Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Suspension23
- Engine13
- Steering12
- Power train11
- Structure10
- Air bags7
- Electrical system7
- Tires6
- Service brakes, hydraulic4
- Engine and engine cooling4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 6 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 25 2008 Lancer vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 19 people died inside them, and 3 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer failed the safety check 2.57% of the time — 4% more often than the average 2008 passenger car (2.48%). Median odometer at inspection: 138,242 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer cars on Dutch roads are the 1.8 petrol (105 kW, 141 hp), 1.6 petrol (72 kW, 97 hp) and 1.5 petrol (80 kW, 107 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 petrol | 105 kW 141 hp | 317 |
| 1.6 petrol | 72 kW 97 hp | 142 |
| 1.5 petrol | 80 kW 107 hp | 113 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
603 first registered in 2008 are on Dutch roads; 7% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €33,146.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde374
- Band onvoldoende profiel250
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt236
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld204
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)201
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm152
- Waarschuwingsinrichting antiblokkeersysteem geeft defect aan147
- Licht- donkerscheiding dimlicht onduidelijk143
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,004 cars built in 2008 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 488 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,609 of these cars first registered in 2008 took their annual MOT test. 64% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2008 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 16.5% | 19.8% |
| Suspension | 13.8% | 17.2% |
| Brakes | 10.9% | 11.3% |
| Steering | 6.3% | 3.2% |
| Visibility | 5.8% | 6.7% |
| Tyres | 5.3% | 7.6% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
469 of these cars first registered in 2008 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 226,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
975 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 33% arrived as used imports, 64% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 9.7–9.8 L/100 km (about 24 mpg US), CO₂ 223–225 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancer · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.0 | 8.2 | 9.7 |
| Lancer · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.1 | 8.3 | 9.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
7 Transport Canada recalls for the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer.
| 2020216 15 May 2020 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, road salt can corrode the front cross-member (subframe). As a result, a lower control arm could eventually detach from the cross-m… |
| 2018588 26 Oct 2018 | Visual System On certain vehicles, water may drain from the windshield cowl area onto the front wiper link ball joint. Over time, this could result in corrosion and/or wear t… |
| 2018054 26 Jan 2018 | Accessories On certain vehicles, the sunroof may not have been bonded properly and could separate from the vehicle. This could pose a risk to other road users, increasing t… |
| 2016382 29 Jul 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles operated in areas of heavy road salt usage, a mixture of snow, water and road-salt solution may infiltrate between the front impact sensor a… |
| 2014397 15 Sept 2014 | Engine On certain vehicles, the drive belt material may cause abnormal pulley wear. If the vehicle is driven under this condition, the drive belt may become damaged f… |
| 2009317 9 Nov 2009 | Airbag On certain vehicles operated in areas of heavy road salt usage, the front impact sensors may corrode between the sensor bushing and sensor bracket. Over time, … |
| 2009072 6 Mar 2009 | Brakes On certain vehicles, the brake booster check valve may stick closed when the engine is shut off. When the vehicle is re-started and put into motion, under cert… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2008-2010 Lancer, 2009-2010 Lancer Sportback, 2008-2013 Outlander, and 2011-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Outlander, 2008-2010 Lancer, 2009-2010 Lancer Evolution, and 2010 Lancer Sportback vehicles equipped with sunroofs. The sunroof glass may detach from the sunroof assembly, becoming a road hazard to other vehicles.
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Lancer, Lancer Evolution, and Outlander; 2009-2011 Lancer Sportback, Lancer Rilliart, and Lancer Sportback Ralliart; and 2011 Outlander Sport vehicles. The affected vehicles, manufactured with 4B1 engines, have an engine pulley and belt arrangement for turning the alternator, the cooling fan and the power steering pump (if equipped). These pulleys may experience unusual wear and allow for belt detachment.
MITSUBISHI IS RECALLING MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 LANCER AND LANCER EVOLUTION VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN AREAS WHERE HEAVY ROAD SALT IS USED IN THE WINTER, A LONG TERM EXPOSURE TO A MIXTURE OF MELTED SNOW WITH SALT THROWN UP BY THE OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD MAY CAUSE A WATER-SALT MIXTURE TO ADHERE TO THE FRONT IMPACT SENSORS.
