Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution stability control problems
31 of the
314 complaints filed about the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
are about the stability control —
10% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2008.
31
Complaints
10%
Share of all complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
Stability & Traction Control complaints by model year
I HAD SOME WARNING LIGHTS COME ON FOR THE ASC AND ABS SYSTEMS BEING DISABLED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THE ABS PUMP WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR OVER $3000. I LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE OF THE BRUSHES IN THE ABS PUMP STICKING. THAT SAME ABS PUMP IS USED IN SOME BMW AND JEEP MODELS WITH NUMEROUS PEOPLE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. THE ASC AND ABS SYSTEMS SEEM LIKE CRITICAL SAFETY SYSTEMS THAT SHOULD BE COVERED FOR REPAIRS DUE TO THE FAILURE OF A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT. I WOULD APPRECIATE SOMEONE LOOKING INTO THIS OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THANK YOU.
NHTSA complaint #11231192 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ON-DASH WARNING LIGHT OF "4WD SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED" CAME ON. THIS WARNING IS INDICATIVE OF A ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL (ACD) PUMP FAILURE, GENERALLY DUE TO CORROSION FROM TREATED WINTER ROAD SURFACES AND/OR THE INABILITY TO HANDLE COLD-WEATHER CLIMATES. CAR WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED UNDER A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) TO DELAY ACTIVATION OF THE ACD PUMP FOR THIS EXACT REASON 2 YEARS PRIOR TO FAILURE. MITSUBISHI HAS YET TO CORRECT THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND IS CURRENTLY REFUSING TO HONOR WARRANTY SERVICE OF FAILED PUMPS UNDER THEIR 5-YEAR / 36,000-MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, STATING THAT THE PUMP IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THE VEHICLE TO OPERATE SAFELY AND PROPERLY. IN CONTRAST, A WORKING ACD PUMP DIRECTLY EFFECTS THE VEHICLE'S HANDLING, TRACTION & STEERING - AND ALL 3 DRIVING PARAMETERS IMMEDIATELY BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY WHEN THE PUMP SHUTS DOWN IN SELF-PROTECTION MODE OR HAS FAILED COMPLETELY. THIS VEHICLE HAS A DRIVER-SELECTED SETTING FOR TARMAC (PAVEMENT), GRAVEL/RAIN & SNOW CONDITIONS - THESE SETTINGS ARE COMPLETELY DISABLED WHEN THE ACD PUMP HAS FAILED, OR IS FAILING (ON-DASH WARNING WITH PUMP IN SELF-PROTECTION MODE). THIS ISSUE EFFECTS SEVERAL MODELS (LANCER, LANCER EVOLUTION, RALLIART, ETC.) FROM MODEL YEAR 2008 TO 2014, AND HUNDREDS OF INSTANCES OF THIS ISSUE HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED IN ONLINE FORUMS (AND PROBABLY SEVERAL-FOLD THAT AMOUNT THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DISCUSSED ONLINE). PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY, THANK YOU.
NHTSA complaint #11075644 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE WAS IN COLD WEATHER, AYC SYSTEM LIGHT TURNED ON. I CHECKED THE FORUMS AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE THAT INDICATES THE PUMP IS BAD. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10662884 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
IT WAS A COLD WINTER DAY, I STARTED DRIVING MY EVO TO A NEARBY GROCERY STORE. ENROUTE, THE AWD SYSTEM WOULD THROW A WARNING AND A DASHBOARD LIGHT LIT UP. I WAS CONCERNED, STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO LEAKS OR NO WEIRD NOISES. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO SNOW/TARMAC/GRAVEL MODE. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT STRANDED ON THE ROAD SIDE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I CAME TO KNOW THAT THE ACD PUMP FAILED AND HENCE IT THREW AN AWD ERROR. ITS COSTING ABOUT 2200 DOLLARS TO FIX THIS ISSUE.
