2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Review
Price Estimate: $1,406 - $2,343





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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Large interior, classy exterior styling, many standard features.
Cons
- O-Z model lacks performance to back up looks, side airbags and antilock brakes available only on LS trim, no available engine upgrade.
What’s new
The '02 Lancer is Mitsubishi's replacement for its Mirage economy car, though the Mirage continues this year in coupe format only. The chief reason for the new name (for the U.S., as the car has always been called the Lancer elsewhere) is Mitsubishi's desire to emphasize that the Lancer is more upscale, larger and better-engineered than the old Mirage.
Edmunds says
No Mirage here. The Lancer is a well-rounded economy sedan that deserves attention from consumers.
For sale nearby
7 listings
- 52,000 miles
- No accidents, 3 owners, personal use only
- 21 City / 27 Hwy MPG
- Meraj Motors (644 mi away)
- Rear Bench Seats
Close
Located in Osceola, IN
This 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer ES is a clean, low-mileage sedan with only 52,000 original miles and a standout blue exterior. Its reliable, fuel-efficien...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
23 Combined MPG (21 City/27 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JA3AJ26E62U059273
Stock: 9273
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 04-16-2025- 170,977 miles
- 2 accidents, 6 owners, personal use only
- 21 City / 27 Hwy MPG
- Milnes Ford (728 mi away)
- Rear Bench Seats
- Fold Flat Rear Seats
Close
Located in Lapeer, MI
Milnes Ford - Call 8**-6**-5***2002 Mitsubishi Lancer O-Z Rally in Yellow with Black ClothRates as Low as 4.24% for Qualified Buyers*!.2002 Mitsubishi...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: No
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
23 Combined MPG (21 City/27 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JA3AJ86E52U062457
Stock: P5977
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 07-26-2025
Vehicle overview
Mitsubishi has traditionally been a bit player in the American economy sedan market when compared to the likes of Honda or Toyota. With its new Lancer sedan, the company hopes to land, while perhaps not a starring role, at least a bigger part with a few speaking lines.
Built on a 102.4-inch wheelbase (4 inches longer than the Mirage sedan it replaces), the attractive Lancer has one of the biggest passenger cabins in its class. It offers more front and rear passenger room than a Civic, and backseat legroom is virtually equal to that of many larger midsize sedans, such as Mitsubishi's own Galant.
Compared to the Mirage, the Lancer's structural integrity boasts increases of 50 percent in torsional rigidity and 60 percent in bending rigidity. What this means is that flexing of the body structure (such as when the car is driven over pothole-strewn roads or cranked into a corner at speed) is reduced, allowing a solid foundation from which the suspension can do its job. Another design goal was a high level of crash protection in all types of collisions. Though U.S. crash tests have yet to be conducted, Mitsubishi claims that the Lancer scored high marks in European tests. Improved safety will be very important, as the Mirage fared poorly in previous crash tests.
Unlike most of its competitors, which often have two or three different engines available, all Lancers have a 2.0-liter SOHC 16-valve inline four with 120 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque. This powerplant was tuned to provide more low- and mid-range power, which is often more useable than a more powerful engine that doesn't come alive until the tach is showing at least 3,500 rpm.
Transmission choices are a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The automatic features driver-adaptive technology, an unusual feature in this class that tailors shift points according to the driver. Fuel mileage for a manual-equipped car is said to be 29/41 mpg city/highway and cars sold in California are certified as ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV).
Realizing that hardly anybody buys a new car without air conditioning, a stereo and power windows, Mitsubishi doesn't offer a strippo version of the Lancer. There are just three well-equipped trim levels: ES, LS and the swanky O-Z Rally edition. The ES has air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, a tilt steering wheel, a multi-adjustable driver seat and a 100-watt stereo with a CD player. LS models receive 15-inch alloy wheels (versus 14-inchers with wheelcovers), cruise control, keyless entry, a split/fold rear seat with a center armrest and floor mats.
Though lacking any mechanical enhancements, the O-Z Rally edition is the most visually sporting of the trio, with 15-inch wheels, ground effects, white-faced gauges and embroidered floor mats. There are only two Lancer options packages: one for the ES that adds a couple of LS features (such as keyless entry and the split rear seat with center armrest) and another for the LS that adds antilock (ABS) brakes and front side airbags. The lone O-Z option is a rear spoiler.
