Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 | 13% | 67,000 miles |
| 2015 | 6 | 26% | 5,000 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 6% | 101,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 5% | 55,000 miles |
| 2011 | 4 | 12% | 166,000 miles |
| 2010 | 5 | 10% | 100,000 miles |
| 2009 | 19 | 19% | 65,000 miles |
| 2008 | 7 | 8% | 98,000 miles |
| 2007 | 1 | 50% | 70,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 3% | 85,000 miles |
| 2005 | 2 | 8% | 90,000 miles |
| 2004 | 7 | 8% | 34,000 miles |
| 2003 | 12 | 6% | 130,000 miles |
| 2002 | 4 | 3% | 240,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 50 MPH, the RPM increased from 2,000 to 5,000. Additionally, speedometer became inoperable, he brake was not working as designed, and the Service Transmission message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the dealer. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact stated the failure was similar to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V609000 (Electrical System). The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated he was not sure if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to safely pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched the failure and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V609000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
The headlights on the 15 Lancer are ridiculously dim! I purchased my 15 Lancer in October 15 and hit two deer within two months of having it! I had never hit anything since I started driving, over 8 years now, and all of a sudden when I get the Lancer, I hit not one, but two deer! Something isn't right! I can barely see at night and now I hate driving at night when I used to love it! Something has got to be done about this!
Vehicle will at random make a clicking noise, while all lights on dash will flicker on & off. If car is in drive, it will not shut off. However, when in park, if the clicking/flashing occurs, the car will shutoff & not turn back on. I have taken it to Mitsubishi dealer several times, to which the problem was never solved. Car has been stalled out completely (will not turn on at all except clicking/flashing) for going on 2 weeks. Mitsubishi corporate will not assist as the dealer I bought it from is no longer in business. The dealer states it is the lojack componant (which was installed by dealer prior to my purchase in 2015). Lojack states it is not their product as it is self-sustaining & will not prohibit the battery of the vehilcle. Mitsubishi says its lojack shorting out the battery. The dealer I bought it from (city Mitsubishi) was sold & is now northstar Mitsubishi. …
While driving the vehicle the headlights will turn off at random intervals. The passenger side rear tail light is out and remains out despite changing the bulb. Water leaks through a gap in the body into the light and the trunk. Headlights need to be reliable in order to ensure safety and visibility, especially at night and during inclement weather. My father is a retired auto mechanic and has been doing his best to troubleshoot the problem. I am experiencing financial hardship at the moment and I cannot afford to bring my vehicle anywhere that would charge. There are no warnings, the lights just stop working periodically and the tail light stopped working about a week ago.
I smell fuel in my car fairly often, also I have a recall on my car and the dealership will do nothing about it. I ran codes and they all point back to an issue with th computer. When I'm driving it will just start smelling like fuel. I am usually on a city street or freeway. The last thing to happen to me is the car drove like it wanted to start and stop, I was on a street turning to the next one. The transmission service required popped on.I turned the car off then off again and the car would not engage in any gear.
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. …
All electrical shuts off when car turns on. "check!" and "service engine!" notifications appear in dash, but disappear within seconds. Car can be idle or moving while electrical panel shuts off. Brought car to Mitsubishi for diagnosis, showed them a video of the dash and headlights turning off as if car is stalling, while rpms do not reach zero. They were unable to diagnose problem and said I will likely pay a lot of money to have it looked into and fixed, because they will have to trouble shoot on my dollar. This is very dangerous to drive in the dark because headlamps shut completely off while car is having seizure. Radio also turns off.
Related recalls (2)
Electrical system › Starter assembly › Relay
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Outlander, 2015-2016 Lancer and Outlander Sport, and 2015 Lancer Evolution vehicles. These vehicles may have defective relays that can result in an engine stall, reduced engine power or the engine overheating.
Remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected relays, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820.
Electrical system
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…
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mitsubishi Lancer years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2009 (19), 2003 (12), 2004 (7), 2008 (7) and 2015 (6) model years. Electrical complaints make up 19% of all complaints for the 2009.
Is there a recall for Mitsubishi Lancer electrical problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 17V-609 (relay, Sep 29, 2017); 15V-232 (electrical system, Apr 20, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mitsubishi Lancer electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles; 30% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the instrument cluster/panel (2 mentions), followed by the ignition (2).
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.