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2016 Mitsubishi Lancer

Gas

Compact Cars
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

87 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints1 crash · 2 injured reported 30

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 30 mpg

2017 2016

The 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Lancer, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 30 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

2016 Mitsubishi Lancer

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Lancer	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	27	34	30	$2,250
Lancer	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	24	33	28	$2,400
Lancer	Gas	FWD	2.4L 4-cyl	24	31	26	$2,600
Lancer 4WD	Gas	AWD	2.4L 4-cyl	23	30	26	$2,600
Lancer	Gas	FWD	2.4L 4-cyl	22	30	25	$2,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 37100, 37099, 37102, 37145, 37101.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Lancer	5–7 / 10	LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 / Bin 5	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
Lancer, Lancer 4WD	5 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II LEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Displacement

2 L

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Transmission

Drivetrain

4x2

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim. Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	181.9–182.7 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	69.3 in
Height	58.3–59.4 in
Wheelbase	103.9 in
Track, front	60.2 in
Track, rear	59.8–60.2 in
Curb weight	2,888–3,142 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	59/41 to 61/39

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 3 configurations: 4-door Sedan AWD Se-Awd/Gt-Awd, 4-door Sedan FWD De/Se/Gt, Sportback 4-door Hatch Se/Gt FWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Electrical System

SR-17-005

132,552 vehicles 71% reported repaired built Dec 5, 2014 – Mar 3, 2016

Problem Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Outlander, 2015-2016 Lancer and Outlander Sport, and 2015 Lancer Evolution vehicles. These vehicles may have defective relays that can result in an engine stall, reduced engine power or the engine overheating. Risk If the engine stalls, there is an increased the risk of a crash. Fix MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected relays, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-17-005.

NHTSA campaign 17V609000 reported Sep 29, 2017 Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

●moderate

Power Train

SR-16-006

82,436 vehicles 84% reported repaired built Oct 12, 2015 – Apr 27, 2016

Problem Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles and 2016 Outlander and Lancer vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a constant velocity transmission (CVT) that, in certain driving conditions, may cause a delay in the vehicle accelerating. Risk A hesitation during acceleration can increase the risk of a crash. Fix MMNA has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the CVT control unit with modified software, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2016. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-006.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 16V563000 reported Jul 28, 2016 Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module — Electrical overstress closed

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with ma

Opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · action EA19001 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Lancer

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Mitsubishi publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Mitsubishi’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

30complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2017: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Power Train 21

Electrical System 4

Vehicle Speed Control 4

Unspecified 3

Engine 3

Structure 2

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The car is bucking hi low hi low and then the service transmission light is coming on. We brought the car in a couple of weeks ago and I thought this was suppose to he fixed. It is alot worse now

Power Train Feb 21, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11644175

2016 SE 2.4L AWC. Purchased car in February 2022 at 66k miles. In December of 2022 at 78k miles, car lost majority power while traveling at 40 MPH, threw 'Tranmission Servie Required' warning light. Drove 3 blocks home, parked for 2 hours. Turned car on and drove normally without lights.

Engine May 28, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11524258

The contact owns a 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated while driving down his driveway at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal popping sound coming from underneath the front end of the vehicle. The contact engaged the parking brake. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and raised up on a lift.

Structure at 57,130 miles Sep 12, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11483994

The contact owns a 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 50 MPH, the RPM increased from 2,000 to 5,000. Additionally, speedometer became inoperable, he brake was not working as designed, and the Service Transmission message was displayed.

Electrical System at 60,000 miles Aug 31, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11482208

When I try to accelerate, the car starts out really slow. There is a lot of jerking and acceleration issues. When I try to accelerate, it acts like it is shifted to l, but then it speeds up. This is a constant issue

Vehicle Speed Control Mar 24, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11404737

Accident that resulted in the car being declared total loss. The car was hit in the upper front and side area of drivers side. During the accident the air bags did not deploy. Resulted in injuries, of course. The car was making left handed turn from residential area onto a busy main street.

