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Light NHTSA footprint — 29 owner complaints and 2 active recall campaigns. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer has 29 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is powertrain at 20 complaints, typically surfacing around 56,143 miles (~$2,500 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Lancer | 5 | 0 |
| 2014 Lancer | 23 | 0 |
| 2015 Lancer | 26 | 1 |
| 2016 Lancer (this page) | 29 | 2 |
| 2017 Lancer | 6 | 0 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
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.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
Run the VIN from the listing — 2 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 8.0/10 model. The priciest documented failure is powertrain (~$2,500) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
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…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
If the engine stalls, there is an increased the risk of a crash.
A hesitation during acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 8.0 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.
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 8.0/10 — above the segment average; 2 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the powertrain first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 20 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 56,143 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 8.0 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 29 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is powertrain. Typical failure occurs around 56,143 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
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.
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.
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.
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.