AI Damage2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution: common problems
Owners of the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution filed 28 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and electronic stability control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 28
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 71% of all complaints
- 2 Electronic stability control 29% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 20 complaints (71% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 8 complaints (29% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Fuel system: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Steering: 3 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 28 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 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed 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.
I had some warning lights come on for the asc and abs systems being disabled. I took it to the dealer and they said the abs pump was faulty and needed to be replaced for over $3000. I looked online and found several other people with the same issue of the brushes in the abs pump sticking.
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..
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.
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.
Ayc/acl pump failure. Error code c161e. Seems to be a large number of these issues from other owners.
Requested dealer to repair under warranty a problem which can cause vehicle to become inoperable at temperatures of 20 below zero as documented in mitsubishi tsb-10-13-002.
Drove out of my driveway and within 5 seconds abs malfunction light came on as well as stability control. After further investigation I found that the drivers side rear abs sensor was faulty due to the sensor not being sealed correctly by the manufacturer which led to corrosion and the sensor failing.
My car caught fire last night and burned up while turned off, parked and unattended. Another similiar situation occurred: boise --- a vehicle recall you may not have heard about that could put you in danger. Imagine your car is parked in your garage and a fire erupts under the hood of it -- spreading to your home.
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 7,081 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Lancer Evolution has 21 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 28, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, electronic stability control, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 28. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (18%), warning lights, check engine (18%), knocking, grinding or other noise (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution?
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 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 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 2010 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.