Buyer Research

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $4,000–$9,000. There are 4 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

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Kestrel Take

Eighty-five complaints but six recall campaigns, and the recalls are where the real money is: two for a drive belt that can come off and stall the car, one for an ECU that can make the headlights and wipers flicker, one for sunroof glass leaving the roof, and one for a front crossmember that rusts through in salt states. Every one of them is a free fix, so the single most valuable ten minutes you will spend on this car is running the VIN through NHTSA's lookup. The biggest complaint cluster — the AWD pump — only applies to the Ralliart and Evolution versions; a plain front-drive ES or GTS with a 2.0 or 2.4 and the recalls closed is a simple, cheap car that has aged better than its badge suggests. Check the underside for rust before anything else.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 85 owner complaints for the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer, and 6 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 33% of them are about one thing — the transmission and drivetrain. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

6 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

AWD pump failure on Ralliart and Evolution: '4WD system service required' on the dashMedium

A third of this car's complaints, and almost all of them are the S-AWC all-wheel-drive models — the Ralliart and the Evolution. The AYC/ACD pump fails, usually flagged by fault code C161E and a '4WD system service required' message, and the active centre differential and torque-biasing rear differential switch themselves off, which changes how the car handles in the wet. Owners blame corrosion from salted roads. This does not apply to the ordinary front-wheel-drive Lancer at all. If you are looking at an AWD car, start it, drive it, and confirm the dash stays clear.

Repair cost (estimate): $1,200–$3,000 — about 46% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (28).

Accessory drive belt can come off and stall the engine — two separate recallsHigh — wallet impact

Recall 14V562 covers the belt and pulleys on 4B1-engine cars, and recall 18V069 covers a belt tensioner flange that can crack on 4B11 and 4B12 engines. Either way the belt detaches, the battery stops charging, and the engine stalls while you are driving it. Both remedies are free — a rubber belt and worn pulleys in the first, an improved tensioner in the second. Several owners filed complaints purely because dealers had no parts in 2014; sixteen years on that is no longer the constraint, so there is no excuse for an open one. Two complaints in this cluster involved a fire.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (25); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

ABS pump motor brushes stick — ABS and stability control switch off, and the quote is four figuresHigh — wallet impact

Owners describe the ABS and ASC warning lights coming on and staying on, with dealers diagnosing a failed ABS pump and quoting over $3,000. The underlying fault owners identify is the brushes inside the pump motor sticking. One complaint in this cluster is a crash where the driver says the brakes locked and the car slid on an off-ramp. Normal braking still works with these lights on, but the anti-lock and stability systems do not, and that matters in rain and snow. Watch the dash at startup: the ABS and ASC lights should come on and then go out.

Repair cost (estimate): $700–$3,200 — about 49% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under stability control (11).

Unstable voltage from the ECU can kill the headlights and wipers (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 15V232 covers Lancers built January 2009 to July 2010: the engine control unit can produce unstable voltage, and the headlights, tail lights and windscreen wipers can fail intermittently as a result. Losing lights and wipers together at night in rain is the scenario the recall is written for. Dealers replace the ECU free of charge. Check the build date on the door jamb sticker against that window, then check the VIN lookup rather than guessing.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (6); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Front crossmember corrosion in salt states — a control arm can detach (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 20V279 applies to cars sold or registered in the salt belt — Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and the rest of that list. The front cross member corrodes, and a front control arm that separates from it means you lose control of the car. Dealers inspect and either apply anti-corrosion treatment or replace the part, free. On a car this old this is the inspection that matters most: get it on a lift, look at the subframe where the control arms bolt in, and poke any flaking metal with a screwdriver.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Sunroof glass can separate from its assembly and leave the car (recall)Medium

Recall 18V071 covers sunroof-equipped 2008–2010 Lancers: the glass panel can detach from the assembly while driving and become a hazard to whoever is behind you. Dealers replace the whole glass assembly free of charge. Only relevant if the car has a sunroof — so look up, then look the VIN up. While you are there, open and close it and check the drain channels, because a sunroof that leaks soaks the carpet and the wiring under it.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Flaking or scaling rust on the front subframe where the lower control arms bolt on
✗ABS or ASC warning light still lit after the engine has started
✗'4WD system service required' message on a Ralliart or Evolution
✗Squeal or chirp from the accessory belt at cold start
✗Damp carpet or a musty smell under a sunroof

Good Signs

✓All six recalls shown closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✓Belt tensioner replaced under recall with a dated dealer invoice
✓A clean underside on a lift, with solid metal at the front subframe
✓ABS and ASC lights that illuminate at key-on and go out once running
✓Front-wheel-drive ES or GTS — a simpler driveline than the Ralliart's S-AWC, which is where a third of this car's complaints come from