MITSUBISHI LANCER · model year

2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER

9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2013MITSUBISHILANCER carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 4/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 LANCER is power train with 2 filings, followed by engine (2) and unknown or other (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 2013 LANCER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 4.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

9 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 4/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN2
ENGINE2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
AIR BAGS1
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1
SERVICE BRAKES1

Recent Complaints

20200610SERVICE BRAKES

MASTER CYLINDER CLUTCH IS FAULTY CAUSING THE PROBLEMS IN SHIFTING OUT OF PARK. AN ARTICLE ONLINE STATED THERE WAS A RECALL FROM 2008-2013 REGARDING THIS ISSUE. WHY IS MY VIN NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. PER WEB ARTICLE RETRIEVED 06/10/2020 : HTTPS://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/CAR-NEWS/2008-13-MITSUBISHI-LANCER-EVOLUTION-RECALLED-BECAUSE-CLUTCH-MASTER-CYLINDER-CAN-FAIL.HTML, WRITTEN BY [XXX] 10/28/2013 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 30,000

20200610UNKNOWN OR OTHER

MASTER CYLINDER CLUTCH IS FAULTY CAUSING THE PROBLEMS IN SHIFTING OUT OF PARK. AN ARTICLE ONLINE STATED THERE WAS A RECALL FROM 2008-2013 REGARDING THIS ISSUE. WHY IS MY VIN NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. PER WEB ARTICLE RETRIEVED 06/10/2020 : HTTPS://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/CAR-NEWS/2008-13-MITSUBISHI-LANCER-EVOLUTION-RECALLED-BECAUSE-CLUTCH-MASTER-CYLINDER-CAN-FAIL.HTML, WRITTEN BY [XXX] 10/28/2013 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 30,000

20190923UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VEHICLE HAS OVERHEATED ON THE HIGHWAY,. ONCE IT DID TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY CHILDREN TO SCHOOL. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY MORE OFTEN, EVEN THOUGH THE BATTERIES WERE STILL GOOD. THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH DIAGNOSTIC CODE P0420, IT SEEMS TO BE THE CATALYST CONVERTER AND 02 SENSORS IN TAKE AND OUT TAKE. WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON THE VEHICLE MAKES A LOUD CLICKING NOISE AND SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE TURNS OFF. WHEN I REVERSE, THE VEHICLE ALSO TURNS OFF.

Mileage: 140,000

20190715ENGINE

WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP CAR HAS SEVERE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING AND SHIFTING. ITS EVEN WORSE WHEN THE A/C IS RUNNING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES TO BE TOLD ITS THE TYPE OF TRANSMISSION IT IS (CVT). I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE CASE WHEN A PERSON ON A BICYCLE CAN TAKE OFF AT A RED LIGHT FASTER THEN MY CAR I KNOW THERE ID A PROBLEM. I KNOW THEY RECALLED THE TRANSMISSION ON YEARS PRIOR UP TO 2012 LANCERS BUT THE 2013 HAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION

Mileage: 57,006

20190715POWER TRAIN

WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP CAR HAS SEVERE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING AND SHIFTING. ITS EVEN WORSE WHEN THE A/C IS RUNNING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES TO BE TOLD ITS THE TYPE OF TRANSMISSION IT IS (CVT). I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE CASE WHEN A PERSON ON A BICYCLE CAN TAKE OFF AT A RED LIGHT FASTER THEN MY CAR I KNOW THERE ID A PROBLEM. I KNOW THEY RECALLED THE TRANSMISSION ON YEARS PRIOR UP TO 2012 LANCERS BUT THE 2013 HAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION

Mileage: 57,006

20190408AIR BAGS

TAKATA RECALL- ABS LIGHT IS ON PER RECALL IT HAS TO DO WITH AIR BAG INFLATOR IN OTHER MITSUBISHI CARS. ALSO THE STALLS AND SHUTS DOWN AND OVER HEATS. THIS HAS BEEN NOTICED. THIS IS THE TIME IT HAPPENED.

Mileage: 115,600

20190408ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

TAKATA RECALL- ABS LIGHT IS ON PER RECALL IT HAS TO DO WITH AIR BAG INFLATOR IN OTHER MITSUBISHI CARS. ALSO THE STALLS AND SHUTS DOWN AND OVER HEATS. THIS HAS BEEN NOTICED. THIS IS THE TIME IT HAPPENED.

Mileage: 115,600

20190408ENGINE

TAKATA RECALL- ABS LIGHT IS ON PER RECALL IT HAS TO DO WITH AIR BAG INFLATOR IN OTHER MITSUBISHI CARS. ALSO THE STALLS AND SHUTS DOWN AND OVER HEATS. THIS HAS BEEN NOTICED. THIS IS THE TIME IT HAPPENED.

Mileage: 115,600

20180918POWER TRAIN

ABOUT A MONTH AGO SERVICE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON AND THROWS CODE P1875(DAMPER SPEED SENSOR) . I'VE BEEN TOLD BY MITSUBISHI THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS OTHER THAN PURCHASING A NEW $15,000 SST TRANSMISSION FROM THEM. THE CAR IS NOT EVEN WORTH THAT MUCH BY NOW. HOW IS IT THAT MITSUBISHI DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THIS ISSUE?

Mileage: 83,000

Compare 2013MITSUBISHILANCER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER have?
The 2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER?
The 2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 4/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER?
The most-complained component for the 2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER is POWER TRAIN with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.