NHTSA complaint #10659722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE AYC PUMP FAILED BY DISPLAYING A BLINKING TARMAC LIGHT. IT CONSTANTLY FLASHES WHILE DRIVING. THE AYC PUMP CORRELATES WITH THE STEERING AND STABILITY CONTROL FOR THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THIS IS A BIG HAZARD. THE AYC PUMP SHOULD BE RELOCATED TO THE TRUNK COMPARTMENT SO IT IS NOT EXPOSED TO WEATHER CONDITIONS LIKE SNOW AND RAIN. THIS WILL PROTECT THE AYC PUMP FROM FAILING. THE WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER THIS FAILED PUMP AT ALL.
NHTSA complaint #10650095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHEN STARTING MY 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION GSR, I RECEIVED A WARNING MESSAGE ON THE CLUSTER DISPLAY SHOWING A YELLOW-ORANGE SYMBOL THAT SHOWS 4 WHEELS CONNECTED BY AXLES AND THE MIDDLE-SHAFT, WHERE THE FRONT TWO WHEELS ARE FACING AT AN ANGLE TO THE SIDE. THE ERROR CODE READ AS C161E: DTC C161E: ELECTRIC PUMP RELAY CIRCUIT SYSTEM (STUCK). THIS HAS BECOME A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION. SO COMMON THAT WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR THE CODE C161E, YOU CAN FIND COUNTLESS FORUM DISCUSSIONS ON MULTIPLE WEBSITES COMMENTING ON THE FREQUENCY OF THIS ISSUE. INCLUDING MYSELF, A SINGLE DISCUSSION IDENTIFIES AT LEAST 48 UNIQUE CARS, 42 OF WHICH ARE THE 2008 MODEL YEAR, WHERE THE ACD PUMP FAILED, ALL OF WHICH HAVING DRIVEN FEWER THAN 75,000 MILES AND NEARLY 60% WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES (HTTP://WWW.EVOXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=58221&HIGHLIGHT=C161E&PAGE=1). SEVERAL OF THESE VEHICLES REQUIRED MULTIPLE REPLACEMENTS OF THE SAME PART. THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS THE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VEHICLE'S ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM, LIKELY INCLUDING THE VEHICLE'S TRACTION CONTROL AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY.
NHTSA complaint #10640971 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MONDAY MORNING I WARMED UP MY CAR FOR 5 MINUTES. STARTED TO DRIVE MY CAR FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS, AWD SERVICE REQUIRED POPPED UP ON MY DISPLAY. I STOPPED THE CAR AND BROUGHT IT BACK HOME. LOOKED UP WHAT THE ISSUE COULD BE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE ACD PUMP HAS FAILED. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM FROM MITSUBISHI FOR THESE CARS AND THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL OR REAL FIX. WITHOUT THE ACD PUMP FUNCTIONING, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE CAR CAN LOSE TRACTION IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS OR DAMAGE THE ENTIRE DRIVETRAIN SYSTEM. MITSUBISHI CLAIMS THAT ITS NOT PART OF THE DRIVETRAIN SO THERE IS NO WARRANTY AND IT'S ALSO A "LUXURY" SYSTEM. CONTROLLING WHEEL TRACTION IS NOT A LUXURY ITS A SAFETY FEATURE.
