AI Damage2010 Mitsubishi Lancer: common problems
Owners of the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer filed 51 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 51
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 25% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 12% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 6% of all complaints
- Engine: 13 complaints (25% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (16% of all).
- Service brakes: 7 complaints (14% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 6 complaints (12% of all).
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- CVTnamed in 1 complaints
- dual-clutch (DCT), 6-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 51 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 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.
The contact stated that after another vehicle crashed into the rear, the contact's vehicle crashed into a pole and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and two people were injured. The injuries consisted of a head, neck, shoulder and knee damage to both persons.
First incident occurred on 12/6/10 when the car had 11,000 miles on it. Sometimes when pressing the gas pedal, the engine revs up but the car doesn't move. This problem has happened about 25 times since I purchased the vehicle in november 2009.
The brakes were applied to attempt a turn but did not respond and the driver engaged the parking brake. The vehicle proceeded to crash into a guardrail on the side of the highway, damaging the front end of the vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to the left arm, right leg and forehead.
Eventually it puts the car into a limp mode and will stall altogether. This happens any long distance trip. My car year and model is not the only Lancer being effected by this computer glitch. Itâs very dangerous due to the fact that the cars loosing power while youâre driving.
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.
Warning message "too hot slow down" appears when inclining uphill in above 70 degrees (f) at 45mph or more. Transmission begins to lose power, deceleration occurs, temperature gauge reads normal on dashboard menu, vehicle transmission runs on high rpm above 3000, transmission sounds are louder than normal, and when…
I have just came across a crack in my exhaust manifold which is causing exhaust fumes to enter the cabin of the vehicle if my windows are up. I don't seem to be the only person with this type of car/engine that has a crack in the exhaust manifold.
Making your abs and engine light come on the dash. With that failure it stores the code and even after the electrical problems are fix you still can not clear the abs/brake code.
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 5,293 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Lancer has 48 complaints (18 years in the data). This year has 51, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, engine and cooling, service brakes. Total complaints: 51. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (10%), windows, sunroof (10%), headlights and tail lights (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer?
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 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.