10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
84,560 miles

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problem #22

Oct 052022

Lancer

  • 116,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 45 mph, the vehicle began to roll out of the road and she was unable to steer back into the road. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle rolled over into a ditch. The contact stated no air bags deployed. The contact stated the driver hit her head and sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V279000 (Structure, Suspension). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

- Hanover, VA, USA

problem #21

Apr 132022

Lancer

  • miles
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.

- Kinnelon, NJ, USA

problem #20

Apr 012019

Lancer

  • 0 miles
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 NHTSA 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)

- Lodi, OH, USA

problem #19

Feb 022021

Lancer

  • 136,000 miles
Front lower control arms -tearing bushings, torn boots both outer tie rod ends - torn boots timing cover separate

- Bisbee, AZ, USA

problem #18

Dec 202020

Lancer

  • 174,000 miles
I heard a clunking noise. Parked and found rotten parts on tire. Mechanic said it cannot be fixed. Everything rotted. Needs whole new frame. We could have been killed.thank god I was close to home. Now I have nothing but an existing car loan for it.

- Prentice, WI, USA

problem #17

Aug 012020

Lancer 4-cyl

  • 0 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V279000 (structure, suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called sunnyside Mitsubishi (7630 pearl rd, middleburg heights, oh 44130; (440) 243-7711) where it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Avon, OH, USA

problem #16

Sep 222020

Lancer

  • 32,393 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact received notification of NHTSA 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.

- Wilmerding, PA, USA

problem #15

Mar 162018

Lancer

  • 116,727 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated that the crossmember beams were rusted through. The vehicle was taken to max matson Mitsubishi dealer located at 3990 ogden ave, Aurora, il 60504, where the vehicle was repaired at the owner's expense. The contact later received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V279000 (structure, suspension). The contact stated that the manufacturer declined to provide a reimbursement because the repairs were over two years old. The failure mileage was 116,727.

- Countryside, IL, USA

problem #14

Mar 302020

Lancer

  • 168,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel became very loose. The contact stated that the steering wheel moved from the center while attempting to drive straight. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the crossmember on the driver's side of the vehicle had rusted through and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V458000 (suspension). The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The manufacturer informed that the contact that NHTSA campaign number: 16V458000 (suspension) was for vehicle model year 2002-2007 and not for 2008. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

- Gary, IN, USA

problem #13

Feb 262020

Lancer

  • 162,000 miles
I purchased a used 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer with 163K miles on it from a third party. I took it to the dealership for two open recalls. The dealer called me the next morning and explained to me that the subframe is corroded and will need to be replaced. In fact the dealer advised the vehicle not be driven and the part be replaced immediately because it is unsafe to drive. Now I have a vehicle I can't drive or sell. The repair itself is more than the car is worth. The subframe is part of the frame and is not a maintenance item and should last the life of the vehicle. This is a manufacturing defeat as shown in the recall for Canada on 2008-2013 Lancer models. I called the factory and was given the run around. I asked for a meeting between the dealership and a factory rep to find an appropriate solution but nothing has materialized. This is a safety issue and needs to be address by the manufacturer before someone gets injured or killed. There are thousands of Lancers on the roads today and I would hate to know how many of these have corroded subframes where the lower front control arms could fall to the ground.

- Metamora, IL, USA

problem #12

Jun 262019

Lancer

  • 123,000 miles
I was driving my car to work this morning and all of a sudden I felt a drastic pull to the left. I get out of the car and look at all sides of the vehicle and don't notice anything right away. Then I notice my left front wheel is turned slightly while the steering wheel is straight. I look under the vehicle to find the sub frame rotted and rusted away from the control arm. This is a huge safety issue as this car has 123K miles and being a 2008 car, just 1 year later than the recalls currently up to 2007 for the same exact issue. The recall should be extended to the 2008 vehicles as well due to the insane amount of complaints on this specific sub frame rotting issue.

- New Philadelphia, OH, USA

problem #11

Jun 142019

Lancer

  • 160,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. While driving approximately 25 mph and attempting to turn, the crossmember on the driver's side fractured. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

- Northfield, MN, USA

problem #10

Jul 272018

Lancer

  • 72,000 miles
While driving on back street the car started pulling dramatically to the left. On further inspection it was noticed that where the wheel connects to the subframe there was excessive rot the point the wheel was no longer attached at the bottom of the subframe. Contacted Mitsubishi. They said the Lancer (and other models) had a recall on excessive subframe rot but only years 2002 to 2007 for the Lancer. Mine being 2008 is not recalled. I will have to pay for repairs $2000. This is a huge safety issue as the subframe holds the wheels on, and the engine in place and it had a catistropic failure which could have easily resulted in loss of control and loss of life. I was not notified of this or I could have informed my mechanic to carefully look for subframe rot (most inspections are just by site). Had anyone hit this subframe with a hammer they would have seen it was dissintegrating. The car does look like its recalled in Canada " Transport Canada recall 2016317, which was issued on June 21, 2016. The recall involves 64,305 Mitsubishi outlander and Lancer models manufactured between 2003 and 2013." Mitsubishi customer relations has informed me today that I will be responsible for the repair. This is not right. Failure of a subframe is a very rare event. Its clear this subframe has the same exact problem as the Lancers built the year before. The outlander also has the exact same subframe. The dealer has my subframe in stock because its exactly the same as the outlander (which is covered). I am hoping they realize that not informing customers of this dangerous situation could result in possible loss of life. Informing the Lancer owners up to 2013 (as they did in Canada) could save lives.

