Mitsubishi Lancer problems
Light NHTSA footprint — 29 owner complaints. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
- No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record
- Reliability score 8.4/10 — above the segment average
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Top trouble spots 2 categories with 3+ complaints
What owners are saying recent NHTSA-filed complaints · verbatim
Car has 76,470 miles. Took to dealership due to loss of power and jerking hard during takeoffs and said that it needed new transmission. Dealership looked at it said it had internal failure codes for transmission. When doing research there was a recall in 2016 for this specific…
I was driving on the way home, my car started to skip and jerking. Went to Mitsubishi and told me I needed a whole new transmission replacement on a 2016 Lancer with only 81,000 miles on it. It seemed to never catch up to speed smoothly. Which I was terrified I was going to…
Our 2016 lancer has suddenly started hesitating/ taking seconds to shift from park to reverse/drive. Also while driving vehicle its rpms fluctuate causing a shudder and surge in power or acceleration. This is a very alarming problem as it puts mine and my kids safety as it…
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Mitsubishi lancer. After coming to a stop, the vehicle would not accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. In addition, the service transmission warning indicator illuminated intermittently. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA…
Estimate your repair exposure
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
Common questions
Is the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer reliable?
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
Should you avoid the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?
On the NHTSA data, the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 8.4/10 — above the segment average. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
What's the most common problem on the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is powertrain, with 20 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 56,143 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
What's the most expensive thing that goes wrong?
The powertrain is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 56,143 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
How do I check if my Mitsubishi Lancer has open recalls?
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Is an extended warranty worth it on a 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 29 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $2,500, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.