Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
052300407/01/20050523004100167542-3 shift flare. *tt10/04/2005
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)
13705/01/200710021743Reprogramming the pcm drivability or sensitivity issues can be corrected. *kb06/18/2007
0500212/01/200505002REVII10017671Emissions recall campaign - incorrect parameters in the pcm software that may allow a malfunction in the vehicle speed sensor to go undetected by the on-board diagnostic system (obd). *tt11/18/2005
041300702/01/2005051300310008812Powertrain control module (pcm) reprogramming for diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0300 random misfire. *tt driveability concerns. mitsubishi tech talk. *tt update. *tt08/23/2004
031300912/01/2003021300610005270Powertrain control module programming for diagnostic trouble code p0507. *tt02/18/2004
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER
032300610/01/2003012301010004448Torque converter shudder, surge, and/or vibration (possibly intermittent) when driving 35-50 mph at steady throttle. *tt12/15/2003
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
052200310/01/200510017676Clutch release bearing installation. *tt11/18/2005
9406/01/200310003756Clutch removal from transaxle. 2003 lancer evolution. *tt10/29/2003
032100105/01/200310002358Clutch release cylinder leaking condition. *tt08/26/2003
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
0501200405/01/200410014357Gl-5 and gl-4 oil requirements. *eh05/02/2005
032200111/01/200310005282Newly configured 5th gear synchronizer sleeve for 2003 lancer evolution manual transmission. *ph02/18/2004
9305/01/200310002718Oil leaks - manual transmission. *tt09/11/2003
9305/01/200310002719Transaxle or transfer case removal. *tt09/11/2003

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
POWER TRAIN
03/01/20051
 Mitsubishi lancer 2003, defective transmission and brakes. *bf the consumer stated the transmission slipped at every speed and no one would admit there was a problem. the brakes would fade and vibrate making it difficult to stop. *jb
07/15/20039500
 At around 9500 miles the car began sticking, slipping gears, jamming into gear. it was diagnosed as a failed body valve, which they ordered and sent me home for 10 days waiting for the part--meanwhile the car progressively became worse, making entering the freeway questionable, etc. after 10 days it began doing the same thing--took car back in--they sent me home while they tried to reach mitsubishi...when i demanded rental stating i did not feel safe (i called mitsubishi, who intervened and had me take car back to dealer until it is fixed). dealer told me they are ordering 6 more transmission parts based on mitsubishi's advice. meanwhile, i spoke with an independent mechanic who worked for mitsubishi, who said that if the body valve failed, there is probably internal damage to the transmission and that talking on the phone and ordering parts is not fixing the cause of the problem--also that the transmission and computer have to be in sync, and a damaged transmission could affect the computer of the car. so we have techs talking back and forth on the phone, a dealership service dept that does not have the answers talking to a tech hundreds of miles away, and neither party has seen the inside of the transmission....i feel like i have a defective car and am running to the shop which is just putting bandaids on the problem.
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
12/30/2003100
 I have two issues which seem to have both already been reported. 1. while driving the transmission will idel high while driving, but the vehicle is not speeding up. then without warning the transmission catches, and the car lurches forward. this is a random issue that happens daily with the vehicle. servicing the transmission has not fixed the problem and continues to be a problem to this day. 2.the heater/ac control know became very difficaul to change between heater and a/c. the switch has finally broke off, and now i'm unable to switch between heater and a/c. i have done reseach and this also seems to be a problem that has not been resolved. i have found most other auto owners have paid for the replacement, but only to have the same problem occur again. i have done reseach on both of these issues and is has been reported as far back as 2004, and at this point i do see any recalls by mitsubishi to fix either of the problems.