NHTSA complaint #10621577 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2012 EVO X GSR - FROM JBA MITSUBISHI (GLEN BURNIE, MD). AT 31,651 MILES - I WAS IN A FAST-FOOD DRIVE THRU LINE ORDERING BREAKFAST. THAT IS, 0MPH. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I HEAR A CHIME AND SEE MY INSTRUMENT PANEL FLASH. MY DRIVING-MODE/STATUS LIGHT (WHICH SHOWS TARMAC/SNOW/GRAVEL) HAD TURNED OFF. ANOTHER LIGHT ILLUMINATED, SAYING '4WD SERVICE REQUIRED'. MY EVO IS 100% BONE STOCK, NO MODS/TUNE. I CALL AROUND AND DO SOME RESEARCH. I CHECK MY FLUIDS, TIRES (ALL 4, BRAND NEW, PROPERLY BALANCED), ETC. A LITTLE WHILE LATER, I DISCOVER THAT IT IS MY AYC PUMP. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH EVO'S AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. LUCKILY, MINE WENT OUT JUST BEFORE WARRANTY. OTHERWISE, IT'D COST BETWEEN $2500-$3K TO FIX ON MY OWN DIME. I LIVE IN MD - WE GET SNOW EVERY SINGLE YEAR. APPARENTLY, THE SALT AND WEATHER CHANGES CAN CAUSE CORROSION AND DAMAGE TO THE PUMP. MITSUBISHI OFFERS A REPLACEMENT (WITH 1YR, 12K MILE WARRANTY). BUT I'VE SEEN FOLKS IN CANADA WHO BURN THRU 3-4 PUMPS A YEAR. MEANING JUST BECAUSE OF THIS 1 PART, AN EVO IS A TERRIBLE CAR TO HAVE IN COLD-WEATHER STATES. MITSUBISHI NEEDS TO RECALL THIS PART - OR OFFER TO REPAIR FREE WHENEVER THE PUMP GOES OUT. EVEN WITH PROPER PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE - I DO NOT WANT TO PAY $2500+ EVERY TIME THE PUMP GOES OUT.
NHTSA complaint #10616432 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LOSS OF ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL. AYC/ACD PUMP FAILURE DUE TO POOR ENGINEERING. CAR HAS NO STABILITY CONTROL AND DRIVER IS MORE LIKELY TO LOSE CONTROL IN SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
NHTSA complaint #10607970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ACTIVE YAW CONTROL (AYC) AND ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL (ACD) PUMP FAILED. NOT COVERED UNDER POWER TRAIN WARRANTY PUMP WAS CORRODED AND COULD NO LONGER PRODUCE ENOUGH PRESSURE. PUMP IN LOCATED DIRECTLY BEHIND PASSENGER REAR WHEEL EXPOSED TO WATER, SALT, AND OTHER ROAD DEBRIS.
NHTSA complaint #10595963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WENT TO DEALER FOR TRANSMISSION CHECK AND AFTER A MILE AWC LIGHT CAME ON THEY SAID IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH COMPUTER UPDATE THEY DID.MIND YOU MY TRANNY WAS GOING BAD AND DEALER DID NOT WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT EVEN UNDER WARRANTY.
NHTSA complaint #10594401 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL / S-AWC (TARMAC/GRAVEL/SNOW) INOPERABLE. TERRAIN SELECTION CAN BE PERFORMED AT 0MPH HOWEVER WHEN THE CAR IS PLACED IN MOTION: FORWARD / REVERSE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATES THERE IS SERVICE REQUIRED IN THE AWD TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM, FROM THE MULTITUDE OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE POSTED HERE.
NHTSA complaint #10587851 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ACD (ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL) PUMP HAS FAILED AND WITHOUT THIS PUMP PROVIDING PRESSURE TO THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM, THE VEHICLE GETS STUCK ON DRIVEWAYS AT A STOP WHERE THE TIRE AND WHEEL PACKAGES ARE ON DIFFERENT ELEVATED SURFACES. THE REASON THE PUMP HAS FAILED IS DUE TO PLACEMENT OF THE PUMP ON THE VEHICLE. MITSUBISHI HAS DESIGNED THE VEHICLE TO HAVE THE PUMP TO BE LOCATED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL. DUE TO THIS, WHILE DRIVING ON SEVERE WEATHER ROADS (PARTICULARLY SNOW SALTED ROADS), THE DIRT, WATER AND SALT GETS KICKED UP TO THE POSITION OF THE PUMP WHICH CORRODES THE FITTINGS AND THE PUMP ITSELF. THIS THEN CAUSES THE PUMP TO FAIL OVER TIME. IT COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY REMEDIED BY RELOCATING THE PUMP OR ANTI-CORROSION PROTECTION AND BETTER SEALING. BEING LOCATED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED TO ME, BUT EVEN DRIVING ONLY TWICE THROUGH SNOW ROADS IN THE PAST 3 YEARS HAS CORRODED THE PUMP TO FAILURE. MITSUBISHI HAS DENIED THAT THIS IS PART OF THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY, WHICH MEANS IT WILL BE A $2000+ DOLLAR FIX.
