Most common 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo problems
Share of the 23 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo complaints by model year
What 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
Failure of transmission center differential pins in manual 2008 models. I was driving my car at highway speeds when the car popped out of gear to neutral, then I shifted to 4th and popped out again to neutral, I had to quickly swerve to the shoulder and the entire transmission locked up causing the car to skid. Upon towing it to the dealer they said the center differential pins have backed out they said "it happens but not that common." I was in disbelief the pins had caused a crack in the transmission casing and all the oil in the transmission had leaked out causing the the gears to cease up nearly causing an accident. See pictures, upon research I have seen many similar situations on the Evo forums and in fact 2 major companies jacks transmission and sheptrans offer "upgrades" to prevent this! Upgrades? To cause a transmission from completely failing. …
I brought my car into the dealership in 2016 for a flashing taramic light and they told there wasn't anything wrong. Which I later found out that they negleted to look into the issue. I had no idea what this issue was until 6 months later and I just had reached 100,500 miles on the car. I found on a form it could be the a fluid issue, so I went to Mitsubishi to get fluid and the service manager informed me of the 100,000 mile warranty. I eventually took Mitsubishi to court for negligence and lack of care and the case was thrown out. I'm sick of dealing with this issue.
Body & structure
The paint is chipping on the bottom side, of the back rear doors next to the fender. This is a common problem. As talked in the forums in edmunds.com I have a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer evolution, with 3,500 miles on it and the paint is coming off this is a design flaw, and Mitsubishi wont do anything I never drove my car in gravel, I think the design flaw has something to do with the aerodynamics of the car, and poor paint.
Less than a week after purchasing my new 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer evolution gsr I noticed rock chips in the lower rear corners of the rear doors, just ahead of the clear protective film already installed by the manufacturer to prevent paint chipping.
Stability & traction control
During cold weather (approximately 40 degrees or less) during the evening, my super all-wheel-control servicing light was triggered during a low speed turn. This indicates a faulty or failing awc/ayc pump, a mechanical component which provides ayc fluid to the front and rear differential of the vehicle, aiding in stability control. When the pump is inoperable, decreased (or no) pressure/fluid is sent to the differentials of the vehicle, which can cause serious drivetrain damage and failure-- thus the ayc pump is recognized by Mitsubishi as a critical component of the drive train. However, it is not covered under Mitsubishi's 5 year/60,000 mile drivetrain warranty, which I feel is disingenuous. …
All Mitsubishi Lancer evolution x from years 2008 through the cars final gear in 2015 suffer from a design flaw to the s-awc system. The active yaw control / active center differential system relies on a pump in order to operate . The location is unprotected from the elements and thousands of them have failed to date. . Mine failed which rendered my car to no longer drive in a predictable or safe manner. The all wheel drive and stability control system was compromised and traction control no longer functions as expected. Instead of this becoming a recall Mitsubishi extended a warranty to replace this exact component rather than admitting fault for an obvious design flaw. They refused to warranty mine as this exception was only made after my warranty had already expired even though my pump failed before I hit 100K miles. …
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the Lancer Evo to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo?
The transmission & drivetrain — 14 complaints, 61% of all complaints for this model year, most often about manual transmission. Next are the body & structure (4) and stability & traction control (4).
How many recalls does the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 47,000 miles; 53% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.