Air Bags 2025-09-08 · TIN-25-00-011 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this technical information notice informs dealers that with permission from the texas department of motor vehicles (dmv), notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with texas addresses to inform them of open takata recalls.
Air Bags 2025-04-11 · TIN-25-00-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this technical information notice informs dealers that with permission from the ohio bureau of motor vehicle, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with ohio addresses to inform them of open takata recalls.
Air Bags 2025-04-11 · TIN-25-00-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this technical information notice informs dealers that with permission from the louisiana motor vehicle division, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with louisiana addresses to inform them of open takata recalls.
Air Bags 2024-12-09 · TIN-24-00-011 · Service Campaign
this is a technical information notice informing dealers that mmna is launching a social media campaign targeting vehicle owners with open takata recalls.
Air Bags 2024-10-21 · TIN-24-00-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 91 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2019-03-02 · Air Bags“takata recall. had original airbag replaced 2 yrs ago. received a letter from mitsubishi stating i needed to have it done again. i called customer service for mitsubishi when i learned they no longer have a mitsubishi dealership locally. i was advised at that time that the nearest dealership , in either direction, was 4-5 hours from where i live. …”
2018-08-20 · Air Bags“2004 mitsubishi lancer. consumer writes in regards to airbag safety recall. *ld the consumer stated he is too visually impaired to drive the long distance to have the vehicle repaired; therefore, accepting all responsibility of the consequences. *js…”
2018-07-27 · Suspension · 148,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2004 mitsubishi lancer. the contact stated that the vehicle was pulling to one side and the tires were worn down. the vehicle was taken to an independent tire facility where it was diagnosed that the cross member needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campai…”
2018-07-23 · Suspension · 154,398 mi“i was going to replace the front control arms on my own but now i am only going to be able to replace the front passenger control arm because the driver side control arm is corroded and the bolt does not come out. i was going to buy the crossmember myself but than a family member showed me a link that says this crossmember on my model could be a …”
2018-07-19 · Air Bags“2004 mitsubishi lancer. consumer writes in regards to passenger side airbag safety recall. *ld the consumer stated the dealership would not provide a convenient option to have the recall repair completed.*js…”
2018-07-11 · Air Bags · 85,000 mi“takata recall my local mitsubishi dealer, cutter mitsubishi (https://www.cuttermitsubishi.com) has refused to fix the recall. i have telephoned more than five times, leaving detailed messages, including both the air bag recall and not including the air bag recall. they have never responded to one telephone call, and they never answer the phone…”
2018-05-03 · Air Bags“tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2004 mitsubishi lancer. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v569000 (air bags). the contact stated that the mitsubishi dealer was over 100 miles away and a recall repair appointment could not be scheduled. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time fo…”
2018-05-02 · Air Bags“tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2004 mitsubishi lancer. the contact stated that the srs indicator illuminated and the horn did not work. the vehicle was taken to big two mitsubishi (6222 auto park dr., mesa, az 85206, (480) 218-2000) where the contact was informed that diagnostic testing would need to be performed. the vehicle was not diagno…”
2017-11-01 · Air Bags · 45,000 mi“recall on takata inflators. there is no mitsubishi dealer in rochester, mn. i am 95 years old and cannot drive out of rochester, mn. what should i do to get the inflator replaced?…”
2017-09-12 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm · 💥 crash“2004 mitsubishi lancer wagon. consumer writes in regards to corrosion of lower control arm safety recall. *ld the consumer stated while backing out of a parking space, the vehicle backed into a truck at a high speed. updated 09/12/2017*js updated 10/19/17*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was totaled. updated 11/1/2017*js…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.