Ok, so I've been a member of the forums for a few months now. Joined so I could do some homework on the new lancer. I have since test drove 7 cars and have decided that the new lancer beats them all. I have settled on getting the '09 Lancer GTS (yes with the 2.4 liter engine) in a manual transmission. Since I have been lurking the forums, I have noticed that there are some issues with the new lancer. I know this and accept this, so please don't rant here. I will list the problems I have come across and then ask a couple of questions.

Known problems: 1. Paint seems to chip very easily; 2. Trunk may be hard to close, and in using extra force it rubs the rear bumper.; 3. The relays with the CVT tranny go bad; 4. Sometimes the trunk leaks

I think those are all of the ones I found on here. Feel free to add to this list and keep me aware. Now for the question.

Does anyone know if these issues have been addressed for the '09 model year? The issue I'm worried most about is the paint. If it hasn't been addressed, what suggestions could you give for making the paint last a little longer, especially from road debris?
The trunk issues don't bother me so much, and if it leaks, I'll just fix it myself. I shouldn't have the tranny issue since I plan on getting the manual anyway.


Any and all help is appreciated, and as I said before, please don't rant about an issue in this thread, I'm here for info. Thanks. :)

Im kinda new at all this and im currently on a tour in Iraq. I was wanting to buy a 08-09 Lancer Gts when i get back. If anyone could give me some advise on how this car is, its ups and downs, etc. I would really appreciate it.

I will tell you this from a fellow military member you do get a military rebate.

For me the ride is very comfortable and personally the nav and technology package are the best. The car has plenty of get up and go, but with the cvt transmission(automatic) I feel restricted, but on the other hand this is the smoothest automatic transmission I have ever driven(Hints the cvt). I catch myself speeding more times that anything because its hard to notice when the car is shifting.

Personally if you want more bang for your buck, most dealers are bringing in all our of their 2009 lancer and are deeply discounting their 2008.

What made me really impressed with the mitsubishi was there warranty, yes their warranty. Compared to everyone else out there these have the best coverages. There's a reason the mitsubishi logo says "the best backed cars in the world". Really IMO if company gives out tht much warranty, it must mean they trust their product to be reliable.

On the down side most are waiting for more aftermarket parts to come avaliable.

Just my 2 cents....

Be safe and take care.....I may be heading over in the desert sometime next spring.

I actually spent a chunk of the money i had saved up from Iraq to buy my lancer when i got back. I love it, personally. I haven't had any problems with it and I've had it close to 6 months now. I have the 5 speed GTS with the sun and sound package and it's great. I tried the CVT, but I wasn't a fan of it. The 5 speed is more fun. I didn't go with the nav package because it adds about 2k onto the price for something I would rarely use. It's a pretty unique car. You wont see a ton of them on the road, unlike some other cars, like the mazda 3's and 6's. I like the unique feeling. All in all it's a really fun car to drive, and I think it's well worth the money I spent on it.

Hope that helps. Keep your head down and come back safe. I should be back there somewhere next winter..

I wanted the 5 spd, but the wifey put her foot down so I came out with the cvt.

Anyways resetajs is not lying, after I bought mine I have yet to see another 08 lancer on the road. thats one reason I bought mine, everyone and their mothers drive hondas and mazdas, i like being the different one. :grin:

I take it both of you are army?

Add one more army guy ;)
I havent had problems with mine and hope i dont. But all these horror stories do make me think twice about keeping the car. I don't think any other compact car comes close to Lancer in looks, ride feel and aggressive styling in and out.

ive taken sharper turns in my lancer at speeds over the limit and no sliding or anything, my bros honda civic... eww goes the same and less turn and slides.

i have only seen a few other lancers and thats the ones at the dealership i love the car, and i like being the only person in almost all of my county who has this car. i think i got the 100,000 mile warranty or 10 yr warranty and i doubt ill have the car that long but i hope they can keep their value.

not an army guy, not my thing

get the 09 and youll prob have to wait longer for aftermarket parts, get the 08 for less and upgrade with a few aftermarket parts available and be where the 09 is or better.

