MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI · model year

2003 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI

14 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2003MITSUBISHIMITSUBISHI carries 14 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2003 MITSUBISHI is visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:heater core with 2 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift (1) and air bags (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 13 investigation files overlapping the 2003 MITSUBISHI. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

14
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

14 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT1
AIR BAGS1
TIRES1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES1
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

20081028ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

I OWN A 2003 DIAMANTE WITH ABOUT 60,000 MILES ON IT. MY WINDOWS CONTINUALLY FOG UP WHILE DRIVING OR PARKED AND THE DEFROSTER/VENTS DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE FOG AT ALL, MAKING DRIVING VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY IN RAINY WEATHER AND DURING THE NIGHTTIME. THE SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE IS EXTREMELY STRONG INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY TRANSMISSION SHIFTING AND THE LIGHT AROUND THE "N" ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS FLASHING. THE MECHANIC SAID MY HEATER CORE WAS LEAKING COOLANT ONTO THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE CAUSING IT TO MALFUNCTION. I WAS TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH I PAID FOR AND HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS VEHICLE IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BECAUSE THE HEATER CORE LEAKING IS WHAT CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE TO FAIL. THE HEATER CORE WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE CONTROL MODULE AND THE RELAY WITH A COST OF OVER 2,500 DOLLARS. IT SEEMS LIKE A PROBLEM LIKE THIS THAT IS EXTREMELY COMMON IS THESE VEHICLES, CREATES SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARDS, AND VERY EXPENSI

20071021VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE

IN RESEARCHING WHAT MIGHT BE WRONG WITH MY MITSUBISHI GALANT HEATER, I FIND IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM DESCRIBED TO THE TEE. NOT HAVING HEAT IN MY CAR AND LIVING IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COULD PROVE TO BE DANGEROUS FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS AS VISIBILITY AND FREEZING WILL OCCUR AS I HAVE TO RUN THE COLD AIR ON MY WINDSHIELD TO SEE. *TR

Mileage: 65,000

20060401VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE

HEATER WENT OUT, AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO HAVE REPAIRED, WAS INFORMED HEATER CORE WAS DEFECTIVE. REPAIRING/REPLACING HEATER CORE IS AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE PROCEDURE!! *NM

Mileage: 79,000

20051023LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

THE HANDLE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COMES OUT OF ITS PLACE. THE HATCHBACK ON THE OUTLANDER NO LONGER CAN STAY UP ON ITS OWN, THE ARM THAT HOLDS IT UP IS DEFECTIVE.

Mileage: 90,000

20051023STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT

THE HANDLE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COMES OUT OF ITS PLACE. THE HATCHBACK ON THE OUTLANDER NO LONGER CAN STAY UP ON ITS OWN, THE ARM THAT HOLDS IT UP IS DEFECTIVE.

Mileage: 90,000

20051004POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I HAVE A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCE OZ RALLY, CAR HAS 32,000 MILES ON IT, I PURCHASED IT USED. I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WHERE SOMETIMES I WOULD SMELL BURNING ODOR FROM THE VENTS. I THINK CAR RUNS VERY RUFF AND IM NOT SURE WHAT IT IS.. I BELIEVE IT'S THE TRANSMISSION FROM READING ALL THE POST ON HERE.. AND ALSO THE SHIFTING IS ROUGH. I WILL BE TAKING IT TO A DEALER SOON.. HOPEFULLY THEY WONT GIVE ME THE RUN AROUND AND FIX THE PROBLEM RIGHT AWAY.. THANKS! *NM

20050926STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

MITSUBISHI MOTORS WILL NOT ACCEPT LIABILITY AND PAY TO HAVE A FAILURE OF A FACTORY WELD REPAIRED ON THE RIGHT FRONT ENGINE CROSS MEMBER OF MY 2003 MITSUBISHI MONTERO WHICH IS STILL UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY. MY INSURANCE ADJUSTER HAS SUBMITTED A LETTER INFORMING MITSUBISHI'S VEHICLE DEPARTMENT THAT THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE IS DUE TO FAILURE FROM IMPROPER WELDING. I HAVE ALSO BEEN INFORMED BY A CERTIFIED BODY SHOP THAT THE PART WAS NOT WELDED PROPERLY. MITSUBISHI HAS REFUSED TO PARTICIPATE IN REPAIRING THE VEHICLE SINCE AUGUST 12, 2005. *JB

Mileage: 34,391

20050717POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER

2003 MONTERO SPORT XLS--- STUDDERS/JERKS AT 30+ MPH WHILES DRIVING DOWN THE RD, HAS BEEN IN SHOP 9 TIMES

Mileage: 20,000

20050602CrashPOWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)

ACCELERATOR "STUCK" & VEHICLE REMAINED IN IDLE, FORCING TO CRASH

Mileage: 33,198

20041117FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

THERE IS A ROTTEN EGG SMELL, ALL THE TIME. I'VE TAKEN IT IN TO THE DEALER 3 PLUS TIMES, AND EACH TIME THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG, AND THAT I AM USING CHEAP GAS. THEY SUGGUESTED CHANGING GAS STATIONS. IT STILL SMELLS NO MATTER WHERE I GET THE GAS.*AK

Mileage: 1,000

20041115SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

BRAKES VIBRATE WHEN APPLIED. I HAVE RETURNED MY '03 DIAMONTE FOUR TIMES FOR REPAIRS AND EACH TIME THEY STATE THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND EITHER REPLACED OR MACHINED THEM. BRAKES ARE NOW VIBRATING AGAIN AND WILL NEED TO BE RETURNED FOR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. WIND NOISE COMING FORM THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW. WINDOW ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE THREE TIMES STILL HAVING NOISE PROBLEMS. RETURNED THREE TIMES TO HAVE LUMBAR SUPPORT SWITCH REPLACED. *AK

Mileage: 6,582

20041113TIRES

EAGLE LS KEEPS LOSING TIRE PRESSURE (ABOUT 10PSI) EVERY 5-7 DAYS. HAVE WENT TO THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES NOW FOR THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID TO GO SEE A GOODYEAR SERVICE CENTER. GOODYEAR SAYS THE TIRE JUST NEEDS AIR AND IT'S OK. THIS CANNOT BE SAFE IF THE TIRE IS CONTINUALLY LOSING AIR PRESSURE IN SUCH A SHORT TIME FRAME. *JB

20041111CrashAIR BAGS

AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY IN MY 2003 GALANT ES. I HIT A STOPPED VEHICLE, WHILE MOVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, HEAD-ON INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE OTHER CAR. *JB

Mileage: 31,678

20030722POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT

I AM DRIVING A RENTED MITSUBISHI PROTOGE'. YESTERDAY I REACHED DOWN TO PICK UP A BOTTLE OF WATER FROM THE RECEPTACLE BY THE DASH. AS I REACHED, I ACCIDENTLY BRUSHED THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER ( AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ) AND THE GEAR SHIFT POPPED INTO NEUTRAL. I PULLED OUT OF TRAFFIC AND TRIED THIS AGAIN. SAME RESULT. JUST BUMPING THE GEAR SHIFT SENT IT INTO NEUTRAL. I FEEL THAT THIS REPRESENTS THE POSSIBILITY OF A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. IF IT WERE TO OCCUR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, ACCIDENTS COULD OCCUR. *AK

Compare 2003MITSUBISHIMITSUBISHI to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2003 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI have?
The 2003 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI has 14 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI?
The most-complained component for the 2003 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI is VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT and AIR BAGS.
Is the 2003 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.