The front subframe on the drivers side of the vehicle broke while maneuvering a right turn at a safe speed. This incident caused additional damage to the vehicle, with noticeable damage to the quarter panel. Additional damage is expected and may include the tie rod, wheel bearing, struts, sway bar link, etc. The driver and passenger were put at risk due to the severity of the break and the inability to move the vehicle. The speed of the vehicle may have prevented further risk to the driver and passenger at the time of the incident. The issue with the subframe was confirmed by an independent service center due to the lack of a Mitsubishi dealer is proximity. However, a Mitsubishi dealer was contacted but no response was received. It is believed that this issue is associated with the discovered Unrepaired Recalls associated with this VIN. A police officer arrived at the incident and a tow truck was ordered by the officer due to the danger of remaining in the location of the incident. The issue with the subframe first appeared on Sunday, May 31st 2026 with a noise produced by the vehicle while driving on unsmooth roads and through turns. The vehicle was inspected by an independent service center on Thursday, June 4th 2026 and significant erosion was discovered on the front subframe. A Mitsubishi dealer was contacted on Friday, June 5th 2026 and a voicemail was left. No contact was received. The incident occurred on Saturday, June 6th 2026. The vehicle and associated parts are available for inspection upon request.
Mitsubishi Lancer ball joint problems
41 of the 865 owner complaints about the Mitsubishi Lancer describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 2003 model year.
- owner complaints
- 41
- worst model year
- 2003
- typical mileage
- 123,000
By model year
Often reported together
What owners say
The front subframe(cross member) blew out, due to excessive corrosion. Causing the control arm to dismount as well as separation of the CV axle from the transmission, while traveling down the road losing complete steer of the vehicle. Luckily I was coming to a stop sign and not traveling on the highway. My vehicle was last inspected in April of 2023 with no warning signs of there being an issue. I've recently done some research and gathered information regarding models from 08-10 Mitsubishi lancers having the exact same issue. I contacted my dealer about the issue and they stated there are no current recalls on my year vehicle. Although they also started that the part number on my subframe is the same part number that failed on the 09-10 models. There should be a recall on 2012 Mitsubishi lancer subframe(front cross member) I hope this issue is resolved! I was fortunate to not have been injured! My vehicle has not currently been inspected after the accident because I had it towed back to my house after the accident because I was unsure what to do about the situation. The vehicle is available to be towed to be inspected if need be. A police officer did pass me and checked to make sure I was alright while I was stranded in the middle of the road while waiting for a tow truck.
I was driving down the road and spun out of control because my rack and pinion steering inner and outer tie rod snapped in half, because of rust from salt water and corrosion on the metal, resulting in my loss of control and front passenger wheel turned 90 degrees inward and nearly ripped the front tire off and under the car, brought the car home and inspected it tthoroughly, and saw the immediate problem
While driving the car we began hearing a rattling noise. We took it to the dealer to get it checked. They informed us that the control member was beginning to rust out causing the control arms to become loose. This is the exact problem related to a recall in other states for this car.
Our car crashed after getting off the highway in NJ. This appears to be related to Safety Recall Report 20V‑279. The cross member has completely rusted and the driver side control arm came off, crashing the car and severely damaging the car, with loss of control. I have contacted Mitsubishi Motors but have received no response from them. There was no warning sign, and the car was on the highway at highway speeds before an exit ramp was taken when the car crashed.
When doing routine repair on the control arms, it was noted that there is a ginormous rust hole in the subframe where the control arm connects to aforementioned subframe
The faulty control arm issue was repaired in 2017. When I went in for a front end alignment on 9/14/2021 they noticed that the control arms were rusting through. I live in Wisconsin and noticed that there is a recall on 2007 lancers for a similar problem where the control arms were not replaced with zinc coated control arms for protection from anti icing agents used on the roads. Does this recall extend to the 2003 lancers.09/14/
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mitsubishi lancer. The contact stated while his wife was driving at 25 MPH, when the cross member snapped and detached from the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was unable to control the vehicle and jumped the curb. The driver sustained a dislocated right thumb and did not seek medication attention. No police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to independent mechanic and was informed the cross member, unknown tie rod and ball joint was needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 20v279000 (structure, suspension), however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called to unknown dealer where it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Vin tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was unknown. (recall related incident) ts
Front lower control arms -tearing bushings, torn boots both outer tie rod ends - torn boots timing cover separate
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mitsubishi lancer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency recall number: 20v279000 (structure, suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Serra honda (951 interstate pkwy, akron, oh 44312) was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, without warning, the contact loss control of the steering wheel as the driver's side of the vehicle lowered independently. The vehicle was towed to the residence and inspected. The contact became aware that the driver's side lower control arm was fractured. The vehicle was towed to jim shorkey mitsubishi (13339 rte 30, irwin, pa 15642) where it was diagnosed and determined that the driver's lower control arm fractured and damaged the crossmember. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. Vin tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximate 32,393.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: lower arm
- What is wrong
- 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, 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.
- Risk
- A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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 with a new one that has a sealing/anti-corrosion agent applied to it. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-003.
Recall number 16V458000 · Recall details
Questions about the Mitsubishi Lancer ball joint
Which Mitsubishi Lancer years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2003 (9 complaints), 2008 (9 complaints) and 2002 (6 complaints).
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