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#BS-2005-MITLAN-77802005 Mitsubishi Lancer
Based on reports from 27 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Green Light
Based on 27 complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, and 6 recalls.
Top reported problems
ac compressor clutch broken
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
headlights stopped working while driving
1 complaints • Severity 8/10
automatic transmission whine
1 complaints • Severity 4/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
9 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 90K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (7 reports) • Median: 90K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Airbags (9 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2005 Mitsubishi Lancer: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 33% of all reports filed for the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 9 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 90,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 90K-mile mark.
Suspension Issues
Suspension complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 2 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Electrical System:ignition Issues
Electrical System:ignition complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 1 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical system:ignition-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:pads Issues
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:pads complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer, with 1 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer. Recent trend: decreasing.



Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (6 recalls)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 Lancer, 2004 Lancer Wagon, 2003-2006 Lancer Evolution, 2003-2006 Outlander and 2007-2013 Outlander V-6 vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Lancer and Lancer Evolution vehicles and 2004 Lancer Sportback vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
+ 1 more recall in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Mitsubishi Lancer is the 2011 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
2005 Mitsubishi Lancer vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)
This vehicle
27
Class avg
192
Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical compact cars vehicles. A good sign.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 27 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Mitsubishi Lancer Model Years
View all Mitsubishi Lancer years →2005 Mitsubishi Lancer: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Is the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer reliable?
How much does it cost to fix 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer problems?
Does the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer have any recalls?
What mileage do Mitsubishi Lancer problems start?
What’s in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
How is this different from Carfax?
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Get the Full 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 27 owner reports. Know before you buy.