NHTSA complaint #10586681 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ACD (ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL) PUMP FAILURE AT 43000 MILES. WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BUT FAILED AGAIN 2 MONTHS AGO (LESS THAN 60000 MILES) JANUARY 2014. SO THE NEW PUMP INSTALLED DID NOT LAST FOR MORE THAN 15000 MILES. THIS IS A COMMON AND KNOWN ISSUE FOR ALL MITSUBISHI MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THAT ACD STABILITY CONTROL.
NHTSA complaint #10578875 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AS MANY EVOLUTION OWNERS WHO LIVE IN THE MIDWEST CAN ALSO ATTEST, MY EXAMPLE NOW JOINS THE CLUB OF MODELS WITH DEFECTIVE ASC/AYC PUMP FAILURE. THE PUMP FAILS WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES RUN CLOSE TO FREEZING, ON TOP OF THE UNIT CORRODING, AND EVOLUTION OWNERS ARE BEING FORCED TO SHELL OUT $1800 MINIMUM TO MITSUBISHI FOR THE PUMP ALONE, NOT INCLUDING LABOR. I BELIEVE THIS HAS ONLY OCCURRED TO MY MITSUBISHI AFTER SIX YEARS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT KEEPING THE UNDERBODY CLEAN, AND IT'S NEARLY ALWAYS PARKED IN A HEATED GARAGE. WITHOUT THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF THIS INTEGRAL DRIVETRAIN EQUIPMENT, WE AREN'T ABLE TO CONTROL POWER DELIVERY FRONT TO BACK AND THE VEHICLE COMPUTER GOES INTO A TYPE OF LIMP MODE WHERE NO CONTROL OF THE DELIVERY OF POWER TO THE WHEELS IS POSSIBLE. OF COURSE THE BRAKES WORK AND THE THROTTLE WORKS, BUT WHEREAS THE VEHICLE USED TO BE SELECTABLE FOR SNOW OR GRAVEL MODES, GREATLY IMPROVING TRACTION AND THE ABILITY TO LIMIT SLIPPAGE OF THE REAR WHEELS, WE INSTEAD STARE AT A DIGITAL READOUT INSTRUCTING US TO SERVICE THE UNIT THAT'S CORRODED AND THE PUMP HAS OVERHEATED AND ALSO FAILED AS A RESULT. WWW.EVOXFORUMS.COM AND WWW.EVOLUTIONM.NET HAS PLENTY OF OTHER CUSTOMERS WHO ARE BELONG FRUSTRATED WITH THIS ISSUE THAT MITSUBISHI DOESN'T WANT TO ADDRESS. NEARLY ALL OF US HAVE SPENT GOOD MONEY ON A VEHICLE WE THOUGHT WOULD BE A SOLID PERFORMER IN BOTH THE DRY, WET, AND SNOW AND INSTEAD, SOME OWNERS HAVE TO PAY NOT ONCE TO REMEDY THIS UNIT THAT'S FAILING ON ALL OUR CARS, BUT I'VE HEARD OF OWNERS HAVING TO DO IT TWO AND EVEN THREE TIMES. OWNERS ARE TRYING TO SAVE MONEY BY BREAKING DOWN THE UNIT AND REPAIRING THE INTERNAL MOTOR. PEOPLE ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH WAYS TO PREVENT THE UNITS THEY PURCHASE TO PREVENT THEM FROM RUSTING AND CORRODING. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CONTACT MITSUBISHI AND HELP US??
