Heater control knob cannot be adjusted, it is stuck on cold. Center shaft is broken for the knob.
2003 Mitsubishi Lancer visibility complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 76, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The defrost/air conditioner/heat control switch has not worked properly from day one. It is a fight for hours to get the control to turn. Was told in 2003 that the problem would work itself out with use in due time, it never did. Now the switch is stuck between the heat and the air conditioning mark and I cannot get it to turn to either. I called the dealer, and was told it would cost around $1,400.00 to fix the manufacturing defect. A service bulletin was issued in 2005 concerning this problem, but, the dealer was not obligated , according to them, to check each car it covered for the problem. I feel the federal safety agency should have issued a recall concerning this defect, because if one cannot use their defroster while driving when needed, then it is a safety problem if they cannot see through the windshield!
Heating control does not turn. Part number mn185137hc is broken. I was told by mistubishi dealer in san jose, ca that the part is defective and commonly breaks in lancers. He said it should be recalled but mitsubishi has not done so. Estimated cost of repair was $300 for a new controller assembly part, $80 to fix air vents so that dust does not spew, and another $600 in labor costs for a total of $980.
A/c heater nob broke off after switching it from cold to heat.
Temperature knob was always difficult to turn, then it broke completely off. Not a problem for the summer (it's stuck on cold) but needs to be fixed for the winter so that the car can defrost the windshield. Technician said it would be between $1500-2000 to repair because you have to remove the dashboard and replace the entire knob panel plus fix the real problem which is the "air mix door lever". Apparently this is a common problem for mistubishi owners and the company has not done a recall to fix it; therefore owners are dropping $1000s of dollars to get their car operational for seasonal temp changes. Isn't it a safety hazard if your defroster does not work???
I have two issues which seem to have both already been reported. 1. While driving the transmission will idle high while driving, but the vehicle is not speeding up. Then without warning the transmission catches, and the car lurches forward. This is a random issue that happens daily with the vehicle. Servicing the transmission has not fixed the problem and continues to be a problem to this day. 2.the heater/AC control know became very difficulty to change between heater and A/C. The switch has finally broke off, and now I'm unable to switch between heater and A/C. I have done research and this also seems to be a problem that has not been resolved. I have found most other auto owners have paid for the replacement, but only to have the same problem occur again. I have done research on both of these issues and is has been reported as far back as 2004, and at this point I do see any recalls by mitsubishi to fix either of the problems.
As with so many other lancers noted here, my wife's 2003 lancer's temp control knob has broken. Over a period of a few years the knob continually got harder to turn and recently just broke off. I also gave her a pair of needle-nose pliers to turn the plastic nub that is left, although I don't know how long this will work as each time she does it wears down the plastic some. This is obviously a wide-spread problem and not just a nuisance, as my wife needs to be able to defrost her windows as needed for visibility. Shame on mitsubishi for not acknowledging the issue, let alone for not fixing it.
The heating/cooling knob has been hard to turn since I bought the vehicle. It would have to be forced to switch from warm to cool. Eventually the knob broke off. Mitsubishi was contacted and a complaint was filed but since it was not under warranty they would not fix it. The cable was replaced but the problem was not solved, it was still just as hard to turn. Approx 1 1/2 years later the knob broke off again resulting in not being able to control temperature and engage the defroster.
2003 mitsubishi lancer: the temperature control knob broke off its shaft, after over two years of the control being so difficult to turn that it was almost impossible to accomlish. The wire running from the temperature control (knob) to the vent flap that controls heat/cold bent as well, leaving the vehicle without a way to change the temperature (stuck in cold position now). This is a safety issue, as I am unable to defrost/clear my windshield when it is cold outside, which results in continuous poor driving visibility.
No heat/defrost in mitsubishi lancer (2003) usually, its kind of hard to turn, but if you twist the knob fast enough, you'll hear this sliding sound behind the center console signifying the change from cold to heat. The knob is no longer doing that, no matter how I turn it. I will turn it the full 180 degrees, and it won't "pop" into place" and it'll end up turning back to about 160 degrees (the dial location).
