Photo: Cutlass / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons
2002 Mitsubishi Lancer: common problems and reliability
One of the worst Lancer years.
One of the Mitsubishi Lancer years to avoid. All Lancer years
155 owner complaints, most about visibility. 4 recalls.
Should I buy a 2002 Lancer?The 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer has 155 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are visibility and air bags.
Safety record for the 2002 model year
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicles (US, public record).
The Year Score compares this year with other Lancer years only. How we score it
Is 2002 a good year for the Lancer?
Across the 17 Lancer model years we track, complaint volume runs from 1 (2000) to 311 (2003). With 155 complaints, the 2002 Lancer sits above the model's median of 37.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
Where owners report problems
Recalls affecting the 2002 Lancer
equipment:other:labels
Campaign 04V428000CERTAIN 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.
suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Campaign 16V458000Mitsubishi 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, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
exterior lighting
Campaign 06E038000CERTAIN 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, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
exterior lighting:headlights
Campaign 09E025000DOPE, 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 STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
What owners say across generations
Sentiment is sharply divided between the standard Lancer models and the high-performance Evolution variants. For standard Lancers (ES, GTS, Aspire, etc.), owner feedback is generally positive regarding reliability, practicality, and low-cost ownership.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Lancer. See the full Lancer owner picture and every model year.
Typical used price
Used Lancer listings typically run $7,490–$10,213 across 2010 to 2017 model years.
Other Lancer model years
Compare every Lancer year side by side to see how 2002 ranks against the rest.
Compare the Lancer against its rivals
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