MITSUBISHI IS RECALLING 39,711 MY 2008-2009 OUTLANDER AND LACER VEHICLES. INCORRECT MATERIAL COMPOSITION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVE MAY CAUSE THE CHECK VALVE TO STICK CLOSED WHEN THE ENGINE IS SHUT OFF. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RE-STARTED AND PUT INTO MOTION, UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS (VERY SLOW VEHICLE MANEUVERS), THERE MAY BE INSUFFICIENT INITIAL BRAKING ASSIST.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mitsubishi told its dealers about the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10240443 | This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023. |
| 10235609 | This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of rap-film adhesive residue. |
| 10235608 | This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load carrying capacity be affixed to vehicles when the total net weight of accessories is more than 1.5 percent of the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or 100 lbs. |
| 10235606 | This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd quarterly technician quiz for 2023. |
| 10231410 | This TSB provides revisions to the Removal and Installation procedures for the rocker cover due to changes in the quantity of mounting bolts for vehicles equipped with 4B1 series engine. (Service Manual Revision) |
| 10211530 | This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew condensation, which is a natural phenomenon, and water penetration caused by improper sealing or a defective/broken part. |
| 10191961 | This Technical Information Notice provides additional instructions to dealers when replacing the Valve Cover Gasket due to a customer concern of oil leaking. |
| 10181899 | Revision to previous TSB SR-20-003 for the Crossmember recall. Added Warranty information for instances where subframe may fail and cause additional damage to unrelated parts. This bulletin provides directions for inspection and repair of affected vehicles' Crossmembers. |
| 10181898 | Technical Information Notice sent to dealerships to advise ofrevision changes to TSB "SR-20-003REV_2" |
| 10180973 | Revision to previous TSB SR-20-003 for the Crossmember recall. Added Warranty information for instances where subframe may fail and cause additional damage to unrelated parts. This bulletin provides directions for inspection and repair of affected vehicles' Crossmembers. |
| 10180972 | Technical Information Notice sent to dealerships to advise ofrevision changes to TSB "SR-20-003REV_2" |
| 10179680 | This Technical Information Notice was sent to dealerships to notify of a revised Safety Recall Bulletin SR-20-003REV_2 update regarding warranty information and entry of claims. |
| 10179679 | This TSB was sent to dealers as an update to SR-20-003REV_1 issued in July 2020 and provides updates to the warranty information. |
| 10179672 | This Technical Information Notice was sent to dealers informing that a recall campaign was released on July 22, 2020 (SR-20-003) for the Crossmember Corrosion. |
| 10179524 | This Technical Information Notice was sent to dealers informing that a recall campaign was released on July 22, 2020 (SR-20-003) for the Crossmember Corrosion. |
| 10179517 | This Technical Information Notice was sent to dealerships to notify of a revised Safety Recall Bulletin SR-20-003REV_2 update regarding warranty information and entry of claims. |
| 10179516 | This TSB was sent to dealers as an update to SR-20-003REV_1 issued in July 2020 and provides updates to the warranty information. |
| 10178989 | This bulletin provides directions for inspection and repair of affected vehicles' Crossmembers in the Safety Recall. |
| 10178988 | This ATIN-20-SR-003D supersedes ATIN-20-SR-003C and ATIN-20-SR-003B, providing notification of modifications to the TSB and repair procedure; noting when a Crossmember replacement is required the anti-corrosive agent application is not required. |
| 10178985 | This Advanced Technical Information Notice was sent to dealers as an update to ATIN-20-SR-003B informing that due to a parts availability delay of the Crossmember, customer vehicles requiring a replacement of the crossmember are unable to be completed at this time. Additionally, this notice informed dealers that an Interim Owner Notification Letter was mailed to affected owners on July 17th, 2020 to inform customers that MMNA is making every effort to establish a remedy and will contact them again by mail with a follow-up recall notice once parts are in stock and the final remedy is available. |
| 10178984 | This Letter was sent to customers informing them of the launch of Recall SR-20-003, part are currently unavailable; but they will be notified when parts become availble for repairs to begin. This notice also provided customers instruction on how to obtain repairs. |
| 10178224 | This bulletin provides directions for inspection and repair of affected vehicles' Crossmembers in the Safety Recall. |
| 10178223 | This ATIN-20-SR-003D supersedes ATIN-20-SR-003C and ATIN-20-SR-003B, providing notification of modifications to the TSB and repair procedure; noting when a Crossmember replacement is required the anti-corrosive agent application is not required. |
| 10178220 | This Advanced Technical Information Notice was sent to dealers as an update to ATIN-20-SR-003B informing that due to a parts availability delay of the Crossmember, customer vehicles requiring a replacement of the crossmember are unable to be completed at this time. Additionally, this notice informed dealers that an Interim Owner Notification Letter was mailed to affected owners on July 17th, 2020 to inform customers that MMNA is making every effort to establish a remedy and will contact them again by mail with a follow-up recall notice once parts are in stock and the final remedy is available. |
| 10178219 | Interim Customer Notification Letter for Recall SR-20-003 - Crossmember |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)