01/05/201168000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi lancer oz rally. the contact noticed that the clutch slave cylinder was leaking fluid and the following day the clutch petal was no longer operable. the dealer or manufacturer had not been notified nor was the vehicle repaired or diagnosed. the current and failure mileages was approximately 68,000. bw
02/28/2006300002001/19/2004
 I bought my 2003 lancer es when it had 16,000 miles on it, by about 30,000 miles i noticed that the automatic transmission seemed to be slipping, sometimes when driving and i would let up on accelerator to slow and then would depress accelerator again the car would act like it was in neutral, car did not accelerate, this happened on the highway and at slow speeds, 30 miles an hour or slower. on 8-25-05 i took the car in to the dealership at northtowne mitsubishi and reported this problem and that the right passenger ball joint had failed inspection at 34000 miles. i asked the dealer to look at transmission at the same time, i was told they would check it out, i was told that this type of transmission developed a memory and if one person drove it harder that another this could happen, sounded like a bunch of hooey to me, but i don't know much about cars. i took the car back in on dec. 30, 2005 for a recall on car,something to do with the emissions and again complained about transmission, was told again, nothing to worry about. now my car is making a whining noise, took the car to a goodyear service center and was told my transmission was the problem and needs repair, my car has approx 43000 miles on it. the dealer never put on my service tickets to look at transmission, just to check over vehicle. i feel they were trying to put me off till my car went out of warranty. my powertrain is now still under warranty but the rest is not. i am very upset. *nm
12/24/200577000109/08/2003
 Ever since i bought my car 2 years ago it has sputtered and jerked but at first not that bad. the last year has been the worst. it stays revved up and then it will kick into gear. finally christmas eve it broke down. the mechanic told me it is a hair line crack about 2 inches long on the transmission housing. sure enough there is and i have a dead car. *jb
10/13/200561603110/26/2002
 Automatic transmission slips/skips while speeding up around twenty five miles per hour, and this occurs when breaking quickly. when breaking quickly, car will then jump forward when the transmission catches. i believe this has always slightly been there, but i believe my slow driving has masked the issue. i had the transmission fluid changed and then the dealer did two recall changes, and after the skipping issues was very much there. after reading the other complaints, i am sure this is the tip of the iceberg. prd. *nm
09/24/2005240002008/29/2004
 A few weeks ago my vehicle become very tough to shift out of park when parked on any incline or, uneven surface. once the gear selector wouldn't even move and three people had to stand behind the car and push it forward to allow me to shift out of park. i've taken it to city mitsubishi in jacksonville fl. and they have informed me that the best thing to do is stop, put it in neutral, set the e-brake, then put it in park. i feel this is un-necessary considering it only has 25,000 miles, i'm the original owner, it's under factory warranty, and it wasn't doing this 1000 miles ago. i have left it there and will be contacting mitsubishi motors on monday to see what my next course of action is. *nm
01/03/200540001
 The vehicle sticks in third gear. the consumer has located similar complaints on the internet. *ak
03/14/200525000101/16/2004
 The transmission is skipping. the car would drive by itself without me accelerating, the rpms would be at 3-4 x1000 rpms while the car is stopped at a red light or something else worse. *ak
01/18/200579520503/28/2003
 Ever since i bought my car i've been having trouble with it, the check engine light stays on, at first the dealership i bought it from, rockland mitsubishi in ny, said it was just a sensor in my gas tank, but after fixing it, it kept coming back on. finally they told me it was my fault, i had to turn my car off completely before pumping my gas, close my tank tightly, then start my car back up. this back and forth continued until my normal warranty ran out. at 70k miles, my transmission started skipping, and my engine began puttering. finally took it to mitsubishi again, they said they took care of it. at 80k now, my transmission as completely died, i took it to aamco and they say i need a completely new transmission. *jb
01/06/200511000703/03/2004
