2006 Mitsubishi LANCER: complaints, problems and recalls

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON A GRAVEL ROAD WITH THE ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL STABILITY CONTROL ENGAGED, UPON ENTERING ONTO A PAVED ROADWAY, THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, AND CRASHED INTO NEARBY PARKED FARMING EQUIPMENT WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MODERATE BODY DAMAGE. THE POLICE WERE NOT ALERTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT ALERTED.

Owner-reported narrative. 4,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10174429 at NHTSA ↗

AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY IN EXTREME ACCIDENT AND ROLLOVER! 2006 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION - I HAVE PICTURES! VEHICLE HIT CURB, SPLIT TELEPHONE POLE, KNOCKED DOWN STREETLIGHT, STREET SIGN. 3 FOOT IMPACT ON SIDE, ALL PARTS OF CAR STRUCK- NO AIRBAG DEPLYMENT; NUMEROUS INJURIES! DRIVER HAS BROKEN PELVIS.

Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10185900 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT RENTED A 2006 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHEELS ON THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED. HE BELIEVED THAT THE RACK AND PINION WAS THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ALL THREE DAYS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RENTED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,282 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,131. UPDATED 09/19/07 *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 19,131 miles reported. Look up ODI 10200864 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY DURING DECELERATION. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE CONTACT TURNED INTO A DRIVEWAY TO PARK THE VEHICLE AND THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. A POLICE REPORT WAS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, BUT THEY HAD NOT PROVIDED ANY INFORMATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 1,700. UPDATED 06/09/08 *BF

Owner-reported narrative. 1,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10226815 at NHTSA ↗

HEADLIGHTS KEEP FAILING. WAS PULLED OVER AFTER HAVING JUST REPLACED A BULB AND NOTIFIED THE BULB WAS OUT AGAIN. BLAMED THE SHOP THAT REPLACED THE BULB, AND HAD THEM PUT IN ANOTHER. THEN WHEN DRIVING A LONG DISTANCE DRIVE, AS I BEGAN TO GET DARK, ANOTHER MOTORIST FLASHED ME TO NOTIFY ME THAT I DID NOT HAVE HEADLIGHTS ON, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE IN THE ON POSITION. BOTH LOW BEAMS HAD GONE OUT AND WOULD ONLY WORK ON HIGH BEAMS. I WAS LUCKY THAT THE MOTORIST NOTIFIED ME, AND THAT THE LIGHTS DID NOT BLOW AFTER DARK WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS IS A HUGE …

Owner-reported narrative. 85,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10266706 at NHTSA ↗

REMOVED FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR TO BEGIN BRAKING FOR YELLOW LIGHT WHILE DRIVING APPROX. 25 MPH, AS SOON AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD AS IF AT FULL THROTTLE AND DID NOT STOP ACCELERATING UNTIL THE IMPACT FROM THE COLLISION. THE SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION HAPPENED TWO TIMES BEFORE, EACH TIME RIGHT AFTER I LIFTED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO BEGIN BRAKING. THE ACCELERATOR HAD NOT (NOT) BEEN FULLY DEPRESSED PRIOR TO THE UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION IN ANY OF THE ABOVE INCIDENTS. ATTEMPT TO BRAKE BEFORE COLLISION WAS UNSUCCESSFUL…

Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10387128 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MITSUBISHI LANCER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,900. UPDATED 12/01/14*LJ

Owner-reported narrative. 25,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10641779 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN I WAS IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT MY INTERVENTION, WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FURTHER. I HAD TO APPLIED THE MANUAL BRAKE AND PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. IN NEUTRAL THE RPMS WENT TO THE MAXIMUM AND THEN DECREASED TO NORMAL. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 160,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10676376 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2016-05-23 (May 23, 2016)

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Lancer and Lancer Evolution vehicles manufactured June 29, 2005, to June 19, 2007, equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 19, 2016. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-002.

Reported: 2016-06-23 (June 23, 2016)

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 Lancer, 2004 Lancer Wagon, 2003-2006 Lancer Evolution, 2003-2006 Outlander and 2007-2013 Outlander V-6 vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, 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 the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.

Consequence: A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, 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 that has a sealing/anti-corrosion agent applied to it. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-003.

Reported: 2017-09-14 (September 14, 2017)

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Lancer and Lancer Evolution vehicles and 2004 Lancer Sportback vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with a different inflator, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2017. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-17-001. Note: This recall supersedes recall 15V-321.

Reported: 2018-04-05 (April 5, 2018)

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicles that previously received a like-for-like passenger side frontal air bag inflator under recall 15V321 as interim remedy. Also recalled are 2004-2006 Lancer vehicles located in Guam or Saipan that previously received or never received a new inflator under 15V321 or 17V569. These passenger side frontal air bag inflators may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to explode in the event of an air bag deployment.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a final replacement passenger side frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on April 26, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-005.