2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lancer years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 8 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 98 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer. That ranks 3rd out of 18 Lancer model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (22 complaints, 22%), typically at around 70,000 miles. Complaints mention 11 crashes, 3 fires, 10 injuries. There are 8 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 98owner complaints
- 8safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 11complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2009 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 22 | 22% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 19 | 19% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 14 | 14% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 13% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 9% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 8 | 8% | 42,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 8% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 6% | 105,100 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 6% | 71,600 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 5% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 5% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 5% | 58,923 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 3% | 111,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 2% | 47,510 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 155,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2009 Mitsubishi Lancer recalls (8)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Structure:frame and members; suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: 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 Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. 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 a loss of vehicle control, 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. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2020. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-20-003.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Lancer, 2008-2012 Outlander, 2010-2012 Lancer Sportback, and 2011-2012 Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with either a 4B11 or 4B12 engine. The drive belt automatic tensioner flange may crack, allowing the accessory drive belt to detach.
Risk: If the drive belt detaches, the battery will discharge and the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the belt tensioner with one that has an improved shape, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 27, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-001.
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
Problem: 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 road hazard to other vehicles.
Risk: If the sunroof glass detaches from the assembly while driving, it can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
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. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-003.
Electrical system
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Mitsubishi Lancer vehicles manufactured January 12, 2009, to July 6, 2010, 2009-2010 Outlander vehicles manufactured January 12, 2009, to August 27, 2010, 2010 Lancer Sportback vehicles manufactured June 17, 2009, to June 8, 2010, and 2010 Lancer Evolution vehicles manufactured July 14, 2009, to August 4, 2010. The affected vehicles have an electronic control unit (ECU) that controls the head lights, tail lights, and windshield wipers. Due to a manufacturing error, the voltage inside this ECU may be unstable.
Risk: Unstable voltage could result in intermittent failure of the vehicle's head lights, tail lights, and windshield wipers. If the headlights and/or windshield wipers fail, the driver could have reduced visibility. If the tail lights fail, the vehicle could be less visible. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected ECU, free of charge. The recall began on June 15 ,2015. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-15-002.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:fan/motor
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Lancer vehicles manufactured March 16, 2009, to March 30, 2011, 2010-2011 Lancer Sportback vehicles manufactured June 17, 2009, to December 1, 2010, 2010-2011 Lancer Evolution vehicles manufactured July 14, 2009, to January 7, 2011, 2009-2011 Outlander vehicles manufactured February 10, 2009, to June 22, 2011, and 2011 Outlander Sport vehicles manufactured August 26, 2010, to November 19, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the blower motor may fail.
Risk: Failure of the blower motor may reduce the performance of the windshield defroster, diminishing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace a suspect blower motor, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-15-003.
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.
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.
Service brakes, air:supply:check valve
Problem: 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 motion, under certain driving conditions (very slow vehicle maneuvers), there may be insufficient initial braking assist.
Risk: This may temporarily increase the stopping distance of the vehicle and therefore increase the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
I was driving down the road and spun out of control because my rack and pinion steering inner and outer tie rod snapped in half, because of rust from salt water and corrosion on the metal, resulting in my loss of control and front passenger wheel turned 90 degrees inward and nearly ripped the front…
The contact owns a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated while driving at night, the low-beam headlights turned off and turned on independently, causing a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of…
The car started to slow down on its own even when my foot was on the gas it wouldnât pick up speed over 20mph then it started to over heat, then smoke. It sounded like sparks like from a firecracker and smelt like something was burning to the point I had to pull over and turn the car off so my…
The contact owns a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated while the vehicle was having a routine oil change at the dealer, the mechanic stated that rear crossmember bar was rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact was informed that the front crossmember…
My brake light are no longer working and it is not because of a bulb I replaced all of them and they still do not work. And also my cruise control turns on and off but it will not set a speed
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 | 98 | 8 |
| 2008 Lancer | 91 | 5 |
| 2007 Lancer | 2 | 2 |
| 2006 Lancer | 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 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 22 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Yes, 8 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2009 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 2009 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.