 Upon driving my 2003 lancer, i've noticed that periodically the transmission will skip and the car will do a jerk. it alarmed me because at that time the car had only about 11,000 miles on it. i am concerned because i haven't even had the car a year, and i thought i was getting a quality vehicle. as i looked on the complaint board i realized im not the only one with this issue. is mitsubishi aware of this problem? and if so, what are they going to do about all of these cars? if anyone is having the same issues please contact danielle@847)619-5879. *jb
11/18/200410224107/12/2002
 I purchased a 2003 mitsubishi lancer ls, frm the mmsa co. used parking lot, with only a 100 miles. car seemed to run fine, and then it started to randomly revv and them stall. it wasnt that bad at first, but 06/04 it became a problem. id stall about 8-12 x a day (avg.), id taken it to the mitsu dealers who all said: they fixed it, couldnt replicate the problem, or there was nothing wrong. while on the freeway, i started to brake and then realized that i had no power to my car- it had stalled in motion. all lights were on on dashboard and the lenght between me and the other car was inevitable. even when i had taken it to a dealer only 4 days before who said they fixed it. i ended up totally my car and recieved many injuries, and mitsubishi didnt even help me. at the time of my crash i had just hit 10000 miles- i should not have had a problem like this with a brand new (basically) car.*ak
11/04/200435000103/17/2003
 When driving my vehicle the transmission does not shift gears properly. normal operation of the vehicle leads to slipping transitions from gear to gear making it difficult to maintain/reach/sustain speed. this occurs in both highway and city environments. i have had the car serviced according to manufacturer's recommendations of every 3000 miles. i have about 40000 miles on the vehicle at this point. it started doing this at about 6000 miles. i have had the vehicle checked multiple times. when taken to the dealership they informed me nothing was wrong. i have changed the transmission fluid as well as all filters. i was told this is 'normal' for the car. i do not think however that this is a typical behavior for new vehicles.*ak
06/06/200415003010/20/2002
 When driving my vehicle the transmission does not shift gears properly. normal operation of the vehicle leads to jerky transitions from gear to gear and results in the inability to gauge the amount of pressure need to maintain/reach/sustain speed. this occurs in both highway and city environments. i have had the car serviced according to mfg'r recommendations of every 3000 miles. i have about 35000 miles on the vehicle at this point. it started doing this at about 4000 miles. i have had the vehicle checked multiple times. when taken to the dealership they informed me nothing was wrong. i have changed the trans. fluid as well as all filters. i was told this is 'normal' for the car. i do not think however that this is a typical behavior for new vehicles. i have also had a problem for the past 1500 or so miles with my breaks squeaking. when i try to stop or pull out from a parking space they have a squealing sound. i have also had this evaluated at the mitsubishi repair shop and was informed they are fine.*ak
05/11/20042
 While shifting vehicle jerked and shook uncontrollably. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection, but mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem. *ak
02/27/20041
 While driving consumer smelled a burning odor coming from the vents. vehicle stalled. consumer had vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined transmission needed to be replaced. *ak
08/05/20037
 Automatic transmission is slipping at first gear on 2003 lancer es. this car is only a year old and has less than 6,000 miles on it. i should not have this problem. *la
07/15/200312000210/04/2003
 Continuation of odi#10023954--within 2 weeks of repair on transmission (replaced valve body)--car repeated the same symptoms would not kick into gear to get on freeway or would jerk and lurch, slipping and sticking. the dealer replaced 6 parts on the outside of transmission--never looked inside for internal damage even though an independent mechanic told me there was probably internal damage when the valve body failed. *la
06/10/20039200110/06/2003
 Transmission on my 2003 mitsubishi lancer is failing--went to get on freeway and had no speed--pedal was to the floor when it finally kicked into gear. it lurches and jerks and slips gears. the mitsubishi service dept. tried to tell me nothing was wrong with it--when i took the technician for a ride we got ten feet and it jerked and clicked into gear--they say the transmission body valve is failing--ordered the part--told me it was safe to drive the car until it is fixed even though it is getting worse everyday, and i am leary of driving it on the freeway. it is under warranty, but i feel either this is a defect or i got a lemon. more to come after the repair. *nlm
01/24/200320509/24/2002
