2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo problems & reliability
23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 14 | 61% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 17% |
| Structure | 4 | 17% |
| Steering | 3 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 4% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 4% |
| Engine | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Electronic Stability Control (esc) · filed Apr 4, 2019
“Mitsubishi recall 09v077000 in the past few days, I noticed that while in motion my breaks were not reacting with their typical speed. When I took my car into a mechanic, they said it was an issue with my car's brake booster check valve and that there was a safety recall regarding this back in 2009. I was concerned as…”
Service Brakes · filed Feb 13, 2018
“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…”
Power Train · filed Feb 3, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
29 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. The 10 most recent:
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of rap-film adhesive residue.
TSB-23-00-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load carrying capacity be affixed to vehicles when the total net weight of accessories is more than 1.5 percent of…
TSB-23-00-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew condensation, which is a natural phenomenon, and water penetration caused by improper sealing or a defective/broken part.
TSB-22-54-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2022
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT253 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2019
This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes TSB-18-00-003, issued April, 2018, to add updated information for Carrying Capacity Reduced Label.
TSB-19-00-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 30, 2019
This is a message sent to dealers, to inform them that an update for MEDIC will be available.
MEDICUpdate517 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2018
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT237 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2018
This is a letter sent to dealers, to inform them that the temporary investigation of Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Front Impact Sensors investigation has concluded.
SRSSensorInvesti · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 18, 2017
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.