RoadVitals

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Body & structure Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Body & structure reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Dec 18, 2023
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
11%
of 91 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming body or structure

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Body & structure
Filed Dec 18, 2023

We had car at a car dealer and the manufacturer declined doing the recall on the car for corrison on the front crossmember, telling us due to car has a total loss record on Carfax. The vehicle total loss record was for a accident that didn't effect that part of the car that's under recall, it was due to vehicle repairs were more then what car was worth. The piece I think they call it crossmember has rust holes through it and is about to come apart at the rusted holes on the part. We buy the car JA3AU86U18U016308 in 2022 for our daughter to drive to college. Just finding out when we took it into the car place to perform this recall they won't do the recall because of Mitsubishi. I filled this out for my dad, he bought car for me.

NHTSA ID
11560732
Incident
Dec 12, 2023
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Mar 3, 2021
1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING AT 25 MPH, WHEN THE CROSS MEMBER SNAPPED AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND JUMPED THE CURB. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A DISLOCATED RIGHT THUMB AND DID NOT SEEK MEDICATION ATTENTION. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THE CROSS MEMBER, UNKNOWN TIE ROD AND BALL JOINT WAS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V279000 (STRUCTURE, SUSPENSION), HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED TO UNKNOWN DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS

NHTSA ID
11398893
Incident
Apr 1, 2019
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Nov 12, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V279000 (STRUCTURE, SUSPENSION) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED SUNNYSIDE MITSUBISHI (7630 PEARL RD, MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, OH 44130; (440) 243-7711) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.*DT*JB

NHTSA ID
11374326
Incident
Aug 1, 2020
Body & structureElectricalSeat belts
Filed Oct 9, 2020
Crash reported

MY SRS LIGHT JUST STARTED COMING ON A FEW YEARS AGO BEFORE WE WERE IN AN ACCIDENT. WHEN WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO CHECK IT, THEY SAID IT WAS A COSTLY REPAIR AND IS ONLY TO REMOVE THE LIGHT...BUT THAT THE AIRBAGS WOULD STILL DEPLOY IF WE WERE IN AN ACCIDENT. SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE WE WERE REAR-ENDED (WHICH WOULD NOT DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS) BUT IT PUSHED US INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF US (WHICH SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED THE AIRBAGS). SEEING AS THIS LIGHT JUST CAME ON WAY BEFORE ANY ACCIDENTS AND COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY ANYTHING WE DID, I BELIEVE IT TO BE FAULTY FROM THE MANUFACTURER. WHEN GOOGLING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING HAPPENING. YET, MITSUBISHI HAS NEVER BEEN PUSHED TO MAKE THEIR SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER FLAW INTO A SAFETY RECALL AND EXPECTS TO JUST MAKE MONEY OFF MITUBISHI OWNERS COMING IN TO PAY TO HAVE THIS FIXED.

NHTSA ID
11363572
Incident
Oct 14, 2019
Mileage
120,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Aug 4, 2020

HAS ACTIVE RECALL I WANT THE SUNROOF REPLACE NOT JUST INSPECTED I WANT IT FIXED TO AVOID FUTURE PROBLEM OF FLYING OFFER LEAKING

NHTSA ID
11343120
Incident
Aug 3, 2020
Mileage
15 mi
Body & structure
Filed Jun 17, 2019

DURING MY LAST TWO VISIT WITH TECHNICIAN (LAST ONE WITH MITSUBISHI DEALER, AND ONE BEFORE WITH OTHER SERVICE PLACE), THE VEHICLE TECHNICIAN NOTICE EXCESSIVELY RUSTED CROSS-MEMBER. THE TECHNICIAN AT MITSUBISHI DEALER ALSO PUT THE NOTE IN "COMPUTERIZED VEHICLE REPORT". WHEN I ASKED THE TECHNICIAN ABOUT HOW BAD IS THIS AND HOW TO FIX THIS, HE MENTIONED THAT OTHER MITSUBISHI LANCER VEHICLES ARE AFFECTING WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND MITSUBISHI IS RECALLING VEHICLES YEAR BY YEAR, SO HOPE THEY WILL RECALL THIS MODEL TOO. AND FOR SAFETY, I NEED TO MAKE SURE TO KEEP EYE AND NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO ANY CHANGE TO VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AS THIS MAY CRACK AND I AM END UP IN ACCIDENT. *TR*JB

NHTSA ID
11220553
Incident
May 28, 2019
Mileage
139,923 mi
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Oct 28, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CROSS MEMBER AND K FRAME FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON A LIFT, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS EXTENSIVE RUST AND CORROSION. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT AT THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE IF THE CONTACT WOULD APPROVE THE DEALER'S REPAIR. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM A MANUFACTURER RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA ID
10919855
Incident
Oct 24, 2016
Mileage
120,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Oct 14, 2008

PAINT ON THE SIDES OF THE CAR HAS THOUSANDS OF ROCK CHIPS AT ONLY 9000 MILES. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH GRAVEL AND HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECTED TO EXTREME ROAD CONDITIONS. I FIRST NOTICED THE DAMAGE OCCURRING AT ABOUT 5000 MILES AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT HE AGREED THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING AND THOUGHT IT WAS A DEFECT IN THE PAINT. THEY CONTACTED MITSU USA AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE FOR ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE GTS MODELS AND IS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. BECAUSE THE CAR IS WIDER AT THE REAR THAN THE FRONT AND NO ROCK DEFLECTORS WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN, THE REAR OF THE CAR IS LITERALLY GETTING SAND BLASTED BY THE FRONT TIRES. THE ONLY RECOURSE I WAS OFFERED WAS TO HAVE THE CAR REPAINTED AT MY OWN EXPENSE WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD NOT REOCCUR. MITSUBISHI NEEDS TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS PROBLEM, REPAIR THE DAMAGED AREAS AND INSTALL ROCK DEFLECTORS AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10245358
Incident
Mar 18, 2008
Mileage
5,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Sep 16, 2008

PAINT CHIPPING FROM NORMAL DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10242433
Incident
Nov 1, 2007
Body & structureTires & wheels
Filed May 16, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER. IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT NOTICED WATER ENTERING THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE DRIVER SIDE CABIN. ALSO, THE TIRES HAVE PREMATURE TREAD WEAR. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AND PERFORMED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE TIRE TREAD DISPLAYED ABNORMAL WEAR AGAIN. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REALIGN THE TIRES AND REPLACE ALL FOUR AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED BECAUSE THE DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,000.

NHTSA ID
10227982
Incident
Dec 19, 2007
Mileage
7,500 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .