2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Problems, Recalls & Reliability
194 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 90,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2011, 2015–2016.
Avoid
Where 2002 sits among all Lancer years
What owners report
“Driver's side windows would fog up on the outside whenever the air conditioner is turned on. The problem can happen while vehicle is idling. A rental vehicle from enterprise. Mr”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Lancer
“Vehicle 't-boned' a taxi causing extensive front end damage. Airbags did not deploy.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Lancer
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 117 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 65,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 38,000 and 122,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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,…
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…
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…
Fix: 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.
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,…
Fix: 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.
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…
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
92 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 Lancer TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer reliable?
The 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer drew 194 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2002).
What are the most common 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer are visibility & wipers (27 complaints), airbags (25), and engine (22).
At what mileage do 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer problems around 65,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 38,000 and 122,000 miles.
Does the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.