There are 23 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION. WHILE DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS ABOVE 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME VERY UNSTABLE AND 'FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DISABLED' DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NIMAY MITSUBISHI (1011 KENNEDY AVE, KILOMETER 2.5, 787-622-0200) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALL WHEEL CONTROL HYDRAULIC UNIT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000.
BAD INJECTOR CAUSED CYLINDER FAILURE OR VALVR CONSTANT VALVE TICK. BLOWN SPARK PLUGS CAUSED PISTON MELTDOWN CAUSING FOR THE PISTONG ROD TO SHOOT THROUGHT THE BLOCK CAUSE A FIRE TO THE ENGINE.. LUCKLY I STOP THE FIRE TOOK IT TO A DELAERSHIP TO VERIFY THE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE BUT THE TECHNICINAS TOLD ME THAT THERES NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THE BATTERY DIE THERE FOR IT RESET THE COMPUTER MODULE ERASING ALL THE DATA WITH THE PROBABLE CAUSE AND NOTHING WAS DONE AFTER THAT.. BOUGHT A NEW ENGINE AND NOW AFTER 20,000 MILES I GET THE SAME ISSUE BUT MITSUBISHI DOSE NOT WANNA BE RESPOSIBLE FOR A REPLACE ENGINE TO WHICH THEY REPLACE.
TRANSFER CASE IN THIS CAR OMITS A LOUD WHINING NOISE WHEN DRIVING FORWARD. NOISE INCREASES IN VOLUME THE FASTER THE CAR IS GOING. THIS WHINE IS DUE TO THE WEARING OF THE GEARS BECAUSE OF A FAULTY DESIGN. WHEN THE TRANSFER CASE WHINE HAPPENS, IT HAS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF LOCKING UP WHICH WILL CAUSE ALL WHEELS TO STOP SPINNING POTENTIALLY CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLY DEATH. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MITSUBISHI LANCER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO SHIFT FROM THE PARK POSITION. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE CLUTCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH AND THE SLAVE CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V446000 (POWER TRAIN), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.
TIMING CHAIN PREMATURELY NEED TO BE REPLACED COZ OF MAY BE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. ONLINE FORUM SHOWS THAT LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH LESS MILES ON THE CAR AND ALSO TIMING CHAIN HAS BEEN REDESIGNED. THERE IS NOT MANY TIMING CHAIN ISSUE MENTIONED ONLINE FOR VEHICLES FROM 2012. SCREEN SHOT ARE ATTACHED. THE OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE ALSO CAN DAMAGE OR DAMAGED FROM THIS DEFECT.
WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY THE MESSAGE "4WD SYSTEM REQUIRE SERVICE" CAME UP. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED 40K MILES AND NOW IT ONLY HAS 43K MILES. I HAVE DRIVEN MILDLY SINCE I BOUGHT IT AND HAVE NEVER ABUSED THE CAR. I HEARD IT'S CAUSED BY AYC ACD PUMP FAILURE, ACD C161E. *TR
ACD C161E WAS READ IN THE ECU. IT'S AYC ACD PUMP FAILURE. I DIDN'T DRIVE HARD. I DROVE NORMALLY WHICH I USUALLY DO. AND 4WD SERVICE REQUIRED COMES ON. I SEARCHED A LOT ABOUT THE ISSUE. MITSUBISHI SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ABOUT THIS ITS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR EVO I READ. *TR
ACTIVE YAW CONTROL PUMP THAT IS PART OF THE CAR'S ALL WHEEL CONTROL SYSTEM IS FAILING. PUMP IS NOT COVERED BY MANUFACTURER POWER TRAIN WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH IT'S PART OF THE POWER TRAIN. DUE TO LOCATION OF THE PUMP, IT GETS SPRAYED WITH WATER ON THE ROAD. THIS CAUSED THE PUMP TO FAIL PREMATURELY DUE TO CORROSION. *TR
THE TC-SST IN THE RALLIART SHOWED SIGNS OF SLIPPAGE AND MISSING GEARS. AT ONE POINT DURING OPERATION THE TRANSMISSION HAS GEARS COMPLETELY MISSING LEADING TO ROAD SAFETY ISSUES. MITSUBISHI MOTORS SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND THEY WOULD NOT TOUCH THE TRANSMISSION.
