2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution problems & reliability
98 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 65 | 66% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 10 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 9% |
| Structure | 8 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 3% |
| Visibility | 3 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 2% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 2% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 12,195 miles (middle 50% between 4,791 and 25,500 miles), based on 75 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My vehicle was clean title but then it was considered salvage title, it was involved in a car accident on 9/07/2023 . I never knew about the recall because I am not the first owner. how i found out about the recall was because I have to do brake and lamp inspection and it failed on 10/09/2024 so I took the vehicle to…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jan 22, 2026
“Upon inspection of the undercarriage in the rear, areas of severe corrosion has developed underneath the rear on the aluminum subframe bar that holds the rear differential and other suspension components in place such as the rear differential & lateral control bars that can surely compromise the cars ability to drive…”
Suspension · filed Jul 29, 2020
“Severe rear frame rail unibody rust. Specifically where the rear aluminum subframe mounts to the body. My vehicle, along with thousands other, have shared similar rust and rot from the exact same locations on 2003-2006 mitsubishi lancer evolutions. Absolutely no frame protection for the steel body. There is already a…”
Structure · filed Jul 21, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
38 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The 10 most recent:
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of rap-film adhesive residue.
TSB-23-00-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load carrying capacity be affixed to vehicles when the total net weight of accessories is more than 1.5 percent of…
TSB-23-00-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew condensation, which is a natural phenomenon, and water penetration caused by improper sealing or a defective/broken part.
TSB-22-54-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2022
This TSB provides the addition of Hood Air Outlet Maintenance Procedure due to a change in suppliers.
TSB-20-42A-007 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 30, 2020
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT253 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2019
This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes TSB-18-00-003, issued April, 2018, to add updated information for Carrying Capacity Reduced Label.
TSB-19-00-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 30, 2019
This is a message sent to dealers, to inform them that an update for MEDIC will be available.
MEDICUpdate517 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2018
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT237 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2018
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 12,195 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.