Mitsubishi Lancer
Owners filed 865 complaints across 18 model years of the Mitsubishi Lancer. The 2003 drew the most (199); the 2000 the fewest (1).
Model years18
Complaints865
Recalls59
Fires13
Deaths2
Every Mitsubishi Lancer model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2016 | 30 | 2 | — | 1 | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2015 | 23 | 1 | — | 5 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2014 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 3 | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | — | — | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2012 | 19 | 1 | — | 3 | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2011 | 34 | 3 | — | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2010 | 51 | 6 | 1 | 5 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2009 | 98 | 8 | 3 | 11 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2008 | 91 | 5 | 2 | 8 | Suspension | Routine | |
| 2007 | 2 | 3 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2006 | 37 | 7 | — | 5 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2005 | 24 | 6 | — | 3 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2004 | 80 | 7 | 3 | 7 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2003 | 199 | 6 | 1 | 13 | Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System | Routine | |
| 2002 | 148 | 4 | 1 | 32 | Air Bags › Frontal | Fatalities reported | |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Child Seat › Tether › Strap/Webbing | Routine | |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline | Routine |
Which Mitsubishi Lancer years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2003 is the weakest year on record, with 199 complaints concentrated in the visibility › defroster/defogger/hvac system. It carries 6 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.