Defogger Problems of Mitsubishi Lancer - part 1

The temperature control knob was very hard to turn on the ac/heater module and eventually broke off. A failure of the temperature selection could result in inability to defrost the windshield properly, resulting in unsafe driving environment.

See all problems of the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated that the levers for the climate controls fractured. The contact was unable to defrost his windows when needed. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer. After diagnosis they advised him that the heater climate control levers failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages were approximately 170,000.

See all problems of the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer 🔎.

The heat/ac knob on my 2003 Mitsubishi has been extremely difficult to turn. This is especially hazardous when trying to defrost the windshield, 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. I tried to search for parts( complete switch or switch knob shaft) they're not available but whole unit about $300 + labor. Are they(Mitsubishi) going to issue a recall? the more I research, the more I find that this is a problem for hundreds of other Mitsubishi Lancer owners with this same situation on their hands. The more I research, the more I find that this is a problem for others.

Purchased vehicle brand new July 2003. Heat/ac knob has always been difficult to turn. It is now stuck on a/c. I am located in an area that acquires freezing temperatures, and evidently, will need to be able to defrost the windshield. Upon researching this issue, I have come across thousands of Mitsubishi owners with the same problem. Since most of the u. S. Experiences freezing temperatures this should, without a doubt, be a recall because it is affecting so many driver's visibilities. The other safety aspect to be considered pertains young children, the elderly, and the ill. Car windows open or not, how is it safe to have the young, elderly, or ill in a car over 100 degrees or under 32 degrees? this is simply unacceptable, irresponsible, and unsafe. Please advise a recall.

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 NHTSA 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.

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.

The contact owns a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated that he defroster/heater control mechanism fractured at the touch when attempting to activate. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they informed the contact that the air conditioner/heater control module would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

See all problems of the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer 🔎.

I own a 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer sportback. The heater and cooling control knob for interior heating and cooling will not change over from air conditioning to heat. In the area that I live it is very cold in the winter months ( 20 - 30 degrees). According to research I have done on this issue it is s known issue at Mitsubishi. This is a safety hazard due to the heating system not working to defrost my windshield when needed and no heat. If Mitsubishi knows this is an issue then why is there not a recall to correct the problem. I have located many complaints with this and it is on newer models as well. So new products are coming out with the same issue. This needs to be resolved before more vehicles are produced and the used one need to be fixed so that owners do not run into a hazardous condition that could have been avoided.

Heater and a/c control know is too stiff to turn requiring me to adjust it manually under the dash, which is dangerous or impossible while driving.

I turned the knob to heat. It was pretty stiff but it would move to cold temperature fine. I tried it again and the knob and part of the shaft broke off. I had to drive to work in the cold. Good thing I worked about 10 minutes away. Today I was searching on the internet to see how much it would cost. That's when I saw a comment saying there was a TSB issue on 04 model Lancers. Luckily I found this website. Hope Mitsubishi would do something about this, its October and I really need my heater.

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.

The temperature control knob became very difficult to turn, and broke off. This made for a safety issue when the windshield wouldn't defrost. I'm also now unable to use the heat.

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.

I have a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer evolution. The temperature knob broke off while adjusting from cold to warm. My car is now stuck with the ac on cold, this isn't so much of a problem in the summer but it is getting rather cold now and I would really like some heat. I have also noticed that the defrost is now useless unless it needs to be on cold which is pretty ineffective in the winter time. This problem started happening in 2009 where it was very difficult to turn and finally in June of this year it completely broke.

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?.

I own a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer (oz rally) that was purchased in 2002. During the last few months of 2009, I noticed my temperature control knob was becoming harder and harder to turn. On Monday, March 1, 2010 it broke completely off, leaving a partial stub of plastic in the console and the remaining plastic inside the knob. I first went to two auto parts stores to see if they carried this replacement piece, and their personnel informed me I needed to have it repaired a Mitsubishi dealership. I then went to the Mitsubishi dealership to inquire about the problem. They informed me the part could not be replaced individually, but it would cost $311 to replace the entire console in addition to the $150 or more in labor costs. I refused to pay such an outlandish price, considering that my console was in perfectly working order. I only need the broken plastic mechanism replaced, nothing more. And paying approximately $500 to replace a plastic piece is ridiculous. After further research, I realized that this is a common problem with other Lancer owners and the manufacturer should be informed of this defect.

