Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On-dash warning light of "4wd system service required" came on. This warning is indicative of a active center differential (acd) pump failure, generally due to corrosion from treated winter road surfaces and/or the inability to handle cold-weather climates. Car was previously serviced under a technical service bulletin (TSB) to delay activation of the acd pump for this exact reason 2 years prior to failure. Mitsubishi has yet to correct this manufacturing defect and is currently refusing to honor warranty service of failed pumps under their 5-year / 36,000-mile powertrain warranty, stating that the pump is not required for the vehicle to operate safely and properly. …
Bad injector caused cylinder failure or valvr constant valve tick. Blown spark plugs caused piston meltdown causing for the pistong rod to shoot throught the block cause a fire to the engine.. Luckly I stop the fire took it to a delaership to verify the cause of the damage but the technicinas told me that theres nothing they could do because the battery die there for it reset the computer module erasing all the data with the probable cause and nothing was done after that.. Bought a new engine and now after 20,000 miles I get the same issue but Mitsubishi dose not wanna be resposible for a replace engine to which they replace.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. While driving highway speeds above 40 MPH, the vehicle became very unstable and 'four wheel drive disabled' displayed. The vehicle was taken to nimay Mitsubishi (1011 kennedy ave, kilometer 2.5, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the all wheel control hydraulic unit failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 41,000.
Transfer case in this car omits a loud whining noise when driving forward. Noise increases in volume the faster the car is going. This whine is due to the wearing of the gears because of a faulty design. When the transfer case whine happens, it has a high probability of locking up which will cause all wheels to stop spinning potentially causing a serious accident and possibly death.
While driving normally the message "4wd system require service" came up. I bought the car used 40K miles and now it only has 43K miles. I have driven mildly since I bought it and have never abused the car. I heard it's caused by ayc acd pump failure, acd c161e.
On-dash warning light of "4wd system service required" came on. This warning is indicative of a active center differential (acd) pump failure, generally due to corrosion from treated winter road surfaces and/or the inability to handle cold-weather climates. Car was previously serviced under a technical service bulletin (TSB) to delay activation of the acd pump for this exact reason 2 years prior to failure. Mitsubishi has yet to correct this manufacturing defect and is currently refusing to honor warranty service of failed pumps under their 5-year / 36,000-mile powertrain warranty, stating that the pump is not required for the vehicle to operate safely and properly. …
Indicated possible clutch failure/clutch pedal sticking issues to local dealership. Clutch went out before I was able to bring the vehicle in for service. I was charged $2700 out of pocket for a component that should have been covered under my warranty. I was issued a safety recall just recently for faulty clutch master cylinder issues for Mitsubishi motors. During my arbitration with the dealership back in November 2012, the dealership had deemed there was no manufacturer defect, when in fact there was a component that was affecting the proper engagement and disengagement of my clutch. I am currently exercising all avenues in seeking a refund for repairs. When I spoke with Mitsubishi they told me that its is not part of the same assembly when indeed it is; sharing the same fluids and lines this component was the sole failure point resulting in my power train damage.
Bought my vehicle as a certified pre-owned vehicle with 37,213 miles on it. At 43,000 miles, vehicle began having malfunctions with the all wheel control system and electronic stability control hydraulic pump. This should be an item covered under the 5 year/60,000 mile warranty, however, Mitsubishi states that it is not covered, even though it is part of the power-train, and required to work for vehicle stability and safety. Mitsubishi has continued to refuse to warranty the pump. This is not an isolated issue, and there have been dozens, maybe hundreds of other cars with the exact same malfunction, many of these were turned away by Mitsubishi even while they were under the power-train warranty.
While driving the vehicle in warmer weather, a warning (4wd system service required) is displayed on the dash and the s-awc AWD system is disabled. The active center differential and torque biasing rear differential are disabled, which greatly reduces handling and causes the vehicle to react differently than normal in emergency situations. This is the result of a failing acd/ayc hydraulic pump. Mitsubishi will not cover these pumps under the power train warranty, even though it is a very common problem. The pumps corrode internally and are unable to build and maintain pressure.
The s-awc (super all-wheel control) light came on and was taken to the dealership that same day. Mitsubishi flashed the ECU and the problem was fixed. I recently noticed the light blinking while the vehicle is being operated. I contacted my local dealership and they informed the part is not covered by drive train warranty and my vehicle is not covered because it older than 3 years. The vehicle was purchased new in January 2010; this makes it 3 years 10 months old at time of incident with less than 36K on the odometer.
Related recalls
Power train › Manual transmission
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Lancer Evolution vehicles manufactured from December 12, 2007, through March 5, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the clutch master cylinder can fail.
Remedy: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected clutch master cylinders free of charge. The recall began on November 12, 2013. Owners may contact Mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820.
Transmission complaints in other Lancer Evolution years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, 71% of the model year's 28 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 13V-446 (manual transmission, Sep 19, 2013). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 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.