2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Problems, Recalls & Reliability
126 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 45/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 120,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2008 sits among all Lancer years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 74 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 95,300 miles. Half of those reports fall between 14,000 and 134,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2008-2010 Lancer, 2009-2010 Lancer Sportback, 2008-2013 Outlander, and 2011-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of…
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross…
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Outlander, 2008-2010 Lancer, 2009-2010 Lancer Evolution, and 2010 Lancer Sportback vehicles equipped with sunroofs. The sunroof glass may detach from the sunroof assembly, becoming a…
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sunroof glass assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820.…
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Lancer, Lancer Evolution, and Outlander; 2009-2011 Lancer Sportback, Lancer Rilliart, and Lancer Sportback Ralliart; and 2011 Outlander Sport vehicles. The affected…
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the drive belt with a rubber belt. Drive pulleys that are excessively worn will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.…
MITSUBISHI IS RECALLING MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 LANCER AND LANCER EVOLUTION VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW FRONT AIRBAG SENSORS THAT HAVE IMPROVED CORROSION RESISTANCE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY…
MITSUBISHI IS RECALLING 39,711 MY 2008-2009 OUTLANDER AND LACER VEHICLES. INCORRECT MATERIAL COMPOSITION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVE MAY CAUSE THE CHECK VALVE TO STICK CLOSED WHEN THE ENGINE IS SHUT OFF. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RE-STARTED AND PUT INTO…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MITSUBISHI AT 1-800-222-0037.
Technical service bulletins
101 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and engine — are on file for the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 Lancer TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer reliable?
The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer drew 126 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 45/100, scored against the model's worst year (2002).
What are the most common 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer are suspension (23 complaints), engine (17), and steering (12).
At what mileage do 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer problems around 95,300 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 14,000 and 134,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.