Or if you have alot of money wait for ralliart or get the evo x (badass)

09 and 08 would have the same aftermarket parts. Only engine internals are different

nvmd then lol

Welcome to the forum! :00000732:

I think that you'll be happy with the 09's with the extra grunt.

As you read the forum, you will no doubt find a bunch of horror stories about the paint...my biggest complaint.

I planned on getting the Honda Civic 4 door SI. I love that car (I STILL think about it to this day & wonder if I made a mistake getting the Mitsu over it ) There are so many Honda's on the road, you see yourself coming & going nonstop! Plus the Si's require premium fuel. Not with these gas prices!
But you know exactly what your getting with a Honda :)

Next I went to Mazda to check out the 3. Great little car, but the dealership really turned me off....like Honda.

I never thought about a Mitsu once before I stumbled upon a local dealership. Once you see all the techno goodies that this car offers & the unique styling, you'll be hooked as well. I only see a couple other GTS's around (rarely) & maybe a total of 4 of the other versions, but that is it. Maybe the car is a great kept secret....maybe people have been turned off by Mitsu's past. . . .don't know.
Try out the competition & then try out the Mitsu & I think that you'll be happy.

By the way, thank you for serving this great country! :beer: :57:

i spent all day driving other cars including the WRX and I am steadfast on the GTS.

Since no one else has replied, I guess I will be the 1st.


I think the only reason the paint has chipped on mine is because of all the raod construction that I go through on a daily basis, that plus the fact that I got it when it was snowing out. The salt trucks & all of the other vehicles kicking up the salt is just part of the game.

The GTS's don't have front factory mud flaps available, only the rears. There was someone on here that knows of a site that is coming out with new mud flaps for our cars & the fronts as well. If you can find that post or the flaps....GET THEM! Right in back of the drivers & pass. rear doors is where it is getting little chips all over, so getting the mud flaps "should" help that matter out.
Perhaps a bra for the front end? Not the full size ones....the type that just covers the front lip of the hood & goes up it like 8"?
Other people have talked about getting the clear bra....but that should cost alot of $$$.

I haven't had any issues with the relays & I have the CVT. I actually prefer it to a manual. Plus wasn't the manual ones rev'n at higher rpms on the highway? I thought somewhere on here people were saying that? Maybe the CVT would be better on fuel....if that is any concern.

My trunk has never leaked. But I noticed when I opened it today that it sounded like there was water inside there somewhere in the trunk lid....weird.
Supposedly there are some sort of adjustments that can be made so it doesn't rub. Taking mine in for that soon. But I never have to slam my trunk. It closes pretty easy.

Any issues with the 08's are more than likely going through a constant quality update. Where as they probably have been fixing little things here & there all along, but they just won't tell people that they are if that makes any sense.

Hope this helps......

I have an 08 GTS and it has been a great car. My dealership has also been awesome as well.

As for the issues you brought up, my paint has held up really well despite being in Canada with the lousy weather. I have no stone chips on any part of my car and I've looked over every inch of it.

The trunk isn't hard to close. But yours may need to be realigned by the dealer if it is rubbing which is free of charge so don't let this affect your decision. Mine is going in for this on Monday.

The relays are also a fix that can be done by the dealer and they are an issue on the manual as well as the CVT. I know that my home dealership is swapping the old relays for the better insulated ones before the cars are even delivered to the customer now so that should be another non-issue for you. My relays are also being replaced free of charge on Monday just as a precaution.

As for the trunk leaking I have no such issue with that.

You may also read about the pulling to the left issue but mine drives straight no problem.

The Lancer is a great car and I would recommend it and Mitsubishi to anyone who is looking to buy a car. I'm an automotive analyst and my car is a fan favorite among some very serious die hard car people that know more about the automotive industry then just about anyone.

The 2009 Lancer continues to be one of the best bang for the buck vehicles available that is extremely enjoyable to drive and the new engine makes a stock 09 GTS even better then the 08 GTS.

I hope this helped.

I read about the pulling problem, but that seemed to be isolate to people who lower their new lancers. And if I had to guess, it was probably done by people who don't know everything they are doing when it comes to such things.

