2004 Mitsubishi Lancer problems
NHTSA has received 96 complaints about the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer, and 24% of them involve wipers, windshield & visibility. After that come air bags (20%) and cruise control (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 96 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Wipers, windshield & visibility 24% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 8 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 60,000 miles 60 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 6 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 11 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 12 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 13 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 6 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 5 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 60 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 60,000 miles. For wipers, windshield & visibility specifically, the median reported mileage is about 73,000 miles (17 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 8 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 4 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Mitsubishi Lancer with enough data (46 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 mitsubishi lancer. While the contact was driving out of her driveway the vehicles front passenger side airbag deployed without warning filling the inside of the vehicle with white smoke. Due to the deployment of the airbag which blocked the vision of the contact the vehicle crashed into a nearby utility pole. The contact suffered injuries to her face and body . A police report was filed for the incident. The contact called the manufacturer and a report was filed for the failure.
2004 mitsubishi lance customer has concerns about the dash design. ** the consumers daughter was involved in an accident where a jeep grand cherokee hit her. There was a very long, large piece of the plastic decorative dashboard that the consumer believed acted like a whip which came from the passengers side of the car and struck the consumers daughter in the head.
1. After driving vehicle for an hour or less (depending on atmospheric conditions) a spark/static discharge occurs between the external metal surface of the vehicle and the first occupant exiting vehicle. 2. This could potentially ignite fumes when the vehicle is refueling or in presence of other flamable gases/materials. Also potential could cause spark between the gas tank door and gas station fuel nozzle. This is as much of a danger as an annoyance due to the static discharge/spark is very strong.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle's app sensor went out, which caused the vehicle to decelerate rapidly and not rev past 2500 rpms. The service department was contacted but could not find the cause of the problem. The app sensor was replaced 5 times. The contact had repair invoices available upon request. Updated 10/25/2006 - the brake light indicator on the dash remained on at all times. The dealer replaced the alternator.
A recall was issued in 2005 for a potential issue in the power train. The recall stated that if the vehicle had a check engine light, the repair was to first try reprogramming the power train. If the check engine light appeared afterwards, the catalytic converter was to be replaced. The car was taken to the dealership for the above outlined service in 2005. The power train was reprogrammed and the check engine light went away, but the catalytic converter was not replaced. The check engine light later returned.