2016 Mitsubishi Lancer Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lancer years
- More complaints than other years 9th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer. That ranks 9th out of 18 Lancer model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (21 complaints, 70%), typically at around 69,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 2 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 30owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 21 | 70% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 13% | 63,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 13% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 10% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 7% | 57,130 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% | 36,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Mitsubishi Lancer recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:starter assembly:relay
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Outlander, 2015-2016 Lancer and Outlander Sport, and 2015 Lancer Evolution vehicles. These vehicles may have defective relays that can result in an engine stall, reduced engine power or the engine overheating.
Risk: If the engine stalls, there is an increased the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected relays, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-17-005.
Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles and 2016 Outlander and Lancer vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a constant velocity transmission (CVT) that, in certain driving conditions, may cause a delay in the vehicle accelerating.
Risk: A hesitation during acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the CVT control unit with modified software, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2016. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-006.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Electrical overstress (EA19001) — opened Apr 19, 2019, closed Sep 19, 2024, led to recall 20V024.
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 bought this vehicle and few weeks later I noticed at a red light. When it turned green i hit the gas. My car took a few seconds, reved and then shot out into the lane. Since then it has had issues over 20 miles and when I stop its a few seconds for the car to accelerate and move which is scary on…
Itâs throwing a P084A code and it feels like the transmission is about to let loose. I bought the car with 30,000 on it in 2016 and it has a hair over 136,000 and ever since Iâve had it itâs always had this transmission lag jerk in it. Very scuttle but you can feel it. Then all of a sudden it…
Recently the transmission has started to shudder when first driving from a stop. It only happens under low acceleration. If you push the accelerator pedel firmly it will not shudder. Wondering if this is a recall about to happen? It started on or about 4/2/2025 but is continuing to happen.
The car is bucking hi low hi low and then the service transmission light is coming on. We brought the car in a couple of weeks ago and I thought this was suppose to he fixed. It is alot worse now
Loss of power on acceleration, rpms going up and down, hesitation in acceleration, going into limp mode won't accelerate over 25-40mph pulled code P084A shop believes it needs a complete replacement based on their computer systems repair procedures guidelines. Car has just over 107k miles on it and…
Other Mitsubishi Lancer years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Lancer | 6 | 0 |
| 2016 | 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 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 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 21 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 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 2016 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.