Problems · NHTSA complaints
2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution problems
Owners filed 34 complaints about the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution with NHTSA between Mar 2006 and Oct 2018. The most-cited component is power train (11).
Complaints
34
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Power train11
- Engine and engine cooling10
- Suspension3
- Engine3
- Electrical system3
- Structure2
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Electronic stability control (esc)1
- Service brakes1
- Steering1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Equipment1
- Other / unknown1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
3
3
10
6
0
0
0
5
0
2
0
3
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 10 |
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Power train
11 reports
“I WAS HEADING TO A CLASS WHEN I NOTICED MY CLUTCH PEDAL WENT ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE CLUTCH WAS STILL DISENGAGING/ENGAGING WHEN I SHIFTED SO I MADE IT TO MY DESTINATION. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT DRIVING IT BUT I DECIDED TO TRY AND SEE IF IT WAS STILL DOING IT, SO I TRIED TO BACK OUT OF A SPOT BUT IT WOULD NO LONGER GO INTO GEAR AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. TURNED OUT MY BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS FAULTY AND I LEARNED THROUGH ONLINE FORUMS AND FRIENDS THAT IT WAS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE LANCER EVOLUTION. I WAS SURPRISED AT THAT AND WONDERED WHY MITSUBISHI WOULD NOT ISSUE A RECALL FOR FAULTY BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS. IT DAWNED ON ME THAT MOST PEOPLE WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR ARE THE "DO IT YOURSELF" KIND OF PERSON AND MORE THAN LIKELY WERE FIXED BY THE OWNERS OF THE CARS, THEREFOR NEVER REPORTED THROUGH MECHANICS OR DEALERSHIPS. AFTER THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED, THE THROW OUT BEARING RETAINING CLIP CAME LOOSE AND DAMAGED THE PRESSURE PLATE. SO NOW IT IS BEING REPLACED, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS ALL CAUSED BY THE MASTER CYLINDER. HAD IT WORKED PROPERLY, I NEVER WOULD HAVE HAD THESE PROBLEMS AND SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY. WHAT I AM HOPING IS…”
Engine and engine cooling
10 reports
“MY 2006 MITSUBISHI EVOLUTION 9 STARTED TO MAKE ABNORMAL ENGINE NOISES AUDIBLE WITHIN THE CAB. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AND IS MORE THAN WELL KEPT... THE NOISE COMES FROM WITHIN THE TIMING BELT COVER AND SOUNDS MUCH LIKE A WASHING MACHINE. THIS NOISE IS ALSO WELL DOCUMENTED AMONG EVO 9 OWNERS. HERE IS A LINK TO THE THREAD. HTTP://FORUMS.EVOLUTIONM.NET/EVO-ENGINE-TURBO-DRIVETRAIN/262773-IX-ENGINE-IDLE-NOISE-BELT-VIDEO.HTML IT APPEARS THAT THE TIMING WHEEL RUBS ON THE TIMING BELT AND CAUSES THIS NOISE. THE CURRENT FIX IS TO REPLACE YOUR TIMING BELT, CRANKSHAFT BLADE(TIMING WHEEL), AND TIMING BELT TENSIONER REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE OR TIMING BELT SERVICE INTERVALS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE OWNER. IF THE TIMING BELT WERE TO FAIL FROM HEAT GENERATED DUE TO FRICTION (RUBBING) THE ENGINE WOULD BE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR (INTERFERENCE ENGINE) NOT TO MENTION THE VEHICLE WOULD BE STRANDED... AND THE FAILURE MODE HAS A VERY HIGH CHANGE OF CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. A SIMPLE FMEA WOULD SHOW THIS TO BE A GLARING ISSUE. TO SPEAK TO HOW OFTEN THIS OCCURS...THE SOUND IS PRESENT ANY TIME THE ENGINE IS IDLING, HOWEVER BELT FAILURE FROM THIS ISSUE COULD…”
Suspension
3 reports1 related recall
“REAR SUBFRAME WHERE THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND SUSPENSION BOLTS ONTO IS RUSTED, JUST LIKE THE FRONT SUBFRAME . MANY OWNERS 2003-2006 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. MITSUBISHI RECENTLY ISSUED A RECALL ON THE FRONT SUBFRAME DUE TO RUST. THE REAR SUBFRAME IS ALSO A CONCERN AND IS WORST THAN THE FRONT.”
