AI Damage2006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 80% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 3 Electronic stability control 10% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 8 complaints (80% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 10 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My active central differential pump failed. About 4 months ago all of the fluid was gone so I refilled it. Last week it was empty again so I filled it and the fluid just dumped out on my driveway. The car only has 82000 miles on it.
I first noticed that my 2006 mitsubishi lancer evolution mr started to make a grinding/scrapping noise that seemed to be generating from the timing belt area. The car had approximately 30,000 miles on the odometer. It seemed to be a noise that was present at idle and upon cold start ups.
Srs light, horn going off for no reason, any and all dash functions going off for no reason. 2. Water leaking in cabin due to improper seal of a wiring harness that goes through firewall. Caused wiring harness to be corroded and need to be replaced. 3.
Owned 1 2006 lancer evolution, and transmission failed 4 times. Manufacture bought back, purchased 2nd lancer evo, same dealership, transmission problem s again after 15 k miles.
While driving between 40-65 mph and attempting to shift gears, the transmission would grind. The dealer stated that a new transmission was needed because the srynco failed. No repairs were made. The current and failure mileages were 16,000.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,921 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Lancer EVO has 8 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 10, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, electrical system, electronic stability control. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (20%), airbag warning light (10%), rust, corrosion (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2006 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.