While driving the car we began hearing a rattling noise. We took it to the dealer to get it checked. They informed us that the control member was beginning to rust out causing the control arms to become loose. This is the exact problem related to a recall in other states for this car.
The worst 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine21
- Brakes7
- Visibility6
- Electrical5
- Lights4
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine21
- Brakes7
- Visibility6
- Electrical5
- Lights4
- Transmission4
- Steering3
- Acceleration2
- Airbags2
- Driver assistance2
- Body1
- Fuel system1
- Seat belts1
- Suspension1
- Tires1
Recalls 6
Structure: frame and members
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- A detached front control arm can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross member will be replaced with a new one. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2020. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-20-003.
Recall number 20V279000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Lancer, 2008-2012 Outlander, 2010-2012 Lancer Sportback, and 2011-2012 Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with either a 4B11 or 4B12 engine. The drive belt automatic tensioner flange may crack, allowing the accessory drive belt to detach.
- Risk
- If the drive belt detaches, the battery will discharge and the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the belt tensioner with one that has an improved shape, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 27, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-001.
Recall number 18V069000 · Recall details
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If the sunroof glass detaches from the assembly while driving, it can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sunroof glass assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-003.
Recall number 18V071000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicles manufactured January 12, 2009, to July 6, 2010, 2009-2010 Outlander vehicles manufactured January 12, 2009, to August 27, 2010, 2010 Lancer Sportback vehicles manufactured June 17, 2009, to June 8, 2010, and 2010 Lancer Evolution vehicles manufactured July 14, 2009, to August 4, 2010. The affected vehicles have an electronic control unit (ECU) that controls the head lights, tail lights, and windshield wipers. Due to a manufacturing error, the voltage inside this ECU may be unstable.
- Risk
- Unstable voltage could result in intermittent failure of the vehicle's head lights, tail lights, and windshield wipers. If the headlights and/or windshield wipers fail, the driver could have reduced visibility. If the tail lights fail, the vehicle could be less visible. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected ECU, free of charge. The recall began on June 15 ,2015. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-15-002.
Recall number 15V232000 · Recall details
Visibility: defroster/defogger/HVAC system: fan/motor
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Lancer vehicles manufactured March 16, 2009, to March 30, 2011, 2010-2011 Lancer Sportback vehicles manufactured June 17, 2009, to December 1, 2010, 2010-2011 Lancer Evolution vehicles manufactured July 14, 2009, to January 7, 2011, 2009-2011 Outlander vehicles manufactured February 10, 2009, to June 22, 2011, and 2011 Outlander Sport vehicles manufactured August 26, 2010, to November 19, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the blower motor may fail.
- Risk
- Failure of the blower motor may reduce the performance of the windshield defroster, diminishing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace a suspect blower motor, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-15-003.
Recall number 15V233000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If the drive belt detaches, the battery may discharge, resulting in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the drive belt with a rubber belt. Drive pulleys that are excessively worn will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 15, 2014. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-14-009.
Recall number 14V562000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer 110
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Tech Talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers
- This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd...
- This Technical Service Bulletin provides service manual corrections and additional information for the...
- This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load...
- This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of...
- This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd...
- This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers and parts managers about possible causes after a
- This Technical Service Bulletin contains technical information and troubleshooting for the accessory...
- This TSB provides revisions to the Removal and Installation procedures for the rocker cover due to changes...
- This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew...
2010 Mitsubishi Lancer fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | FWD | 22-23 | 30-31 | 25-26 |
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 20-22 | 27-29 | 22-25 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | AWD | 17 | 25 | 20 |
What 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The car started flashing a warning sign and loosing power. When trying to accelerate it stops. 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. It’s very dangerous due to the fact that the cars loosing power while you’re driving. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the middle of the highway it will just stop working. All research I have done points to an error within the computer that tells the car when to cool down the transmission. I have seen many blogs, forums and actually know another Lancer owner who’s model is a 2012 and has the exact same issue. I don’t know why this hasn’t been addressed yet when it’s affecting more than just one Lancer here or there. Bad for the engine bad for the transmission bad for my travel. And the worst part is that any mechanic is unable to detect the issue unless the car is actively coding. I’ve had this car for 3 years now and I feel it’s a big safety concern and needs to looked into. First occurrence was on a trip down to a local lake car stalled on the side of a highway this was in 2018. Now any trip further than over 30 miles or more the car will throw this code it looks like a gear and it has a exclamation point in the middle. It’s progressively getting worse and effecting the over all performance more each time I wish to travel. Please find out why this issue is occurring in multiple years of the same model of car because it inconvenient and dangerous. I would hate for myself and my kids to get killed in an accident due to not being able to get out of the way of a bigger vehicle or a truck.
