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2010 Mitsubishi Lancer: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues

What the public record actually says about the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.

The read

Middle-of-the-pack complaint volume for sedan.

Owners filed 88 NHTSA complaints — fewer complaints than 51% of 2010 sedans. Power Train leads the reports (28%). 6 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.

Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2010 sedans, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.

Complaints filed

88

Reports to NHTSA, 2010

Safety recalls

6

NHTSA campaigns on record

NHTSA crash test

Not rated

Overall NCAP rating

Combined MPG

25

EPA estimate

Complaint volume vs. segment peers

Fewer complaints than 51% of 2010 sedans

The bar is this car's percentile among 2010 sedans by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.

Known issues

Power Train issues lead owner complaints (28% of 88 reports), followed by engine (13%).

Power Train28% · 25 reports
Engine13% · 11 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling13% · 11 reports
Electrical System7% · 6 reports
Steering7% · 6 reports
Service Brakes6% · 5 reports
Unknown Or Other6% · 5 reports
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)3% · 3 reports

+ 10 more component categories with fewer reports.

Share of all 88 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 10490039, ODI 11228271, ODI 11075644, ODI 11075651, ODI 10924321.

Recalls(6)

Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.

Engine And Engine CoolingDec 2014 · 14V562000Details +

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.

Electrical System · 15V232000Details +

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.

Visibility · 15V233000Details +

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling · 18V069000Details +

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.

Visibility · 18V071000Details +

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.

Structure · 20V279000Details +

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.

A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.

Investigations

0 NHTSA investigations on record

No investigations are on record as of Jul 2026. An empty record is not a clean bill of health.

Crash-test ratings

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer 4-DR w/SAB NHTSA source

Overall
Not rated
Frontal
Not rated
Side
Not rated
Rollover

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Fuel economy by trim

TrimEngineDrivetrainCityHwyCombined
Lancer2.0L 4-cylFront-Wheel Drive233026
Lancer2.0L 4-cylFront-Wheel Drive223125
Lancer2.4L 4-cylFront-Wheel Drive222925
Lancer2.4L 4-cylFront-Wheel Drive202823
Lancer2.0L 4-cylAll-Wheel Drive172520

EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.

Before you buy

Useful next checks

Federal records tell you about patterns. These checks can tell you more about the specific car in front of you.

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Compare model years

"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer: frequently asked

What does the complaint record show for the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer?

Owners filed 88 NHTSA complaints about the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer — fewer complaints than 51% of comparable 2010 sedans, so it sits toward the stronger end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.

What are the most common problems on the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer?

The most-reported problem areas are Power Train (28% of complaints) and engine (13%).

How many recalls does the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer have?

6 recalls have been issued that affect the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer, covering components such as engine and engine cooling. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.

What gas mileage does the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer get?

The EPA rates the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer between 20 and 26 mpg combined, depending on trim and drivetrain.