THE ACD / AYC PUMP FAILED. CAN BE DANGEROUS TO LOSE AWD SYSTEM. NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
ON-DASH WARNING LIGHT OF "4WD SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED" CAME ON. THIS WARNING IS INDICATIVE OF A ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL (ACD) PUMP FAILURE, GENERALLY DUE TO CORROSION FROM TREATED WINTER ROAD SURFACES AND/OR THE INABILITY TO HANDLE COLD-WEATHER CLIMATES. CAR WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED UNDER A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) TO DELAY ACTIVATION OF THE ACD PUMP FOR THIS EXACT REASON 2 YEARS PRIOR TO FAILURE. MITSUBISHI HAS YET TO CORRECT THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND IS CURRENTLY REFUSING TO HONOR WARRANTY SERVICE OF FAILED PUMPS UNDER THEIR 5-YEAR / 36,000-MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, STATING THAT THE PUMP IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THE VEHICLE TO OPERATE SAFELY AND PROPERLY. IN CONTRAST, A WORKING ACD PUMP DIRECTLY EFFECTS THE VEHICLE'S HANDLING, TRACTION & STEERING - AND ALL 3 DRIVING PARAMETERS IMMEDIATELY BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY WHEN THE PUMP SHUTS DOWN IN SELF-PROTECTION MODE OR HAS FAILED COMPLETELY. THIS VEHICLE HAS A DRIVER-SELECTED SETTING FOR TARMAC (PAVEMENT), GRAVEL/RAIN & SNOW CONDITIONS - THESE SETTINGS ARE COMPLETELY DISABLED WHEN THE ACD PUMP HAS FAILED, OR IS FAILING (ON-DASH WARNING WITH PUMP IN SELF-PROTECTION MODE). THIS ISSUE EFFECTS SEVERAL MODELS (LANCER, LANCER EVOLUTION, RALLIART, ETC.) FROM MODEL YEAR 2008 TO 2014, AND HUNDREDS OF INSTANCES OF THIS ISSUE HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED IN ONLINE FORUMS (AND PROBABLY SEVERAL-FOLD THAT AMOUNT THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DISCUSSED ONLINE). PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY, THANK YOU.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN WARMER WEATHER, A WARNING (4WD SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED) IS DISPLAYED ON THE DASH AND THE S-AWC AWD SYSTEM IS DISABLED. THE ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL AND TORQUE BIASING REAR DIFFERENTIAL ARE DISABLED, WHICH GREATLY REDUCES HANDLING AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO REACT DIFFERENTLY THAN NORMAL IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THIS IS THE RESULT OF A FAILING ACD/AYC HYDRAULIC PUMP. MITSUBISHI WILL NOT COVER THESE PUMPS UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THE PUMPS CORRODE INTERNALLY AND ARE UNABLE TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN PRESSURE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V446000 (POWER TRAIN) HAD SURPASSED A REASONABLE TIME FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED FOR REPAIR BUT HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE IN A TIMELY MATTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER WAS UNWILLING TO GIVE A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME WHEN THE REPAIR WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
4WD SERVICE REQUIRED LIGHT APPEARED. LIGHTS STAYS ON FOR A FEW DAYS. WENT TO MITSUBISHI DEALER SERVICE AND AWC PUMP HAS FAILED. IM AT 50,000 MILES AND CAR IS 4 YEARS OLD, SO IM WITH IN THE 5YR/60K MILE DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY, AND WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER IT. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A DRIVETRAIN PROBLEM. LET ALONE IT HAS HAPPEND FREQUENTLY TO THESE CARS. *TR
THE S-AWC (SUPER ALL-WHEEL CONTROL) LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT SAME DAY. MITSUBISHI FLASHED THE ECU AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. I RECENTLY NOTICED THE LIGHT BLINKING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED THE PART IS NOT COVERED BY DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY AND MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED BECAUSE IT OLDER THAN 3 YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY 2010; THIS MAKES IT 3 YEARS 10 MONTHS OLD AT TIME OF INCIDENT WITH LESS THAN 36K ON THE ODOMETER. *TR
"ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED" MESSAGE CAM ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO CORTESE MITSUBISHI IN ROCHESTER NY WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT A SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS NEEDED WHICH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANT. UPGRADE WAS PERFORMED AND I WAS INFORMED TO RETURN IF OTHER MESSAGES WERE DISPLAYED AS THE AWC PUMP MIGHT BE FAULTY WHICH WOULD BE FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. AT 40300M THE TARMAC DISPLAY STARTED FLASHING AND TRACTION CONTROL SETTING COULD NOT BE CHANGED FROM THE AWC SWITCH. RETURNED THE CAR TO CORTESE MITSUBISHI WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE AWC PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2100. AND THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AS INITIALLY INFORMED BY THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE BECAUSE MITSUBISHI CONSIDERS THIS TO BE A "LUXURY" FEATURE. *TR
TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT AND I RECEIVED A "SERVICE AWD SYSTEM" MESSAGE. CAUSED BY THE ACD/AYC PUMP BEING FAULTY WHICH IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AS CORROSION HAPPENS TO THE EXPOSED PUMP. OPTIONS INCLUDE A $2000-3000 REPLACEMENT OF THE PUMP OR REBUILD ONE AND HOPE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN (WHICH MIGHT SINCE IT IS EXPOSED) AGAIN. REALLY HOPE MITSUBISHI RECALLS THIS ITEM SINCE IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL EVOLUTIONS. *TR
EVERY MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO X KEEPS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OUR ACD/AYC PUMP FAILURE THAT WILL COST ME/OWNER A STAGGERING 2000 TO 3000 DOLLARS TO FIX. THIS IS CLEARLY SHOW HOW THE PART IS REALLY WEAK AND SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY TO FIX IT. PLEASE HELP US HAVE THE MITSUBISHI PAY FOR THIS CRAPPY PART INCLUDED ON AN EXPENSIVE CAR. HOPE YOU HERE MY VOICE. *TR
"4WD SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED" WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO FIND THAT THE ACD PUMP HAVE FAILED. PAID $3,000 BECAUSE IT'S NOT A WARRANTY PART. WENT ONLINE TO FIND OUT THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM GOING AS FAR BACK AS 2005. IT WAS A DESIGN ISSUE WITH THE ACD PUMP WHERE THE SEAL SHRINKS DURING WINTER ALLOWING DEBRIS TO ENTER THE ACD PUMP SYSTEM. DURING THE SUMMER, THE SEAL EXPAND TRAPPING THE DEBRIS WITHIN CAUSING REGULAR FAILURE OF THE PUMP EVERY 30,000 TO 40,000 MILES. CONSIDERING THEY'VE USED THE PUMP SINCE 2005, MITSUBISHI SHOULD KNOW FULL WELL THE ACD PUMP IS NO GOOD AND SHOULD'VE REDESIGNED IT A LONG TIME AGO. *TR
HAD AN AWD SERVICE WARNING LIGHT COME ON IN THE CAR WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN TRAFFIC. THE CAR CODED A C161E CODE FOR ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL. IT SEEMS TO COME ON WHEN IT IS WARM OUT ABOVE 60 DEGREES. THE CODE IS FOR THE ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL PUMP WHICH IS PART OF THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM AND BASICALLY CONTROLS HOW THE CAR SPLITS THE POWER FROM THE FRONT AND REAR WHEELS THROUGH THE TRANSFER CASE. FOUND OUT WHEN I WENT TO THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS ONLY COVERED UNDER THE BASIC 36000 MILE WARRANTY AND IS NOT CONSIDERED PART OF THE POWERTRAIN, EVEN THOUGH IT IS PART OF THE AWD SYSTEM. I WAS ALSO ADVISED IF IT IS THE PUMP, WHICH SEEMS TO BE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THESE CAR, IT WOULD BE $2500 TO FIX, BUT SINCE IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY I WOULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COSTS FOR ANY TROUBLESHOOTING AND ANY OTHER PARTS THAT WOULD NEED FIXED OR REPLACED AS WELL. WHILE RESEARCHING ONLINE, SINCE I DON'T HAVE +$2500 TO FIX THIS ISSUE I FIND THAT THIS IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE CARS THAT MITSUBISHI REFUSES TO TAKE CARE OF. I HAVE THE CAR KEPT IN A GARAGE AT HOME AND ONLY SITS OUTSIDE WHILE I'M AT WORK AS WELL SINCE I READ THAT THE COLD WEATHER EFFECTS THESE PUMPS AS WELL. I WOULD THINK THIS WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT SINCE THE AWD SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 23 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026