AI Damage2003 Mitsubishi Spyder: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Mitsubishi Spyder filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 7
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 29% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 3 Equipment 14% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 14% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 14% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 14% of all complaints
- 8 Tires 14% of all complaints
- Visibility: 2 complaints (29% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (14% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 7 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Vehicle has a blind spot between the mirror and the back window. As a result vehicle was involved in a collision. The office that filed the report suggested that the consumer get a small mirror and attach it to the exterior rearview mirror.
Dt*: the contact stated the driver's seat belt will not retract or release. The seat belt was replaced by the local dealership last year. However, the replacement seat belt is having the same problem.
Vehicle experiencing problems with the brakes, headlight equipment, speakers, turn signals and a ticking noise coming from the engine. Consumer feels that they were treated unfair with this deal and want their money back for this vehicle, due to number of problem they have had.
Consumer noticed that both falken tires, size 225/40cr-18 were splitting on the sidewall. Vehicle had only 7,000 miles on them. The dealership had not yet notified.
This caused the vehicle to stall. Consumer restarted the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that clutch needed to be replaced and replaced it. However, the problem recurred after having three clutches replaced.
Consumer could not roll the electrical windows up or down. Consumer insisted that the windows were a design flaw. Took vehicle to the dealer for analysis, and mechanic noticed that a worn part in the remote needed to be replaced.
The paint on my new vehicle began peeling off the hood in quarter-sized chunks as I was washing it by hand. Although the dealer initially attempted to deny responsibility, they reluctantly agreed to repaint hood, acknowledging that there was an "adherence issue." I discovered through a source in the mitsubishi factory…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 12,538 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Spyder has 6 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 7, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Mitsubishi Spyder?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, engine and cooling, equipment. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (29%), driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (14%), headlights and tail lights (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 Mitsubishi Spyder?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2003 Mitsubishi Spyder from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2003 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.