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What 23 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 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 (23)Crash / fire / injury (7)Transmission & drivetrain (9)Airbags (5)Body & structure (3)Brakes (3)Engine (3)Electrical system (2)Steering (2)Suspension (2)Wheels (2)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (1)

7 of 23 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 7, 2020AirbagsCrash1 injury

I WAS HIT YESTERDAY WHEN SOMEONE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS GOING MAYBE 40 MPH DOWN A STRAIGHT CITY STREET BUT MY AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF WHEN I WAS HIT

NHTSA ODI 11316710

Mar 12, 2019Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngineFire

ON 09/15/2018 AT ROUGHLY 11:30 AM WHILE OPERATING MY 2014 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION X WITH 32,XXX MILES I EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER, INCREASED EXHAUST NOISE AND THE ILLUMINATION OF POWERTRAIN FAULT LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. AFTER PULLING OFF THE ROADWAY TO INSPECT THE ISSUE A SMALL ENGINE BAY FIRE HAD BEEN FOUND (CHARD PAINT/INSULATION AND A STILL SMOLDERING WIRING HARNESS). AFTER ENSURING THAT THE FIRE WAS OUT AND SAFE THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT HAD BEEN PURCHASED FROM (MANGINO MITSUBISHI OF CLIFTON PARK) AND DROPPED OFF. THE CAR IS USELESS IN ITS CURRENT STATE AND HAD TO BE TOW FROM THE DEALERSHIP TO A STORAGE FACILITY WHERE IT HAS BEEN EVER SINCE. BUT I REFUSE TO REPORT THE DAMAGES TO MY INSURANCE BECAUSE I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO COVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY BOLTS THAT WERE INSTALLED IMPROPERLY AT THE FACTORY. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE TECHNICIANS AND SERVICE ADVISERS AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY'VE INFORMED ME THAT A FAILURE LIKE THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN IF THE BOLTS ARE PROPERLY INSTALLED AND THAT THEY DON'T SEE WHY IT WOULDN'T BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT MITSUBISHI IS TRYING TO AVOID BLEMISHING THERE REPUTATION AND IS REFUSING TO ADMIT TO A FAULT THAT CAUSED A FIRE IN A VEHICLE. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE WAY TO RUN A BUSINESS. IT IS UNSAFE AND UNETHICAL AND AM ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE TO RECEIVE THE BENEFITS OF THE WARRANTY THAT I PAID FOR.

NHTSA ODI 11186330

Nov 7, 2017Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Fire

I BOUGHT MY 2014 MITSUBISHI LANCER IN NOV. 2014 AT LONG LEWIS FORD IN FLORENCE, AL, WHERE I RECEIVED ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE PERFORMANCES FOR IT. ON SEPT. 15, 2017, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN MY 2014 MITSUBISHI LANCER AND EXPERIENCED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE (WHILE IN MOTION), CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. ONCE THE SYSTEM FAILED, I COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE AND COULD ONLY "COAST" TO TRY AND FIND A SAFE SPOT TO BRAKE. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD, THE MAIN RELAY HAD CAUGHT FIRE, WAS BLACK, BURNT UP, AND MELTED ON THE INSIDE. I COULDN'T GET MY CAR TO GO IN NEUTRAL OR ANY SYSTEMS TO WORK TO GET IT COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD, CREATING ANOTHER SAFETY HAZARD, AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. A SALES TECH MET ME WITH A NEW RELAY THAT I PURCHASED. THE NEW RELAY DID NOT GET MY CAR MOVING AGAIN BECAUSE WHEN THE RELAY (THAT WAS IN MY CAR WHEN I BOUGHT IT) CAUGHT FIRE, IT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE COMPUTER/ECM. WHEN GIVING THE PART NUMBERS FROM MY RELAY AND ECM/COMPUTER FOR REPLACEMENTS, THE PARTS SPECIALISTS AND I REALIZED THAT THE PART NUMBERS FOR THE COMPUTER/ECM MATCHED ONLY A 2015 COMPUTER/ECM, AND THERE WAS NOT A MATCHING PART NUMBER FOR THE RELAY AS THAT EXACT ONE WAS UNOBTAINABLE, AND A DIFFERENT ONE THAT WAS COMPATIBLE HAD TO BE PURCHASED. I HAVE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2015-2017 MITSUBISHI LANCER RELAYS BECAUSE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE RELAY WHICH CAUSES COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. I WOULD APPRECIATE AN INVESTIGATION BEING PERFORMED TO SEE IF THE 2014 MITSUBISHI LANCERS SHOULD BE INCLUDED UNDER THIS RECALL AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME RELAY ISSUE, SAFETY HAZARD AND CONCERNS, AND ALSO DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY 2014 LANCER HAS A 2015 SYSTEM IN IT. I NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN WHETHER THE RELAY THAT WAS PUT IN MY 2014 LANCER WHEN BUILT, AND WHEN REPLACED, WAS/IS NOT DEFECTIVE. PLEASE ADVISE IF I NEED TO DIRECT THIS SAFETY CONCERN TO ANOTHER APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATOR.

NHTSA ODI 11044251

Jul 6, 2017WheelsBrakesCrash

THE CAR AXLES FROM THE FRONT WHEELS FELL OFF THAT THE BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AND I COULDN'T STOP THE CAR. FOR 2014 CAR AND 184295 MILES IT WAS VERY STRANGE. IT HAPPEN IN THE STREET L JUST WAS COMING OUT OF THE HIGHWAY. POLICE REPORT (17-34721) INSURANCE CLAIM (171234952) RECALL (1-263434426)

NHTSA ODI 11003506

Apr 7, 2016AirbagsBody & structureWheelsCrash1 injury

I WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAG EXPLODED. MY CONCERN IS I WAS 47 AND PRETTY GOOD SHAPE YET I HAD PAIN IN MY CHEST FOR OVER12 MO. I CONCERNED PEOPLE IN LESS SHAPE THAN ME WILL NEVER SURVICE THE IMKPACT OF THAT AIRBAG BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I BARELY SURVIVED. MAYBE THIS IS THE WAY IT WORKS I NEVER HAD ONE HIT ME BEFORE BUT TO THIS DAY I STILL FEEL A LITTLE PAIN.

NHTSA ODI 10853942

Mar 21, 2015SuspensionAirbagsBody & structureCrash

MY CAR WAS RECENTLY WRECKED GOING AROUND THE CORNER IN THE SNOW IS IT SLID OFF THE ROAD INTO A TELEPHONE POLE AND THE FIRE HYDRANT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF WHEN WE IMPACT WE WERE DOING ABOUT 40 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR ALSO DID NOT TURN ITSELF OFF LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10700824

Nov 12, 2014SteeringFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, SMOKE STARTED TO EMIT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V281000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 10654445

Working with the data? Download all 23 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 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer verdict →