Most common 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer problems
Share of the 83 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mitsubishi Lancer complaints by model year
Best Lancer years: 2007, 2013, 2017. Years to avoid: 2003, 2002, 2009, 2008, 2004. Compare all years →
2004 Mitsubishi Lancer recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicles that previously received a like-for-like passenger side frontal air bag inflator under recall 15V321 as interim remedy.
Remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a final replacement passenger side frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on April 26, 2018.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Lancer and Lancer Evolution vehicles and 2004 Lancer Sportback vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with a different inflator, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2017.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
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, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,…
Remedy: 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 member will be replaced…
Equipment › Other › Labels
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 the size requirements of the standard.
Remedy: Mitsubishi caribbean will mail a customer notification letter containing a written description and a graphic of the bi-lingual dashboard air bag warning label.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
What 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer owners say
Air bags all 21 →
Takata recall my local Mitsubishi dealer, cutter Mitsubishi (https://www.cuttermitsubishi.com) has refused to fix the recall. I have telephoned more than five times, leaving detailed messages, including both the air bag recall and not including the air bag recall. They have never responded to one telephone call, and they never answer the phone. I have gone to their website and left a dozen requests for service noting I need the air bag recall fixed, and they have never, not once, replied to any requests. They should be forced to fix my airbag before it kills me and they should be punished with a significant monetary penalty for endangering my life and everyone else's life who can't get it fixed.
Tl 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. The current and failure mileages were 36400.
A/C & heater
This is with reference to the climate control panel, the knob to turn system temperature from cold to heat, with time the knob got stiff and it was very hard to turn from cold to heat, for years I have had to play with it every time I needed to use it to switch to the temperature I desired according to the weather, especially in the rain and when going from summer to winter. Finally the knob broke off and now I am no longer able to turn it making it "impossible" to defrost the windows, especially when it rains and they get foggy from the humidity or early in the morning during the cold winter months which results in unsafe driving as it impairs my vision to the point that I need to roll down my windows while I am driving which is quite dangerous. Only the rear window defrost works because it is controlled by a different knob. …
I own a 2004 Mitsubishi lance ralliart sedan. The air control switch (knob used to adjust the temperature) began sticking/catching about in about 2006 (my car was already out of the warranty time frame due to mileage). The switch then broke completely off in 2008. To fix the problem the dealership needs to replace the entire heating control unit, modify (cut) the damper, and install a new lever which costs over $1600. I found that this same heater control unit has been used since 2002 in lancers, galants, endeavors, and other models - all having the same issue - it eventually fails and the owner is stuck paying more than $1600 to fix what should have been repaired in latter models or simply fixed with a new switch.
Windows, wipers & sunroof
The knob to adjust my heating and cooling broke off. Now I am stuck with freezing cold air blowing all year round. This effects my visibility at times because I can not use defroster. I was told to replace the unit would be $300+ labor. Seeing as though they have to take the whole dash apart to fix, it is quite expensive. I have read online many other people are having this same issue. I think if Mitsubishi gave us a bogus part that is guaranteed to break, they should have to replace/recall it.
The control for the heater/ac is hard to turn. Has been since purchase of vehicle eventually broke and now have no defrosters to keep windows defrosted during winter months. Very expensive to fix. Affects visibility and safety. Mitsubishi is well aware of this defect. When talked with dealer, he knew the problem and price of repair, without seeing the vehicle. Many consumers online have had the same problem with Mitsubishi since 2002. Does someone have to die to have this recalled.
2004 Mitsubishi Lancer engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 24 / 32 / 27 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 22 / 28 / 24 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 20 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer a good car?
Based on 83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Lancer rates avoid: 2.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Lancer at the same age. It is one of the Lancer years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer?
The air bags — 21 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the a/c & heater (14) and windows, wipers & sunroof (9).
How many recalls does the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer, the most recent from April 5, 2018 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mitsubishi Lancer?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007, 2013 and 2017. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2003, 2002, 2009, 2008 and 2004. See the full Mitsubishi Lancer years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 36% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.