Thanks for the input guys. I also realize that using a small area like the forums for research is generally taken with a grain of salt. When doing this homework, so to speak, you really need to look at how many cars are sold and how many people are on the forums AND getting problems. It really turns out to be a small percentage.

So, right now I'm just waiting to test drive a '09 GTS manual, they don't have any right now at my local dealerships. I drove the CVT and liked it, but I'm pretty sure I will like the manual more.

The pulling problem with the tires shouldn't be a factor anymore. My dealership told me that the tires affected supposedly have been taken care of & that it was only a "small" lot of tires that were affected.
I had that problem & my car is all stock....except for the baby seats :laughing:
Minus 5HP for each baby seat :P As if my car can spare any.......

Hope they get the manual in for you soon so you can try it out.

I only have 3000+ miles on mine so far and I don't have any of the problems stated so far on this thread. But the following I don't like:

-- wind noise at doors
-- trunk liner too cheap
-- rough ride
-- road noise

I guess the last two is a compromise for the sports suspension and 18" wheel tires :P

Best styling car of 2008 ...IMO :grin:

That can be eliminated by having dynamat installed in your car. After i had mine installed, the car runs smooth and quiet so I would invest in it.

shadz78:

I haven't had my black '09 Lancer GTS (5-spd MT) that long, but I can comment on a few of your points:

1) Paint chipping - can't comment yet, haven't had it long enough
2) Trunk hard to close/leaking - Nope, very easy and smooth, doesn't rub the bumper at all, and it is dry as can be after rain
3) Tracking to the left - Nope, tracks straight with no wandering either way
4) CVT relay - Can't comment, have the 5-spd manual transmission

Now for the subjective comments: I think it's worth the wait for the '09 MT you want. My local dealer had some leftover '08 GTS models and a couple '09 GTS models, mostly CVT but a few MT. I drove an '08 GTS MT, an '09 GTS CVT and lastly a '09 GTS MT. I came away knowing without a doubt, the '09 GTS with MT was the one I wanted. I didn't like the CVT at all (sorry, no offense intended to CVT owners). My in-laws have an '08 Outlander with the 2.4L CVT and it drives nice, the Lancer GTS just didn't feel right with the CVT, but that could be my imagination. The manual transmission GTS models were very similar, but the '09 GTS with the 2.4L seemed smoother, quieter/less "buzzy", and was noticeably more powerful in acceleration right from 1500 RPM up. All else was equal, aside from a little fancier panel gauges. Despite the dealer offering to knock off another $1,000 for the '08 GTS, I decided to forego the discount and buy the '09 GTS. So far, I'm very happy with my decision. I don't know what the real world MPG on the 2.0L GTS is, but my 2.4L GTS is getting 26-29 MPG in-town and 31+ on the highway easily for me. I traded in a 2000 Jeep Cherokee 4.0L so I've doubled my MPG and I'm happy! So far, I love the '09 GTS. :thumbsup:

Hey everyone glad to join this forum. I test drove the 08 lancer a while back and I thought it was really fun to drive. I'm sure the 2009 will be even more enjoyable with its new horsepower. I have a few questions to ask of you all.

Firstly, I come from a hatchback which has very good rear visibility and good trunk space. Do you think the lancer has adequate space for lets say hauling around guitars?

Question 2: Does the spoiler hurt your visibility as much as i expect it to? Are there any other blind spots that kill this thing's visibility?

Any other general complaints. Considering this is a FWD is there a lot of oversteer and body roll?

I hear a lot of things about wind noise in this vehicle. Granted my car suffers from this problem so it's not a big deal, but would you say it screams at highway speeds?

Thanks for all your help guys!

1) trunk space is ok for the size of the car
2) anything in your direct sight of view will hurt the visibility. so yeas, spoiler will hurt your visibility, but is it enough to be concerned about? probably not
3) oversteer??? Oversteer does NOT occur in FWD cars.. it occurs in RWD.
body roll is non existing unless you are making a 25mph turn at 95, which i wouldn't recommend in the first place. Even ES/DE models are equipped with good suspension, and if youget GTS its even tighter and provide excellent turning
4) wind noise is there, but not as bad as some people make it out to be.