Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling: engine, gasoline
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 and remedy
Risk: If the drive belt detaches, the battery will discharge and the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Canadian recalls (4)
Show 4 Canadian recalls
Visual system
2018-10-26 · campaign 2018-588
On certain vehicles, water may drain from the windshield cowl area onto the front wiper link ball joint. Over time, this could result in corrosion and/or wear to the joint, which could result in the separation of the wiper link ball. If separation were to occur, the windshield wipers could become inoperative, which could limit the driver’s visibility under certain operating conditions which may increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the wiper link rod with a countermeasure one, and will replace the wiper motor crank arm with a new one.
Electrical
2018-01-26 · campaign 2018-052
On certain vehicles, the flange of the drive belt automatic tensioner may crack over time due to repetitive high load operations and stress concentration. This could cause the drive belt to detach, leading to battery depletion, which would result in a loss of motive power and a loss of power steering assist. These issues could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the auto tensioner with a countermeasure unit.
Airbag
2016-07-29 · campaign 2016-382
On certain vehicles operated in areas of heavy road salt usage, a mixture of snow, water and road-salt solution may infiltrate between the front impact sensor and the bracket that attaches it to the vehicle. Over time, repeated freezing/thawing cycles could cause a crack to develop in the sensor case allowing water intrusion and short circuit of the sensor. In the event of a crash, this could result in delayed deployment of the driver and passenger front airbags which would increase the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect the front impact sensor and replace it if it is found to be cracked. An updated designed bracket and cover will also be installed.
Lights and instruments
2012-01-04 · campaign 2012-001
Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. An incorrectly manufactured turn signal lever could cause the auto-cancel function to become inoperative. The vehicle operator will, however, continue to be able to manually cancel the turn signals. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the turn signal lever.
Owner complaints (19)
Owners filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer (3 crashes, 1 injuries reported). Among 18 model years of this model, it ranks #12 for the most complaints (median 30).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Power train | 6 | |
| Engine | 5 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | |
| Steering | 2 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | |
| Air bags | 1 | |
| Engine and engine cooling | 1 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer 4 DR FWD | 4★ | 4★ | 4★ | 4★ |
| 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback 5 HB FWD | 4★ | 4★ | 4★ | 4★ |
| 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer 4 DR AWD | 4★ | 4★ | 4★ | 4★ |
| 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback 5 HB AWD | 4★ | 4★ | 4★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Lancer 2.0 L Manual 5-spd | 24 | 33 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Lancer 2.0 L Automatic (AV-S6) | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Lancer 2.0 L Automatic (AM6) | 18 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| Lancer 2.4 L Manual 5-spd | 22 | 30 | 25 | $2,700 |
| Lancer 2.4 L Automatic (AV-S6) | 23 | 30 | 26 | $2,600 |
| Lancer AWD 2.4 L Automatic (AV-S6) | 22 | 28 | 25 | $2,700 |
| Lancer Evolution 2.0 L Manual 5-spd | 17 | 23 | 19 | $4,350 |
| Lancer Evolution 2.0 L Automatic (AM6) | 17 | 22 | 19 | $4,350 |
| Lancer Sportback 2.0 L Automatic (AV-S6) | 24 | 32 | 27 | $2,500 |
| Lancer Sportback 2.4 L Automatic (AV-S6) | 22 | 28 | 25 | $2,700 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.