Engine
3 reports
“THERE IS AN ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL PUMP FAILURE THAT IS BECOMING COMMON IN ALL LANCER EVOLUTIONS OF THIS YEAR. MINE WENT OUT LAST YEAR AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING TO DRIVE WITH IT FOR A YEAR NOW NOT KNOWING WHETHER THE DIFFERENTIAL IS CORRODING AT AN ACCELERATED RATE OF NOT. I DID THIS BECAUSE AFTER I HAD MY VEHICLE ASSESSED THEY TOLD IT WOULD BE $2500 TO REPLACE. I RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND CAN BE DANGEROUS THEREFORE CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO PAY THIS ABSURD AMOUNT EVEN WITH KNOWING THAT ALMOST 60% OF EVO DRIVERS HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. *TR”
Electrical system
3 reports
“COMPLAINT *10261125*-THIS COMPLAINT IS 100% ACCURATE, MITSUBISHI HAS RECALLED MANY OUTLANDER SUVS ON THIS SAME ISSUE, PLEASE INVESTIGATE, HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE, TURN SIGNALS, HIGH BEAM, LOW BEAM, HORN, FOG LIGHTS, ENGINE, EVERYTHING WORKS AT RANDOM AND CANNOT BE STOPPED, MY ENGINE WILL NOT START, THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN AND A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT CAN HAVE DEVASTATING RESULTS, "COMPLAINT NUMBER: 10261125 2006 THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTIONS MADE FROM 2003-2006. I HAVE HAD 2 OF THESE CARS AND SAME PROBLEM... ALMOST STARTED A FIRE IN MY CAR.. . WHERE THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS GOES THROUGH THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT FENDER, THERE'S A RUBBER GROMMET THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BLOCK WATER. WELL IN MY 2 CARS AND ABOUT 100 OTHERS ON THE AUTO FORUM I FREQUENT,(WWW.EVOLUTIONM.NET) THE RUBBER GROMMET FAILS TO DO ITS JOB OF BLOCKING WEATHER AND WATER IS LEAKING THROUGH GOING DOWN THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS AND INTO THE WIRING CONNECTORS. FROM THERE THE AVERAGE OWNER LIKE ME IS GETTING THERE HORN, LIGHTS WIPERS SRS LIGHT ETC. TURNING ON/OFF RAPIDLY WHILE DRIVING. SOME HAVE EXPERIENCED THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING, WELL ALONG WITH THAT YOU LOOSE…”
Structure
2 reports
“I HAVE A RECALL ON MY 2006 MITSUBISHI FOR CORROSION ON SUBFRAME, I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER, THEY CHECKED THE CAR AND ORDERED THE CROSS MEMBER, SO WE MADE AN APPOINT TO TAKE CAR INTO DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT, LEFT THE CAR WITH THE DEALER FOR THE DAY, LATER THAT DAY I GOTTEN A CALL STATING THEY CANNOT GET THE BOLTS LOOSE DUE TO CORROSION AND I HAVE TO PAY TO REMOVE IT, I FIND IT STRANGE THAT THERES A RECALL ON A PART DUE TO CORROSION AND NOW THE BOLT IS SEIZED DUE TO THE SAME CORROSION, AND I HAVE TO PAY 392.00 TO REMOVE CROSS MEMBER BOLT SO THEY CAN CHANGE A PART THAT THEY RECALLED, I TAUGHT THAT A BIG COMPANY LIKE THIS WOULD RECALL A PART AND THEN TAKE CARE OF THE ISSUE, AND NOT CHARGE THE CUSTOMER FOR THE REPAIR. THIS IS THE WORST RECALL I EVER HEARD OF.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.