Air Bags Jan 16, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11299752

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Mitsubishi itself: 3 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 4 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every Lancer model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 67k

miles, typically

Half the 12 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 40,000 and 83,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 12 on file: 2 under 10k, 1 30k–40k, 1 40k–50k, 1 50k–60k, 3 60k–70k, 1 80k–90k, 2 90k–100k, 1 100k–150k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR AWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	12%
4 DR FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	12%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 97

Most recentmanufacturer date 2025-11-21

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 96 service bulletins, 1 other

Most often about: Equipment, Power Train, Engine, Electrical System, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility.

TECH TALK 289 Other
2025-11-21 · Electrical System
Tech Talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers. It covers various topics and reviews the previous months publications.
TSB-24-23-004 Service bulletin
2024-06-03 · Power Train
Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin provides corrections to the description of special tools used to install the oil seal within the Automatic Transaxle sections of the applicable Service Manuals.
TSB-20-23-001RV4 Service bulletin
2024-03-25 · Power Train
Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin instructs dealers to diagnose and test drive vehicles exhibiting a shudder or surge condition possibly caused by poor reaction of the hydraulic pressure circuit.
TSB-20-23-001REV Service bulletin
2024-03-04 · Power Train
Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin instructs dealers to diagnose and test drive vehicles exhibiting a shudder or surge condition possibly caused by poor reaction of the hydraulic pressure circuit.
TSB-24-23-001 Service bulletin
2024-02-14 · Power Train
Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin provides the procedure for diagnostic trouble code and on-vehicle service for belt & pulley assembly on certain CVT models.
10240443 Service bulletin
2023-07-21 · Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
TSB-23-00-004 Service bulletin
2023-04-24 · Structure
This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of rap-film adhesive residue.
TSB-23-00-001 Service bulletin
2023-04-24 · Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load carrying capacity be affixed to vehicles when the total net weight of accessories is more than 1.5 percent of the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or 100 lbs.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P084A	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	3 owner reports
U0141 U0141 on Mitsubishi →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment Adaptive/Mobility	3 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 3.9%

failed emissions

285 initial inspections of 275 vehicles.

Measure	The 2016 Lancer	Every 2016 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	3.9%	4.2%	284
Failed the safety inspection	3.9%	2.2%	285
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.70%	0.27%	285
Miles driven a year	10,682	10,028	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	109,780	103,109	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Lancer by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2017 A 0 6 30 mpg 2016 this page B 2 30 30 mpg

Common questions about the 2016 Lancer

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer. The most serious on file is 17V609000, covering Electrical System. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

NHTSA gave the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 4-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (87/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

Across the 5 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer, the best EPA combined figure is 30 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

Transport Canada measured it at 181.9–182.7 in long, 69.3 in wide (body, without mirrors), 58.3–59.4 in tall, on a 103.9 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 2,888–3,142 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer, most often about power train, electrical system, vehicle speed control. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 2 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer runs 5 to 7 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 5, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70, LEV-II LEV, LEV-III ULEV70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

The manufacturer has filed 97 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer, most often covering equipment, power train, engine. The most recent is dated 2025-11-21. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer failed the emissions check on 3.9% of first inspections — close to the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 3.9% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	5 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	5 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	30	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	97	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	6 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API

2016 Mitsubishi Lancer

Specs & fuel economy

Emissions & certification

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Dimensions Exterior

Engine Basics

Fuel Economy

Transmission

Dimensions & weight

Factory warranty running out?

Recalls (2)

Electrical System

Power Train

NHTSA defect investigations

Whether any of this applies to one specific Lancer

Hear about a recall before the letter does

Parts & accessories for the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer

Owner complaints

Most-cited components

In owners' own words

When owners reported it

miles, typically

Crash ratings

Service bulletins & campaigns

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

At the New York inspection station

failed emissions

Lancer by model year

Common questions about the 2016 Lancer

Does the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer have any recalls?

How safe is the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

How clean is the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer?

How does the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer do at state inspection?

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Where to go next

Sources & method