- Bethel Park, PA, USA

problem #9

Apr 052018

Lancer

  • 32,390 miles
When I was on my way home from work, I stopped at the store to grab a few things. When I was done, I got in my car and started to back out of the parking spot. I then heard a clunk noise, but dismissed it because I wasn't sure what it was. I then pulled out of the parking lot and started to drive roughly 5-10mph, when more clunks happened and the steering wheel went all over and I lost control and was forced to stop in the middle of the road. I get out of see what happened, and I can see that the whole subframe crossmember was completely rotted through, and the lower control arm had broken from all the rot and was loose. This also caused my cv axle/driveshaft to snap as well. There was no indication that anything was wrong up to this point, and I was completely unaware that this could actually happen. Had this happened 10 minutes earlier when I was driving on a highway and I lost control, I might not be here typing this message. It is also only on the front driver side crossmember that has all the rot. The passenger side looks fairly normal, which I don't understand why. Something with the front driver side was clearly ignored if it is only affected on that side. There is also complaints and posts online about the same issue, so it is not just affecting me. There is also a recall for the same exact issue, subframe crossmember rot, for the 2002-2007 Lancer, but this should have been extended to 2008 or higher because this is a serious issue and people could lose their lives over this. Also, my car was built in 2007, so it's possible that I may be affected in the recall for the 2002-2007 group, but my car is classified as a 2008. It also only has just over 32,000 miles, this shouldn't have happened.

- Wilmerding, PA, USA

problem #8

Oct 302017

Lancer

  • 160,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. While driving 5 mph, an abnormal noise was heard while the front driver's tire faced the opposite direction. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cross member subframe was corroded, fractured, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

- Georgetown, IL, USA

problem #7

Aug 272017

Lancer

  • 241,030 miles
At 50 km/H, when turning the steering wheel to the left of 90 degree, the vehicle was not turning and going straight forward. Some sound of tire-metal was being heard from the front left wheel. With someone outside, we were seeing at low speed that the wheel was rotating off axis and even touching the car body. After being towing to a Canadian tire, the technician mentioned that the cross member was so rotten it was actually breaking in two parts and it was so dangerous, he could not let me go without part replacement. The mechanic technician told me that other Lancer had the problem even a 2009 Lancer. They referred me to the Transport Canada recall # 2016317, however this one is only for Lancer 2003 to 2006 (and also outlanders). Note that my problem was the same car part as the recall mentioned above. I called the dealer ship to verify the cross member car part vs the older model and the part number was different. I'm wondering how different from 2003 to 2006 the cart part is! they also mentioned that Dodge caliber has the same car part in problem with extended warranty. I found this article related to this https://Chrysler.oemdtc.com/457/front-and-rear-crossmember-corrosion-X69-warranty-extension-2008-2012-Dodge-caliber-Jeep-compasspatriot/2

- LÉVis (Qc) Canada, AK, USA

problem #6

Oct 242016

Lancer

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. While driving approximately 30 mph, the cross member and K frame fractured. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was placed on a lift, inspected the vehicle, and diagnosed that there was extensive rust and corrosion. The dealer indicated that the parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was left at the dealer. The contact was waiting on a response from the manufacturer to determine if the contact would approve the dealer's repair. The VIN was excluded from a manufacturer recall. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

- Dingess, WV, USA

problem #5

Apr 242013

Lancer 4-cyl

  • 29,691 miles
On Wednesday morning 4/24/2013 after night shift I went outside to start my car 5-10 minutes early just like any other time prior to driving. I put my car in gear to pull away and a service signal went off stating "maintnence required" with a depiction of a transaxel and the front suspension in "motion". I then put the car in neutral and applied the emergency break to inspect. The awc function would not work, "tarmac" to "gravel" to "snow". the next day I brought my vehicle to D'ambrosio Mitsubishi for their technicians to look at it and repair it. They did the usual maintnence oil change, fluid check, tire rotation etc like I have done ever 2500 miles. The technicians discovered the S-awc pump had seized up and that the pump needed to be replaced; he stated it would cost $2500 to replace, I asked what I had done to cause such a catastrophic event; the service manager advised me that it was a flaw caused by Mitsubishi and there was nothing I had done or did not do to cause this. I then left and have no idea what I'm going to do now that I have a front wheel drive car that is meant to be a full time all wheel drive car, now its sitting under a tarp and I take the bus or get a ride.

- Lyndell, PA, USA

problem #4

Jun 012008

Lancer

  • Automatic transmission
  • 6,800 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. Whenever the brake pedal is depressed, the contact hears a loud scrubbing sound coming from the rotors. When the vehicle is turned right or left, the front end of the vehicle makes a popping sound. The first time the vehicle was taken to the dealer they replaced the front driver's side wheel bearing due to a recall. The second time the vehicle was taken to the dealer regarding the front passenger side wheel bearing. On the third visit, the front passenger side wheel bearing was replaced and both front rotors were turned. The vehicle has been taken to the dealer approximately three times regarding this failure and it is gradually becoming worse. The NHTSA campaign id number was unknown. The current mileage was 7,333 and failure mileage was 6,800. Updated 10/14/08. Updated 10/16/08.

- Salem, SC, USA

problem #3

Jan 012008

Lancer

  • 200 miles
My car, Mitsubishi Lancer gts model 2008 is pulling to the side. I got this car new, it was pulling to the left from the beginning. After they did an alignment, the car is pulling to the right. The amount of pulling is very big, for example if, at 60-65mph I release the steering wheel it rotates right instantly with a half a inch, and the car changes the lane to the right in 3-4 seconds. I don't know if the car or the tires are wrong, but this is very serioos safety concern for me. I've search on the internet for people with similar issue, and found out that most of the people with Mitsubishi Lancer gts have this problem. So I believe Mitsubishi knows about this problem but just don't want to admit it. Please see this link (15 pages): forums.evolutionm.net/showthread.php?T=293784. Thanks a lot and please contact me if you need additional information.

- Houston, TX, USA

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