 When i drive my 2003 mitsubishi lancer es at 20 mph and want to increase the speed and press the gas pedal, the rpm of the car will increase and the speed of the car will decrease and all of a sudden, the speed will increase as if the gears in the auto transmission just engaged. i almost got into an accident. i took my car to the dealership and they said that everything was fine and changed the transmission fluid. but it happened to me again even though the dealership changed my trans. fluid. i suspect the auto transmission is defective and is potentially dangerous. *jb
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY
09/26/2007100000305/24/2005
 2003 mitsubishi lancer. axle bearing failed on passenger side. i replaced it. inner tie rod tore out of outer tie rod. i replaced them. for safety reasons i decided to replace the correspond drivers side parts. when i started to remove the hub assembly the drive axle fell from the car in three pieces. no local or national chain could locate the axle which they all said cost about $75.00.mitsubishi told me it would be $753.00. while i agree that i have no choice but to replace the failed part, i also feel a file should be opened since this represents a safety issue. *tr
08/29/20031
 Consumer called about having problems with the right front axle, which broke while driving. the dealer and the manufacturer were contacted and stated that there are no recalls and to get a hold of his insurance company, they should solve his problem. *ph
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
09/26/2007100000305/24/2005
 2003 mitsubishi lancer. axle bearing failed on passenger side. i replaced it. inner tie rod tore out of outer tie rod. i replaced them. for safety reasons i decided to replace the correspond drivers side parts. when i started to remove the hub assembly the drive axle fell from the car in three pieces. no local or national chain could locate the axle which they all said cost about $75.00.mitsubishi told me it would be $753.00. while i agree that i have no choice but to replace the failed part, i also feel a file should be opened since this represents a safety issue. *tr
04/07/20051
 The driver noticed that the clutch will not disengage. *ak
03/25/200559840308/14/2003
 Loss of clutch operation while at red stop light, clutch pedal depressed, car in first gear, foot slightly on brake. clutch pedal started feeling soft, then without clutch pedal movement, clutch engaged. later that day, i find oil under my car. took to dealership and reported problem, and was advised that slave cylinder was leaking.
02/28/200537116112/08/2004
 Car was driving fine. then started acting funny shifting. kept getting worse so took it to the dealer. the car had 37000 miles on it and the warrenty ran out at 35000. ended up being the slave cylinder. the dealer wanted $1200. took it to a local shop but still cost $38.10. *ak
06/10/20046500103/18/2004
 I have owned the car for 4 months and have about 6500 miles on the odomoter. the clutch has started slipping when the turbo kicks in. the problem is getting progressively worse. i have notified my local dealer who acknologes the car needs a clutch, but claims this is a wear item and isn't covered under warranty. they also implied driver abuse. this car is my daily driver, i do not race it or drive it above its intended use. i have even offered to supply a quality aftermarket clutch and have the dealer simply provide the labor, they were not agreeable to this at this point.*ak
02/12/20047000106/10/2003
 Clutch failure at 7,000 miles. dealer won't pay for repair, i had to pay $1350.00 plus $350 rental car. car was not abused , raced or modified. i have read many complaints on various websites that people have submitted.*ak
02/10/20041
 I have a mitsubishi lancer evolution 8, purchased in may 2003. i have 12000 miles on the car and i am now getting slippage when accelerating the car. i did not abuse this car, i did not race this car in any way. it is a daily driven car for approx 10 miles a day. i called the dealership and they told me the clutch was warranted for 1000 miles and no more. i talked to an employee at the dealership who told me that there are a lot of owners coming forward with clutch issues, and mitsubishi was not servicing any of them. i am displeased that the clutch would go out at 12,000 miles under daily driving. *jb
01/12/200412000105/01/2003
 Clutch starting slipping at 10000 miles, car is not modified or abused in any way. way to early for a vehicle to have such major problems. waiting to see what service will do. *jb
12/16/20034229109/15/2003
