2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lancer Evolution years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. That ranks 2nd out of 13 Lancer Evolution model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (26 complaints, 72%), typically at around 47,850 miles. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 36owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 26 | 72% | 47,850 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 19 | 53% | 47,850 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 8% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 6% | 53,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% | 53,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 3% | 4,400 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 3% | 4,400 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% | 29,700 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 3% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 3% | 10,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys
Problem: 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 vehicles, manufactured with 4B1 engines, have an engine pulley and belt arrangement for turning the alternator, the cooling fan and the power steering pump (if equipped). These pulleys may experience unusual wear and allow for belt detachment.
Risk: If the drive belt detaches, the battery may discharge, resulting in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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. The recall began on October 15, 2014. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-14-009.
Power train:manual transmission
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Lancer Evolution vehicles manufactured from December 12, 2007, through March 5, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the clutch master cylinder can fail.
Risk: Failure of the clutch master cylinder reduces the ability to shift the vehicle into or out of gear, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected clutch master cylinders free of charge. The recall began on November 12, 2013. Owners may contact Mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's campaign number for this recall is SR-13-009.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: 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, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin and district of columbia. In areas where heavy road salt is used in the winter, a long term exposure to a mixture of melted snow with salt thrown up by the other vehicles on the road may cause a water-salt mixture to adhere to the front impact sensors.
Risk: This coating over time may cause corrosion of the sensor. In the event of a vehicle crash of the type that would deploy the airbags this type of short-circuit may cause a delay in the deployment of the airbags which could result in driver or passenger injury.
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 contact mitsubishi customer relations department at 1-888-648-7820.
Fuel system, other:delivery
Problem: Mitsubishi is recalling model year 2008-2009 lancer evolution, ralliart, and sportback ralliart vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines. The manner in which the fuel return pipe is attached to the engine, in combination with frequent vehicle operation at certain engine revolutions, may result in a resonance that, if continued over time, may cause a stress crack to develop at the fixed portion of the fuel pipe.
Risk: If this stress crack develops, fuel leakage may occur. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: The fuel return pipe will be replaced with a new part and two additional attachment brackets will be installed to better control fuel pipe vibration. This service will be performed free of charge. The recall began on september 29, 2009. Owners may contact mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Aye/ hydralic pump was never changed out was told when i went to do a manufacturing recal that it worked fine when it didnt and after wards hit past the 100,000 miles and was automatically unable to get the replacement.
Ayc pump failure at 44 thousand miles.
Acd/ ayc pump failure, one time i was doing fluid inspection on my car when i notice the cars atf fluid reservoir in the trunk is losing oil. Looked at the floor found some red oil dripping. It may have seem that pump may have been failing to hold pressure and lose oil. Possible gasket failure or…
Vehicle was in cold weather, ayc system light turned on. I checked the forums and found that this is a common issue that indicates the pump is bad. This is a very common problem. *tr
It was a cold winter day, i started driving my evo to a nearby grocery store. Enroute, the awd system would throw a warning and a dashboard light lit up. I was concerned, stopped the vehicle and found no leaks or no weird noises. The vehicle was unable to shift into snow/tarmac/gravel mode…
Other Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution years
← 2007 Lancer Evolution · 2009 Lancer Evolution →
See all Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution?
Owners most often report power train, electronic stability control (esc), fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 26 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Lancer Evolution model years, the 2008 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.