My daughter's 2003 mitsubishi lancer es no longer provides heat. As in many other cases, the knob has broken off!! Why is this not the subject of a recall? She has no heat, it's winter, and she has no means to defrost her windshield. For a while she was able to turn the mechanism using needle-nosed pliers. Now, even that doesn't work and she has no heat, no means to defrost her windshield and windows reliably, and this is a safety hazard.
Temperature control knob is very difficult to turn. Eventually, the control knob broke away from the plastic connector beneath, and now the temperature cannot be changed. A short internet search has shown this to be subject of a technical bulletin issued in 2004.
The heat/AC knob on my 2003 mitsubishi has been extremely difficult to turn. This is especially hazardous when trying to defrost the windshield. I've reported the issue several times to mitsubishi and they have stated that they've never heard of this problem. However, the more I research, the more I find that this is a problem for others. This knob has been difficult to use from day one.
Mitsubishi 2003 heating knob is not working..
Air conditioning/heating knob was hard to turn, until it finally broke completely off. Now I have no heat in my vehicle and it visually impairs my driving when it is cold and frosts up. There is absolutely nothing I can do, except try to drive through it.
The heater control knob is broken. I can't rotate the knob from cold to heat. It began getting really difficult to turn about a year ago, until I could no longer rotate it about a month ago. The consequences of this are you can't switch the air from cool to warm in case you're driving somewhere at night and need to turn on the heater for a little while. Your windows fog up. Nothing has been done to fix the problem, other than my mechanic messed with the cable inside and now my knob is permanently stuck on heat, whenever I turn the fan on. A new part from mitsubishi is over $500. Are they going to issue a recall? I know there are hundreds of other mitsubishi lancer owners with this same situation on their hands.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi lancer. The contact stated that the temperature knob was fractured which made it impossible to control the defrost, heat, and air conditioning temperatures. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact of the repair cost. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. The VIN was unavailable.
My 2003 mitsubishi lancer heater knob broke off and I am unable to get the defroster to work. This has been an ongoing problem as this is a material defect in hundreds if not thousands of lancer automobiles. Please help force mitsubishi to recall and fix this dangerous problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi lancer. The contact stated that the heat control knob would turn but would not engage the heat. The contact stated that air would blow through the vents but would not get warm. The vehicle was not inspected for the failure or repaired. The contact stated that the defroster was also working but heat would not expel from the vents. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 73,000.
I have a 2003 mitsubishi lancer. Approx 4 years ago the temp control knob for the heating/AC became very hard to turn from cold to hot and vice versa. Shortly thereafter the whole knob and stem snapped off and broke. I replaced the whole heater/AC control but the problem still persisted. I have learned to live with this inconvenience in the southern ca climate. Now my son needs to have this vehicle in philadelphia, pa where he needs to be able to use the heater/defroster. As I have been researching this issue, this seems to a design problem that mitsubishi has known about since march, 2004 with tsb-04-55-003 and tsb-04-44-003. As I am well out of warranty, I asked mitsubishi service advisors if they will help with the cost of $700 - $1100 for repairs. I also contacted mitsubishi customer service but none are willing to help. I feel that misubishi should recall and fix this issue for safety reasons (cannot use defroster) and for the fact that these are not isolated issues. Thank you.
2003 lancer - heater-A/C control knob broke and cannot adjust temperature. This should be a safety hazard and should prompt a recall by mitsubishi - why has this not happened based on the number of complaints listed on this site? Should this be forwarded to some consumer group or the ntsb to investigate?
1. Use of vehicles heating/cooling system. 2. The temperature control knob broken and became unusable. Defrost/defog no longer works due to not being able to change the temperature. 3. No fix at this time.
The heat/AC knob in my 2003 mitsubishi lancer will not turn. It has been difficult for years, but for fall/winter 2009 I had to have a mechanic crawl under the dash and force it with pliers, then I left it that way all winter. Not very safe or convenient. I'm looking at a very expensive repair from mitsubishi which they should pay for. It is a safety issue, you can't defrost your windows without heat, nor should you have to use such lousy equipment. Mitsubishi needs to step up and issue a recall, I've seen this complaint all over the internet.
Mitsubishi 2003 lancer es problem: AC knob won't switch all the way over to heat?it kinks. If you turn it too hard, it breaks and you require to change the whole console which costs around $388.00 plus the labor required to install it, then the total will be around $675.00! This problem has been going on since 2008 but it worsened with time to the point of breaking recently. The two outside knobs on the HVAC unit (the knobs that control the temperature and where the air flows out from) are connected to the heater core via metal wires. When you turn the temperature knob to the right the wire pushes out and when you turn it back to the left the wire pulls in. This wire is connected to a piece of plastic on the driver side of the heater core. This piece of plastic is connected to a gear and is supposed to work harmoniously with the piece of plastic the airflow knob (right outside knob on HVAC unit) is connected to. That is where the problem is. These two pieces of plastic, blend link and lever, which are supposed to slide back and forth with the turning of the knobs, don't work well and the wire isn't strong enough to force the piece into the heat position. The result is the wire often kinks. On the driver side, under the dash, up and to the right there are two pieces of white plastic, one closer to the firewall then the other. There is a metal wire clipped to each. This is the part you have to turn to change it to heat. The 'bottom' is the temperature knob. You can either grab the wire or the piece of plastic it connects to and turn it toward the firewall most people simply turn the device by hand now but that?s not safe to do while driving! I believe this is a defective design by mitsubishi that results in a safety hazard when the wind shield fogs up and you can?t turn the knob because it kinks. Mitsubishi needs to deal with this issue because it?s happening to hundreds of people.
The A/C knob on this car has been an ongoing problem and has now broke off. It has always been very stiff when going from A/C to heat and now due to being used with such force repeatedly it has broke off, the vent selector has never been an issue its smooth and transitions easily after all these features are supposed to make the vehicle more comfortable and safe and warm on cold nights... I just went to a site where at least 150 people complained of the same problem. The part is over 200$ from a dealer and the dealer charges over 700-800$ to replace the part(talk about a racket) and yet with soooo many complaints I feel bad for people with serious health problems that are stuck in this vehicle driving under miserable and yes unsafe conditions especially for those who can't defrost their windshield or people who have a hard time maintaining body temperature... A recall should have been issued a long time ago, especially if the manufacturer has since developed a "repair kit" (in other words here's the fix to something we know doesn't work but we want all you hard working people to pay for it) so again lets screw the little guy right?
2003 mitsubishi lancer - difficulty turning the temperature knob. Had it fixed at the dealer just enough so that I could turn the knob, but is still very difficult and he warned that if I use it too much it will likely break. Apparently mitsubishi is aware of the problem but refuses to issue a recall.
Since the day I purchased the car,the knob for the AC/ heater was hard to turn. Then about 2yrs ago I cant turn it without the car being parked. It took all my strength to turn. Most of the time I wouldn't use my heat. Then one night my windshield was fogged up. I tried driving with the windows down. But I had to stop to turn the heat on for the defroster.driving across a bridge with fogged up windows is scary. When I turned the knob it broke off. I have tried to get used parts for it but it is a very common problem for these cars. And the dealers what between $700 and $900 to fix the problem with their cars.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi lancer. The contact stated the knobs on the temperature control panel were breaking off. The dealer advised the manufacturer was aware of the failure yet the improved knobs were on backorder. The contact felt the failure could potentially become a safety issue because of the heat levels in the vehicle cabin. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 54,000 and the current mileage was 79,931.
Heating/cooling knob has been hard to turn since I bought the car. Eventually the knob broke off. I was told by a mitsubishi dealership that they'd have to replace the whole unit which would run me about $300 for the part. I now have to drive in full winter clothes when it's cold because I can't get the thing off the cool setting.
I'd been having difficulty turning the temperature knob on my 2003 mitsubishi lancer for a while. Then, it broke off. I found out that mitsubishi is "aware of the problem", even making a repair kit, but they haven't issued a recall, & it cost me $888 to have it repaired!!!!! A knob!!!!!! I think mitsubishi should take responsibility for their shoddy workmanship & issue a recall.
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