2009 Mitsubishi Lancer problems & reliability
98 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer, alongside 8 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.
8 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicles were involved in 11 fatal crashes with 7 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 22 | 22% |
| Electrical System | 19 | 19% |
| Power Train | 14 | 14% |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 13% |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 8% |
| Structure | 6 | 6% |
| Suspension | 6 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 5% |
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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 76,500 miles (middle 50% between 46,000 and 110,000 miles), based on 66 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving down the road and spun out of control because my rack and pinion steering inner and outer tie rod snapped in half, because of rust from salt water and corrosion on the metal, resulting in my loss of control and front passenger wheel turned 90 degrees inward and nearly ripped the front tire off and under…”
Wheels · filed Oct 24, 2023
“The contact owns a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated while driving at night, the low-beam headlights turned off and turned on independently, causing a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Aug 2, 2023
“The car started to slow down on its own even when my foot was on the gas it wouldn’t pick up speed over 20mph then it started to over heat, then smoke. It sounded like sparks like from a firecracker and smelt like something was burning to the point I had to pull over and turn the car off so my children and I could get…”
Power Train · filed May 15, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
107 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer. The 10 most recent:
Tech Talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers. It covers various topics and reviews the previous months publications.
TECH TALK 289 · Other · issued Nov 21, 2025
This Technical Service Bulletin provides service manual corrections and additional information for the transaxle assembly removal and installation of the roll stopper bracket.
TSB-23-22-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2023
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 TSB provides revisions to the Removal and Installation procedures for the rocker cover due to changes in the quantity of mounting bolts for vehicles equipped with 4B1 series engine. (Service Manual Revision)
TSB-23-11-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 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 Technical Information Notice provides additional instructions to dealers when replacing the Valve Cover Gasket due to a customer concern of oil leaking.
TIN-21-13-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 9, 2021
Revision to previous TSB SR-20-003 for the Crossmember recall. Added Warranty information for instances where subframe may fail and cause additional damage to unrelated parts. This bulletin provides directions for…
SR-20-003REV_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 2020
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 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer has 8 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 2009 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 76,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.