Mitsubishi Lancer Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2003 draws 3.2 complaints per run and the 2010 1.35, a 2.4-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 56.6% land after the 5-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Power Train, with 171 complaints, typically at 4.3 years.

Mitsubishi Lancer years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Mitsubishi Lancer — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2017	1	6	6	yes
2016	1.58	30	19	yes
2015	1.62	21	13	yes
2014	1.15	15	13	yes
2013	1.25	5	4	yes
2012	1.46	19	13	yes
2011	1.52	35	23	yes
2010	1.35	46	34	yes
2009	2.66	101	38	yes
2008	2.45	98	40	yes
2006	2.39	43	18	yes
2005	1.28	23	18	yes
2004	1.97	57	29	yes
2003	3.2	141	44	yes
2002	3	102	34	yes

ROWS 15·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 8 Mitsubishi Lancer years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2003, 2002, 2009; the three worth hunting are 2010, 2011, 2016.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Mitsubishi Lancer — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	72	10.2%	covered
1 year	58	18.4%	covered
2 years	62	27.1%	covered
3 years	48	33.9%	covered
4 years	67	43.4%	covered
5 years	58	51.6%	you pay
6 years	62	60.3%	you pay
7 years	47	66.9%	you pay
8 years	40	72.6%	you pay
9 years	45	79%	you pay
10 years	40	84.6%	you pay
11 years	35	89.5%	you pay
12 years	24	92.9%	you pay
13 years	19	95.6%	you pay
14 years	21	98.6%	you pay
15 years	10	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 5 years / 60,000 miles. Only 43.4% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 56.6% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (10 years / 100,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 33% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

What waits further out is Power Train at 4.3 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Mitsubishi Lancer — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Power Train	171	4.3 yrs	9	3
Air Bags	87	7 yrs	38	1
Visibility	78	5.7 yrs	—	—
Engine	78	5.9 yrs	2	1
Suspension	76	8.9 yrs	6	—
Electrical System	62	5.5 yrs	2	3
Service Brakes	57	5 yrs	16	2
Structure	53	7.1 yrs	4	1

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Lancer's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Corolla draws 5.16, the Lexus IS 1.31 and the BMW M3 1.49, against 2.19 for the Lancer.

FIG.05·Mitsubishi Lancer — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Lancer	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota Corolla	12,389	219	1981–2026
Lexus IS	47	118	2001–2026
BMW M3	565	78	1988–2026
Acura TLX	893	41	2015–2026
Ford Focus	22,576	138	2000–2026
Subaru WRX	290	17	2015–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

Upgrade to Pro

Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.

Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
No ads, on every page
No ads, no tracking — and much more

See plans → Start free →

Free plan available — no credit card needed

Everything on the Mitsubishi Lancer

Recalls78 campaigns Fuel economy30 mpg best Common problems1,064 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space25 cu ft Used prices355 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2002–2017

Frequently asked questions

Is the Mitsubishi Lancer reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 2.19 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which Lancer years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2003, 2002, 2009. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2010, 2011, 2016. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Lancer problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Power Train, typically at 4.3 years, followed by Air Bags.

Will the warranty cover Lancer problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 5 years / 60,000 miles, and only 43.4% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 33% of the complaints here.

Is the Lancer more reliable than the Toyota Corolla?

Yes: 2.19 complaints per production run for the Lancer against 5.16 for the Toyota Corolla.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

Found this useful?

Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.

Prefer ForCar →