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
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 vehicle reaches complete stop, vehicle warning message does not go away. When vehicle is manually shut off, message will still appear. When the vehicle is turned on to electrical only, message will still appear. After 5 minutes or more in power off, vehicle will restart like normal, message is cleared, and gauges for temperature and oil pressure is normal range. No error codes are discovered when pulling codes when issue occurs. Emissions is okay and vehicle is regularly maintained according to vehicle's suggested maintenance plans. Issue has been a recurring issue for the last 4 years and the dealership has not responded with a suggested resolution or advisement on the issue.
The mitsubishi dealer told me they couldn't fix one of the recalls because it was an "after market part".
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.
Hello the federal safety agency, I have a 2011 mitsubishi lancer ralliart sportback. 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. My car is not modified in any way that effects the performance that could cause such a crack to happen. This also appears to be the case for several thousand others. I have brought my vehicle into mitsubishi who has confirmed the crack and has not been able to explain to me why or how this happened. I have been told from my local mitsubishi dealership and the next closest one that they can replace the manifold for $2k. I have contacted mitsubishi USA who has told me the exhaust manifold shouldn't crack and has gotten no other complaints about the issue. There are several thousand posts with photo proof that I am not alone with this issue. Mitsubishi has had a similar issue with their all wheel drive pump where there was a defect of some sort and extended the warranty to 100,000k. I have already had my all wheel drive pump fail and replaced under that warranty. When I spoke with mitsubishi USA a supervisor named jennifer informed me to put in a complaint here. Since mitsubishi has not had any internal testing on the manifold going this route may speed the process up. This issue is quite serious since with the crack - photo attached: it causes carbon monoxide to enter the cabin if the windows are up or if the AC is on and the car is at a stand still. Thank you for your time.
My complaint is on the anti lock brake pump/motor on 2010 mitsubishi lancers. Iv read alot and talked to alot of people about this issue where at anytime the car ends up having a low or bad battery, and or any other issues causing lower then normal voltage. It sends a code to the ABS module causing it to fail. 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. The only fix to get ride of the lights and to get your ABS pump/motor working again is to replace it with a brand new unit costing almost $3,000 dollars to mitsubishi. Hearing from other people with this issue, it is a defect from mitsubishi. This problem occured to me when my car was is park running, but have seen it happen to other people just driving down the road or highway ( in motion & stationary ) also with out this fix you cant not get your vehical passed in a state inspection
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 mitsubishi lancer. While driving highway speeds, the sun roof assembly fractured without warning. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was notified. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 mitsubishi lancer. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the bolts to the I-beam connecting rod became loose and damaged the engine block. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer (kelly mitsubishi, 536 state ave, emmaus, pa) was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 186,000.
Compare the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer
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Questions about the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer
Is the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer reliable?
Owners have filed 51 complaints about the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer, 1.5 times a typical Lancer model year.
What is the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer year score?
The 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer scores 56 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Mitsubishi Lancer: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Engine and cooling, with 21 complaints, typically around 93,000 miles. Next is brakes (7).
How many recalls does the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer have?
6 recalls, covering structure, engine and engine cooling and visibility.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer engine?
Yes, 2 recalls: 18V069000, 14V562000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Mitsubishi Lancer have bad engine?
The Mitsubishi Lancer model years with the most engine complaints are 2009 (27 complaints), 2002 (22 complaints) and 2010 (21 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer get?
Official estimates for the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer range from 20 to 26 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 22-23 city and 30-31 highway.
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