NHTSA complaint #10578365 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I STARTED MY CAR AND THE AWC SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON. I CAME TO A CONTROLLED STOP, AND RESTARTED THE CAR PER THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE VEHICLE MANUAL. UPON RESTART, THE SAME SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER THE DEALER RAN A DIAGNOSTIC, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE PUMP FOR THE ACTIVE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM HAD FAILED. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS PART WAS NOT PART OF THE DRIVE TRAIN AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DAY THE PUMP FAILED IT WAS VERY COLD AND THERE WAS PACKED SNOW ON THE ROADWAYS. IF I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND THIS PUMP HAD FAILED, I BELIEVE THE AUTOMOBILE WOULD NOT HAVE BEHAVED AS EXPECTED WITH THE AWC STABILITY ACTIVE.
NHTSA complaint #10557872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THIS IS REPORT OF A KNOWN FAILURE BY MITSUBISHI MOTOR CORP. AT 50,800 MILES ON 12/17/2013 MY CARS SUPER-ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL (S-ACD) STARTED BLINKING AT ME. IT WOULD NOT ALLOW CHANGING OF THE SETTINGS ANYMORE FOR TARMAC/GRAVEL/SNOW. IMMEDIATELY THERE AFTER, THE DRIVER INFORMATION PANEL POPPED UP WITH A YELLOW "AWD SERVICE REQUIRED" INDICATOR. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO NASHUA, NH MITSUBISHI/HYUNDAI FOR DIAGNOSIS ON 12/19/2013. THERE THEY APPLIED TSB-SC11-002. THIS UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT THE CAR REQUIRED A REPLACEMENT ACD PUMP AND WAS QUOTED $1,995 FOR THE REPAIR, WHICH CONFUSED ME DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURERS POWER TRAIN WARRANTY, AND A PUMP, THAT CONTROLS THE AWD SYSTEM OF A CAR, SEEMS TO BE POWER TRAIN RELATED, AT LEAST IN MY EYES. THE NORTH EAST REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE WAS CONTACTED ON MY BEHALF BY THE DEALERSHIP TO REQUEST COVERAGE OF THIS ITEM, WHICH WAS ULTIMATELY DENIED. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE CAR NO LONG HANDLES PROPERLY IN CONDITIONS IT WAS DESIGNED FOR. I AM NO LONGER ABLE TO SELECT THE CAR FOR SNOW, LIVING IN THE NORTH EAST, DRIVING A CAR MARKETED IN THE NORTH EAST, THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM. TO FURTHER THE ISSUE, THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN BY MITSUBISHI, IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED WELL, TRACING ALL THE WAY BACK TO CARS MANUFACTURED IN 2006. 90% OF ALL PUMP FAILURES COULD BE COMPLETELY ELIMINATED BY ADDING A SEAL TO STOP CORROSION INSIDE THE PUMP WHICH LEADS TO THE UNTIMELY FAILURES. IF NO RECALL IS ISSUED FOR THIS FAILURE, AT THE VERY LEAST, MITSUBISHI MOTORS SHOULD BE FORCED TO COVER THIS UNDER POWER TRAIN WARRANTY FOR 5YRS/60K MILES. INSTEAD OF LIMITING IT TO 3YRS/36K BUMPER TO BUMPER. LINK TO DOCUMENTED CASES - HTTP://FORUMS.EVOLUTIONM.NET/EVO-X-GENERAL/655162-THOSE-YOU-ACD-PUMP-FAILURES-MERGED.HTML.
NHTSA complaint #10557147 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE S-AWC (SUPER ALL-WHEEL CONTROL) LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT SAME DAY. MITSUBISHI FLASHED THE ECU AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. I RECENTLY NOTICED THE LIGHT BLINKING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED THE PART IS NOT COVERED BY DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY AND MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED BECAUSE IT OLDER THAN 3 YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY 2010; THIS MAKES IT 3 YEARS 10 MONTHS OLD AT TIME OF INCIDENT WITH LESS THAN 36K ON THE ODOMETER.
NHTSA complaint #10555737 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.