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What 19 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (19)Crash / fire / injury (3)Transmission & drivetrain (6)Engine (5)Fuel system (2)Speed control (2)Steering (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Airbags (1)Body & structure (1)Electrical system (1)Engine & cooling (1)

2 of 19 complaints match · Fuel system · clear filters

Jun 16, 2016Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel systemCrash

RECEIVED VEHICLE AT 10KM, AFTER 2 OIL CHANGES, AT 16000KM MILIEGE DROPPED FROM 700KM ON A TANK OF GAS TO 300KM TANK OF GAS. AT 24000KM HEAVY TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE NOISES OCCURRED. GEARS SLIPPING OUT WHILE ACCELERATING CAUSING RPMS TO SHOOT UP TO 6000-7000 WHILE VEHICLE NOT MOVING. TIMING BELT AND PULLEYS NOT WORKING PROPERLY CAUSING TO MUCH ENGINE NOISE. METAL GRINDING AND WHISTLING SOUND COMING FROM UNDER CARRIAGE OF VEHICLE. REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND CV JOINT PROBLEM. REPORTED PROBLEM TO DEALERSHIP AND TECHINCIANS EACH TIME I GO IN. THEIR RESPONSE IS ITS JUST TIRE NOISE AND YOUR VEHICLE IS RUNNING SMOOTHLY EACH TIME. NOW AT 68,000 KM, REAR DIFFERENTIAL IS GONE, ENGINE BARELY HOLDING UP, SUSPENSION ON DRIVER SIDE IS IS LOWER THAN PASSENGER SIDE. WHEEL BEARING NOISES PRESENT. 4X4 AWC SYSTEM ISN'T WORKING. VEHICLE IS DRAGGING AND IS AT QUARTER EFFICIENCY. ON TIME WITH SERVICE AND OIL CHANGE, KEEP BRINGING UP SAME COMPLAINTS AND REPORTED BACK THAT ITS JUST TIRE NOISE. ALL 4 TIRES CHANGES, BRAKES CHANGED AND ROTORS. NOW THAT THINGS ARE BREAKING DOWN. DEALERSHIP AT BANK STREET MITSUBISHI DENIES DOING ANY NEGLIGENCE OVER THE COURSE OF 4 YEARS AND SAYING OUR TECHS WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED THOSE PROBLEMS. VEHICLE TAKEN TO 6 LOCAL MECHANICS AND ALL REPORTING SAME PROBLEM, TAKEN TO OTHER MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIPS AND REPORTED NEGLIGENCE ON TECHNICIANS AND MECHANICS FROM BANK STREET MITSUBISHI THAT THESE ISSUES SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE PAST SINCE THEY ARE DEFECTS. CALLED MITSUBISHI CANADA. MANAGER THERE SAYS OUR TECHS ARE ONE OF THE BEST AT THAT LOCATION. NOW THEY WANT TO VOID WARRANTY DUE TO THEIR MISTAKES SINCE PARTS NEED TO BE REPLACED. SERVICE MANAGER DOESN'T WANT HIGH INVOICE BILLS. WHILE REPAIRING PARTS, TECHS DAMAGING OTHERS. AND NOT REPORTING IT. MAKING COSTUMERS PAY FOR TECHS MISTAKES. ISSUE STILL ON GOING. MANAGER AND TECHS AVOIDING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

NHTSA ODI 10874522

Aug 29, 2013Fuel system

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY RAN OUT OF GASOLINE FUEL. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE LOW FUEL IN THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE FUEL GAUGE READING THREE QUARTERS OF A TANK FULL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, WHICH CONFIRMED THAT THE FUEL SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL SENSOR BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL SENSOR WAS REPLACED TWICE. NONE OF THE REPAIRS REMEDIED THE DEFECTIVE FUEL GAUGE FAILURE. THE CONTACT DID NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,830.

NHTSA ODI 10537886

Working with the data? Download all 19 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer verdict →