There are 6 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ALL MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION X MODELS ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE AYC ACD PUMPS, THIS AFFECTS THE STABILITY AND THE HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE SPECIALLY IN BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS BECAUSE THE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY IN CASE OF A SLIPPERY OR BAD ROAD. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS PUMPS BEGIN WITH IT'S LOCATION BECAUSE IT RECEIVES DIRT,WATER, SNOW AND OTHER ELEMENTS THAT HARM THE PUMP. THIS SHOULD HAVE A RECALL FROM MITSUBISHI BECAUSE IT FAILED DUE TO A BAD DESIGN AND LOCATION OF IT AND IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS FOR DRIVERS SPECIALLY IN BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS, I WILL LIKE THIS CONCERN COULD BE TAKEN IN CONSIDERATION FOR ALL OF US THAT ARE MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION OWNERS, THANKS
MY ABS AND ASC LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON FOR A WHILE. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD IT WASNT A PROBLEM, JUST A FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. ONE DAY, I WAS COMING OFF AN EXIT RAMP TRYING TO BRAKE SO I COULD TURN BUT MY BRAKES WOULDNT ENGAGE SO I SLAM ON MY BRAKE AND THEY LOCKED UP AND MY CAR SLID AND CRASHED INTO A MEDIAN. TIRED TO STEER AWAY BUT IT WOULDNT TURN.
STARTED UP ONE DAY AND WENT TO DRIVE IT AND THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE PUMP HAD FAILED, CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE. *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. *TR
BOUGHT MY VEHICLE AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE WITH 37,213 MILES ON IT. AT 43,000 MILES, VEHICLE BEGAN HAVING MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE ALL WHEEL CONTROL SYSTEM AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL HYDRAULIC PUMP. THIS SHOULD BE AN ITEM COVERED UNDER THE 5 YEAR/60,000 MILE WARRANTY, HOWEVER, MITSUBISHI STATES THAT IT IS NOT COVERED, EVEN THOUGH IT IS PART OF THE POWER-TRAIN, AND REQUIRED TO WORK FOR VEHICLE STABILITY AND SAFETY. MITSUBISHI HAS CONTINUED TO REFUSE TO WARRANTY THE PUMP. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS, MAYBE HUNDREDS OF OTHER CARS WITH THE EXACT SAME MALFUNCTION, MANY OF THESE WERE TURNED AWAY BY MITSUBISHI EVEN WHILE THEY WERE UNDER THE POWER-TRAIN WARRANTY. *TR
I BELIEVE THE OUTER TIE RODS ON 2008-2012 MITSUBISHI LANCER (ALL MODELS) ARE DEFECTIVE. I HAD THE PASS SIDE FAIL AT 20K MILES., WHICH WAS REPLACED BY DEALER. IT TOOK OVER A YEAR OF DIAGNOSIS, INCREASED NOISES, AND EVENTUAL UNSAFE HANDLING BEFORE THE SECOND ONE- DRIVERS SIDE WAS DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED, THIS TIME BY AN INDEPENDENT SHOP. I HAD TO PERSONALLY PAY TO HAVE THE SECOND ONE REPLACED BECAUSE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO REPRODUCE AND REPLACE AFTER NUMEROUS INQUIRIES. I HAVE VIDEO OF THE BALL JOINT UPON REMOVAL FROM THE IDLER ARM, AND THE JOINT IS ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED. SURPRISINGLY, IT DOES NOT EXHIBIT MUCH PLAY WHEN MOUNTED, AND THE BALL JOINT RUBBER LOOKS OK. IT WOULD BE VERY EASY FOR A CURSORY INSPECTION TO COME UP WITH NOTHING, EVEN WHEN THE JOINT IS DANGEROUSLY NEAR FAILING. NOT ONLY DO I BELIEVE THAT THE PART IS PRONE TO FAILURE, BUT I DON'T THINK IT IS SAFE EVEN WHEN NEW. I NOTICED THE VEHICLE HAD UNUSUAL STEERING SINCE I BOUGHT IT, THAT CAUSED IT TO DOG TRACK AND DRIFT IN AND OUT OF LANE. I TRIED A VARIETY OF WAYS TO IMPROVE, INCLUDING NEW TIRES, SOLD BY DEALER, PASSENGER SIDE TIE ROD REPLACED. NONE ADDRESSED THE STEERING ISSUES, UNTIL I REPLACED WITH AFTERMARKET MOOG OUTER TIE RODS AFTER FINDING THE DRIVERS SIDE TIE ROD DEFECTIVE. I HAVE ALSO INQUIRED WITH OTHER OWNERS, SINCE I AM A MEMBER OF A LANCER FORUM. MANY ALSO SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. EITHER THEY HAVE HAD THEM REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, OR THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MANY OF THESE VEHICLES ARE ON THE ROAD TODAY WITH TIE RODS THAT ARE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. CONSIDERING THAT THE FAILURE OF THESE PARTS EVENTUALLY LEADS TO DRAMATIC UNDERSTEER, AND SLIDING OUT OF THE FRONT END, WHILE STABILITY CONTROL DOESN'T ENGAGE, THIS SITUATION COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED A VIDEO OF THE DEFECTIVE PART IN QUESTION. THANKS. *TR
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