This is a health issue for us because my husband has ms and is sensitive to heat especially, but also can be sensitive to cold. The heater knob on my vehicle broke. It had been sticking for a while. I had to turn the knob pretty hard to push from cold to hot or hot to cold. In researching a way to fix it I was appalled by the number of people that had the same problem with the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer but no recall has been initiated by Mitsubishi. At this point we just need to replace one small shaft for the knob to slip onto, but the dealership claims we have to buy the whole unit - $215 plus shipping and labor. With my husband having ms, we are always paying medical bills. We went to a salvage yard and the heater assembly was missing from the only Lancer on the lot and according to one person every Lancer he saw come through had the left knob broken off the heater temp controller. Now it is cold in the mornings and warm in the afternoons and we cannot adjust the temperature at all. We had been using pliers but now cannot move it at all. Please look into this because it is a health issue for those with ms and other neurological and autoimmune disorders.

Climate control knob broke off on Mitsubishi ,found to happen on lots of these cars, cant defrost window. Cant see. Safety hazard?.

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.

Hvac dash control unit-mitsubishis Lancer 2003 the knob that controls the hot and cold broke,it is stuck in the cold position. Now unable to regulate the heating functions. It also hinders the DE-fogging feature from working. I live in nyc and the weather has now changed. With the climate change I have no heat nor can I use the DE-fogging if I am driving in the rain. Part is not repairable by dealer because it is not a defect in the car. I have researched and found that every owner of this type of vehicle since 99/00 has had this happen. Each owner has stated that Mitsubishi does not recognize it as a recall. It is a safety issue for people like myself who live where the climate changes, as well if someone lives in a warm climate/cold climate year round. I think Mitsubishi needs to admit to this defect and fix it for all owners of this model. Being that this happens so frequent there is no way to acquire the part second hand. Only at the dealer.

In the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer ES the climate control switch that controls the heat/cold is faulty. The switch has always been hard to turn and eventually broke off. Making the car owner unable to switch from hot to cold. This poses a problem in the winter months especially since the car owners will be unable to defrost their windshield. Making it a hazard. The dealership says there isn't a recall for this problem. This is the exact quote I received from the dealership on the repair. "to repair this properly we need to remove the dash and repair the heater box. If that is not done than you will damage the new heater knob. The parts for the repair are $520. 00 and the labor to do the repair is $756. 00" I've seen numerous complaints about this problem over the internet.

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 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.

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.

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.

Heater knob breaks off, causing $1000 +/- repair. Many people experiencing same issue.

Heater knob does not turn to hot and no heat. . . . Cold weather in canada.

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.

Ac/heater knob is defective, can't change between a/c and heat to effectively use defroster.

Filing a complaint that I've noticed to be occurring a little to often to the same brand/model vehicle I own. I own a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer. The problem is that there seems to be a very weak link in the heater/ac controls in the center console. For some reason, they tend to stick up and upon turning them they seem to break. Mitsubishi is aware of this issue and they are charging an extensive amount of money to repair this on every owners vehicle. They should have a recall on this item so it can be taken care of right away. The heating knobs are a necessity for climate control in the car, especially for me. I live in NY and it's getting cold. I don't have the money to pay for such an expensive repair and I believe that no one should. If there's faulty equipment in place when manufactured, Mitsubishi should take it into their own matters and repair the issues before it can lead to any other possible dangers.

My heater knob is broke. It has been very hard to turn since I bought this car. It was used but this is my second car of the same type. It had the same problem in the car before this one and there was only a 1 year difference in them. I am not the only person with this problem. Most of the people I know on the internet forum has the same problem with this car.

The contact owns a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. The adjuster knob for the defroster was very difficult to turn and eventually failed. The dealer stated that the temp control cable needed to be replaced. There is a TSB NHTSA item number 10006466. The failure mileage was 27,000 and current mileage was 29,200.

I bought a 2004 Lancer oz rally brand new, still drive it daily and I've always had this problem too. It was hard to turn to the heat and the knob broke off. I can't use the heat anymore because I can't get it to turn at all. I even tried using needle nose pliers (mine still has some of the white plastic part attached), which worked a few times but now I can't get it to turn at all. In 2006, when the knob broke off, I contacted the dealer where I bought the car from about the problem. They said it would cost at least $800 to repair. I asked why, it's just a knob? they told me they had to take my whole dash apart to fix it and it was mostly labor costs. I can't afford to pay this for a faulty mechanism. I also couldn't use my defroster this morning and really needed it. I had to pull over to wipe my windows. . . Not safe Mitsubishi!!!! please recall this now!!!.

: the contact stated the heating and cooling control knob fractured. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who determined that the heating and cooling control knob was redesigned and that there were none of the original knobs in stock.