2005 Mitsubishi Lancer problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. 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.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicles were involved in 9 fatal crashes with 5 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 10 | 42% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 8% |
| Structure | 2 | 8% |
| Suspension | 2 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 8% |
| Engine | 1 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% |
| Power Train | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The steering column on my 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer ES detached while driving. The entire column dropped down from its mounting brackets, causing loss of control. This is a serious safety hazard. The mount bolts were intact previously, but they came loose or the bracket failed without warning. This could have resulted in…”
Steering · filed Nov 24, 2025
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mitsubishi lancer. The contact stated that the cup from the ball joints, the front end, tie rod, unknown wiring harness and the driver's side headlight failed. The vehicle was taken to an unknown mitsubishi dealer however, was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of…”
Engine · filed Jul 29, 2020
“The signal lights stop working also the hazards. The horn remains on. A lot of people say that is a problem of the car inside body that take the connector of the junction block and corrode them. A lot of people have this problems. The problem is in motion and stationary.”
Electrical System · filed May 30, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA15001 · opened Feb 24, 2015 · open · led to recall 22V945
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Preliminary Evaluation PE14016 · opened Jun 11, 2014 · closed Mar 2, 2015 · led to recall 15V226000
Technical service bulletins
81 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer. The 10 most recent:
This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Puerto Rico Traffic Safety Commission, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Puerto Rico addresses to inform them of…
TIN-25-00-013 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 10, 2025
This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Texas addresses to inform them of open…
TIN-25-00-011 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 8, 2025
This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicle, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Ohio addresses to inform them of open Takata…
TIN-25-00-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 11, 2025
This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Louisiana Motor Vehicle Division, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Louisiana addresses to inform them of open…
TIN-25-00-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 11, 2025
This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that MMNA is launching a social media campaign targeting vehicle owners with open Takata recalls.
TIN-24-00-011 · Service Campaign · issued Dec 9, 2024
This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Arizona addresses to inform them of open Takata…
TIN-24-00-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 21, 2024
This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Georgia Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle Division, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Georgia addresses to…
TIN-24-00-007 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2024
This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Georgia Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle Division, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Georgia addresses to…
TIN-24-00-007 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2024
This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that with permission from the Georgia Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle Division, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with Georgia addresses to…
TIN-24-00-007 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2024
This is a Technical Information Notice informing dealers that with permission from the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, notification letters are being sent to vehicle owners with New York addresses to inform of…
TIN-24-00-006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 15, 2024
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
The 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer?
- · 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.