2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lancer years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 37 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer. That ranks 7th out of 18 Lancer model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (16 complaints, 43%), typically at around 100,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 3 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 37owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 16 | 43% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 24% | 116,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 14% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 11% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 8% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 5% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 5% | 40,850 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 5% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 5% | 143,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 3% | 4,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 3% | 600 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 3% | 19,131 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Mitsubishi Lancer recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicles that previously received a like-for-like passenger side frontal air bag inflator under recall 15V321 as interim remedy. Also recalled are 2004-2006 Lancer vehicles located in Guam or Saipan that previously received or never received a new inflator under 15V321 or 17V569. These passenger side frontal air bag inflators may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to explode in the event of an air bag deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a final replacement passenger side frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on April 26, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-005.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Lancer and Lancer Evolution vehicles and 2004 Lancer Sportback vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with a different inflator, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2017. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-17-001. Note: This recall supersedes recall 15V-321.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 Lancer, 2004 Lancer Wagon, 2003-2006 Lancer Evolution, 2003-2006 Outlander and 2007-2013 Outlander V-6 vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, 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 the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
Risk: A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 member will be replaced with a new one that has a sealing/anti-corrosion agent applied to it. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-003.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Lancer and Lancer Evolution vehicles manufactured June 29, 2005, to June 19, 2007, equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 19, 2016. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-002.
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.
The contact owns a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, she heard abnormal loud grinding sounds coming from underneath the front passenger's side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly while driving…
When doing routine repair on the control arms, it was noted that there is a ginormous rust hole in the subframe where the control arm connects to aforementioned subframe
My lancer has very bad rear end chassis rust where the rear subframe is fastened to the monobody. In this area all the suspension components and rear drivetrain are located. Damage occurs due to salt and other corrosive agents that are used for roads in Connecticut to melt snow. These agents rust…
The contact owns a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated while working on the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was a huge hole in the sub-frame due to rust. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and it was diagnosed that the…
Rear frame rail rust. The car stated to accumulate rust on the frame rails of the car that connects the rear subframe and rear toe arm. Failure of these areas could lead to a crash. The manufacturer did a poor job corrosion proofing this area on this model year. The car had a 7 year/ 100,000 rust…
Other Mitsubishi Lancer years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Lancer | 6 | 0 |
| 2016 Lancer | 30 | 2 |
| 2015 Lancer | 23 | 1 |
| 2014 Lancer | 16 | 0 |
| 2013 Lancer | 5 | 0 |
| 2012 Lancer | 19 | 1 |
| 2011 Lancer | 34 | 3 |
| 2010 Lancer | 51 | 6 |
| 2009 Lancer | 98 | 8 |
| 2008 Lancer | 91 | 5 |
| 2007 Lancer | 2 | 2 |
| 2006 | 37 | 4 |
| 2005 Lancer | 24 | 3 |
| 2004 Lancer | 80 | 4 |
| 2003 Lancer | 199 | 2 |
| 2002 Lancer | 148 | 2 |
| 2000 Lancer | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 Lancer | 1 | 0 |
See all Mitsubishi Lancer problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
Similar Mitsubishi models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Owners most often report air bags, suspension, structure problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 16 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Lancer model years, the 2006 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.