Across 4 scored model years, the 2015 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.
2015
2010 · 2011
Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.
| Year | vs median | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.57× | B |
| 2011 | 0.72× | B |
| 2014 | 1.28× | C |
| 2015 | 1.75× | D |
The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.
Airbags & Restraints 3
I was involved in a accident and the air bag exploded. My concern is I was 47 and pretty good shape yet I had pain in my chest for over12 mo. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Drivetrain 3
After about 35,000 miles a warning light came up saying asc service required. After further inspection it turned out to be that the AWD pump was out. The light comes on meanwhile I drive around. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Body & Interior 2
6 crash · 4 fire · 3 injuries
Electrical 5
There seems to be an issue with the bluetooth connection with the car and any cell phone I try to have connected with the car. Mitsubishi told me it was the cell phones fault not the car. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Airbags & Restraints 5
I was traveling along 20 miles below the speed limit had a deer jumped out in front of me I swear to miss it my front passenger side tire went off the asphalt and into soft dirt and my car high centered on the raised… owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Lights & Visibility 3
The contact owns a 2015 mitsubishi lancer. The contact stated that the vehicle's glass had a watermark etched in each window on the vehicle, which made it difficult to see out of them. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
9 crash · 5 injuries
Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.
2011 is the best-scoring Lancer model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 74.6 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations. On complaint rate alone the lowest is 2010 at 0.57× this model’s median, against 0.72× for 2011.
| Year | vs median | Reports | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 0.72× | 22 | B |
| 2010 | 0.57× | 10 | B |
| 2014 | 1.28× | 13 | C |
7 campaigns on record.
| Campaign | Component | Units affected |
|---|---|---|
| 14V562000 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 165,923 |
| 20V279000 | STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 141,200 |
| 18V069000 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 141,053 |
| 17V609000 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:RELAY | 132,552 |
| 15V233000 | VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR | 76,958 |
| 18V071000 | VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 56,641 |
| 15V232000 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 53,396 |
Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2015 were reported at a median of 21,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.
Answered directly from this model’s record.
Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.
Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.
Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026