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2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

26 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.69 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious18V069000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys

If the drive belt detaches, the battery will discharge and the engine will stall, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

26 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

7Crashes
0Fires
1Injuries
0Deaths

Across 26 complaints. Severity Index 0.69.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Power Train6 · 23%Engine5 · 19%Fuel/Propulsion System2 · 8%Steering2 · 8%Vehicle Speed Control2 · 8%Visibility/Wiper2 · 8%Air Bags1 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling…1 · 4%
  1. Power Train — 6 reports
  2. Engine — 5 reports
  3. Fuel/Propulsion System — 2 reports
  4. Steering — 2 reports
  5. Vehicle Speed Control — 2 reports
  6. Visibility/Wiper — 2 reports
  7. Air Bags — 1 reports
  8. Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Catalytic Convertor — 1 reports
  9. Electrical System — 1 reports
  10. Unknown Or Other — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2002 (4) · 2003 (6) · 2004 (7) · 2005 (6) · 2006 (7) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (5) · 2009 (8) · 2010 (6) · 2011 (3) · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 (1) · 2016 (2) · 2017

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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