Taking into consideration all factors, the Lancer is a well-rounded effort that deserves attention from small sedan shoppers. It has the features. It has the looks. Now all it needs is an audience and a power upgrade.
Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota
$153/mo for Lancer ES
Lancer ES
vs
$165/mo
Avg. Compact Car
Reliability
The 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer has a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic warranty and 4 recalls. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.
Recalls
4 recalls foundChecking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.
If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).
- Recall Number:
- 16V458000
- Manufacturer Recall Number:
- SR-16-003
- Manufactured from:
- 2006-09-08 to 2013-03-11
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 174382
- Defect Description:
- 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.
- Defect Consequence:
- A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Corrective Action:
- 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. Mitsubishi issued an interim notification to owners on August 19, 2016. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-003.
- Recall Number:
- 09E025000
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 42540
- Defect Description:
- DOPE, 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.
- Defect Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Corrective Action:
- DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
- Recall Number:
- 06E038000
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 724
- Defect Description:
- CERTAIN 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.
- Defect Consequence:
- WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Corrective Action:
- ALFAOTTO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 10, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ALFAOTTO AT 626-656-2992 OR VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT WWW.ALFAOTTO.COM.
- Recall Number:
- 04V428000
- Manufactured from:
- 2001-06-01 to 2004-07-31
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 100432
- Defect Description:
- 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.
- Defect Consequence:
- THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
- Corrective Action:
- MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN WILL MAIL A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTER CONTAINING A WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND A GRAPHIC OF THE BI-LINGUAL DASHBOARD AIR BAG WARNING LABEL. IN ADDITION, ALL CURRENT 2000-2004 NATIVA OWNERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE REPLACEMENT AIR BAG ALERT LABELS FOR THE SUN VISORS. THIS RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH OR APRIL 2005. THE NOTIFICATION TO THE NATIVA OWNERS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL OR MAY 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN AT 1-787-251-8715.
Warranty
3 years / 36,000 miles Basic Warranty- Basic Warranty
- 3 years / 36,000 miles
- Drivetrain Warranty
- 5 years / 60,000 miles
- Rust Warranty
- 7 years / 100,000 miles
- Roadside assistance Warranty
- 3 years / 36,000 miles
Mitsubishi Lancer Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
194K and still runnnin like new....
4.88 out of 5 starsAliG, 04/16/2009
2002 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
Won't say I'm an expert, but this car did really save me a lot of money during rough student life. I bought it with 163K and only thing I did is a tune-up and not so regular oil changes...even then thank God no problems! I am actually shocked it survived me...I'm neither bad or really good care taker, but this car is a really tough nut! I have no leaks, occasionally some noises (with oil … change they go away)?!...very DEPENDABLE car!
Amazing car!!!
5 out of 5 starsrod_1, 06/29/2013
2002 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
This car is overall an amazing car. We bought it in 2004 with 58k on the odometer. We used it for trips and put a heavily amount of miles on the car. This car has lasted us a long while until the radiator busted a hole due to the fan going out. The car had too many miles on it to even bother putting money into it but the car now has 275k on the odometer last time we looked and has lasted … a very long while. We've put a few dings and bruises on the car due to a dog jumping out in front of us and a go kart smashing into the side of it but it still went. It's protected us in many other situations too.
I would recommend this car for anyone. We are looking for another one. Best car we ever owned!
Reliable cheap transportation
3.13 out of 5 starsBrian, 04/09/2009
2002 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
Purchased with 24,000 miles, formerly a rental. Plain car, cheap transportation. I bought it for $6600 and have put 125,000 miles on it with no repairs. It has been a great deal. The car rides like a cheap little car and has lots of wind noise. The seats are not real comfortable, but do offer plenty of leg and head room. Four adults can ride in the car relatively comfortably.
Still going at 226k
5 out of 5 starsPatrick, 08/12/2015
2002 Mitsubishi Lancer O-Z Rally 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
Great car. Hands down. I bought mine in 2005 for 13k and it had 36,000 miles, paid it off in 2008. Here it is 2015 and she has 226,868 miles now. Still running like a champ. Regular routine maintenance, clutch went out at 210k and that's the only major issue. Great car
2002 Lancer Highlights
ES
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $13,897 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 25 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $153/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 11.3 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver4 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver2 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalPoor
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintMarginal
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