 At 1000 miles the clutch in my 03 lancer evo began to slip occasionally. i brought this to the attention of the mitsubishi service department and they explained that they could not help me unless the problem could be recreated. at 3000 miles the transmission began to grind into 5th gear occasionally. again i was told not to bring it in until it could be recreated. at 4000 miles i was able to recreate the condition. mitsubishi agreed to repairing the transmission under the terms of the warranty. a convenience inspection of the clutch was also performed at this time. the initial response from mitsubishi was that they were not going to repair the clutch even though it showed signs of slippage, and they attributed it to abuse. the claim was unfounded and eventually reversed by the district parts representative for mitsubishi and the repairs were covered under warranty. my concern is that without my diligence my claim would not have been resolved and more importantly had i not convinced them to perform the inspection the inevitable failure of the clutch may have manifested itself in such a manner to cause a serious accident. the failure rates for the drivetrain of this vehicle seem very suspect to me and may warrant an independent investigation into the reliability of those components. these items should not fail so early in their service life or with such frequency unless there was a mechanical defect that required a recall. i am also suspicious that the service departments seem to have received instructions to dismiss claims regarding warranty drivetrain repairs. i was warned numerous times throughout the service that if any sign of abuse was present my warranty would be voided and all the charges associated with the inspection and repair would be my responsibility. this felt more like a tactic to deter or scare me into continuing to drive a vehicle that was potentially dangerous. *la
12/20/20034000003/03/2003
 Mitsubishi lancer evolution clutch has been making loud squeeling noises since 4000 miles. it now has 8300 miles on it and is getting worse. the other day i went to start the vehicle, (clutch fully depressed and in 1st gear) and the car lurched forward about 6 inches before the clutch disengaged!
08/01/20031
 In august, 2003, my 2003 mitsubishi lancer evolution viii clutch failed with only 5000 miles on it. dealer denied warranty coverage as wear item. arbitration failed to produce a favorable result, although service writer stated it does not look like abuse and afadavit from ase master mechanic stated that there appeared to be no abuse involved.*ak
10/21/2003103991
 Clutch failed at 10k000 miles. car was never raced or abused. cost of repair $1600.ot covered under new car warrenty even though it is listed as a coverable item in the warrenty book. dealer denied any problem upon initial inspection. car was driven an approx 300 miles b4 problem became unbearable and dealer agreed that there was an actual problem.*ak
09/20/20033600108/05/2003
 When my mitsubishi evolution viii had 3,600 miles on it, the clutch began slipping -- this occurred while driving 45 miles per hour in traffic. i was able to drive to dealer. the dealer said the clutch was a wear item, and refused to replace it. *la
09/10/20038500104/15/2003
 The clutch failed in the first 8500 miles of operation. the failure was sudden and occurred while trying to pass on a 2 lane road. while driving 55 mph, the car failed to accelerate. *ph
09/03/20038600006/30/2003
 2 months ago approx. i purchased a mitsubshi evolution viii. recently the clutch failed causing great inconvenience and possible safety risk. the vehicle left me stranded on the highway at night. the clutch failed quickly and without warning. it was not possible to take the vehicle out of gear, which is very dangerous. after brief research i found that many customers are having the same problems, as high as 35 percent. eventually this will cause an injury. the dealer would not repair the vehicle and had no help for me, aside from the free tow. the cost of repair was only 550.00 from an independent service facility. mitsubshi informed me that this repair was not acceptable and would void the drivetrain warranty. the dealers quote was 950.00. thank you for your time and consideration. i thank a recall may be in order, even if mitsubshi was willing to repair the clutches for free, they do not have an adequate updated repair or part. *ph
85001
 While driving at 55 mph vehicle experienced clutch failure and wouldn't accelerate.*ak
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - BELL HOUSING
01/05/20042500112/07/2003
 I recently purchased a evo8 in december, there was 339 miles on it when i bought it. it was the last of 2003s. at around 2500 miles the clutch started slipping, took it into the service dept. at huggin's mitsu. it told the representative what was happening and that it could be coincidense but i had got gas the day before the car started to run poorly. he assured me that was my problem, he wouldn't even go look at the car when i asked. so over the weekend the problem worsened, was back at service moday morning. at this point i began dealing with the service manager who told me well you spent 35,000 get ready to spend two grand more. also after going through distict and regional supervisors warranty denied. so now im working on arbitration. to clear one thing up, i babied my car. i am rather young so for me to own to a nice car i took every precaution. i know i'm not alone in this fight, so we should all join and speak under one unanimous voice.*ak
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE
180001
 Vehicle was experiencing a spontaneous a lack of acceleration while inadvertently losing power. there was a serious clutch problem. manufacturer denied that there was any problem. *ak
11/15/20030007/18/2003
 Mitsu hq has circulated a service advisory to dealers to consider any modification to vehicle for possible peripheral relationship to any failure. verbally, service departments are saying that the total car warranty is voided by addition of any aftermarket modification. addition of a-m stereo is considered good cause to void engine warranty -- complete car warranty. and that this advisory is being provided in writing to dealers. i obtained a copy. the advisory did not state directly related which would make sense, but allowed for warranty cancellation due to peripherally related which is anybody's guess. suggest that this violates the magnusson act, and this practice by mitsubishi should be investigated. changing a catback exhaust system seems unrelated to a clutch failure, yet owners are getting warranty rejections for such minor modifications. thank you
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
05/09/2008100001
 Knocking noise coming from the clutch area. every time i release the clutch on my car i hear this knocking noise, when i depress the clutch the noise goes away. *tr
10/15/20051
 Car had manual transmission problems roughly at 30k, transmission problems again, needed to be replaced, not covered under warranty. car is rusting on frame, on exterior, carpet inside is paper thin, road salt had eaten through it - already have visible rust on wheel well. this car is pathetic, wouldn't give this make to my worse enemy. i will be making another phone call to mitsubishi motors. definitely a lemon in every sense of the word. *nm
03/23/20032500106/15/2003
 The transmission in my 2003 evolution is sometimes very rough going into second gear. the tranny feels as if the gears are grinding for a second before engaging; i have brought this up to the attention of mitusbishi corporate and several service depts and they do not appear to be concerend. this is an issue that a lot of evolution owners are experiencing.*ak
01/05/2004300001
 While driving transmission slipped gears. this caused a distraction to the consumer. dealership's mechanic was notified, but did not resolve the problem.*ak
12/16/20034229109/15/2003
 At 1000 miles the clutch in my 03 lancer evo began to slip occasionally. i brought this to the attention of the mitsubishi service department and they explained that they could not help me unless the problem could be recreated. at 3000 miles the transmission began to grind into 5th gear occasionally. again i was told not to bring it in until it could be recreated. at 4000 miles i was able to recreate the condition. mitsubishi agreed to repairing the transmission under the terms of the warranty. a convenience inspection of the clutch was also performed at this time. the initial response from mitsubishi was that they were not going to repair the clutch even though it showed signs of slippage, and they attributed it to abuse. the claim was unfounded and eventually reversed by the district parts representative for mitsubishi and the repairs were covered under warranty. my concern is that without my diligence my claim would not have been resolved and more importantly had i not convinced them to perform the inspection the inevitable failure of the clutch may have manifested itself in such a manner to cause a serious accident. the failure rates for the drivetrain of this vehicle seem very suspect to me and may warrant an independent investigation into the reliability of those components. these items should not fail so early in their service life or with such frequency unless there was a mechanical defect that required a recall. i am also suspicious that the service departments seem to have received instructions to dismiss claims regarding warranty drivetrain repairs. i was warned numerous times throughout the service that if any sign of abuse was present my warranty would be voided and all the charges associated with the inspection and repair would be my responsibility. this felt more like a tactic to deter or scare me into continuing to drive a vehicle that was potentially dangerous. *la
POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
02/23/2004250011/07/2003
 Mitsubishi corp. problem with transfer cases with their evolution lancer viii....lso piss poor management trying to shift blame on consumer. had transfer case fail at 2500 miles and was given a hard time about it. also forced to rent a car because they would not supply one.*ak