It’s common to say that a car is ‘on fire,’ or that it’s ‘red hot.’ Most of the time, the speaker doesn’t mean that literally. If they’re talking about the 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer, however, they’re not exaggerating.

While the Lancer was an amazing car that was sure to turn heads for its good looks, it tended to turn potential owners away as reports of it going up in flames began to leak out. Car Complaints has all the hot details regarding the Lancer’s ability to self combust and the irate owners who were stuck with a hefty price tag.

This Lancer is on fire . . . literally

The 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer was a four-door sedan with the heart of a sports car. That’s why so many teenagers fell in love with it. As the parents were soon to learn, however, there was one major reason to avoid the 2011 Lancer.

Car Complaints reports that one owner felt especially dissatisfied with his purchase. The owner of the Lancer reported, “This is the 2nd time this has happened. My son no longer feels safe in this car as these fires are electrical. Already sent pictures and fire department report to them and have waited more than the 10 days they said to hear back from them. I am really pissed at how they treat their customers. How would you feel to wake up in the middle of the night to see your car on fire and it started all by itself? Now how do I trade it in???”

While there was only one complaint reported to Car Complaints, there are plenty of other sources out there that have documented this rather frightening incident. The Car Connection and Edmunds reported that the 2014 and 2015 Mitsubishi Lancers were recalled due to fuel leaks that could cause a fire.

It was one of those problems that couldn’t be swept under the rug like automakers tend to do when they can. And as problematic as your vehicle catching on fire was, getting the repair bill was even worse.

There’s nothing affordable about this Mitsubishi Lancer fix

Repair bills typically aren’t cheap. That’s why most people wait before taking their vehicle to a mechanic until it’s so bad the problem can’t be ignored. That’s something that can’t be avoided when your Mitsubishi Lancer is going up in flames, however.

For the owner who’s son caught on fire, the repair bill was an astonishing $3,800. So not only was he stuck with a vehicle he couldn’t trade in or sell, he had to shell out almost $4,000 to get it repaired. 

The mileage reported for the 2011 Lancer catching on fire was 9,950 miles. CarComplaints rated the severity rate as a 10 out of 10. Unsurprisingly, this was rated the worst problem that a Mitsubishi Lancer has had reported on the site.

No one wants a car that goes up in flames

In a move that caught no one by surprise, the Mitsubishi Lancer was discontinued. 2017 was the last year the Lancer was sold, and it didn’t exactly go out with a bang. Critics were quick to lash out, and no one was impressed with the 2017 model. 

It now appears that the Lancer was only the first Mitsubishi to pack its bags. Things aren’t looking good for Mitsubishi, and there are rumors that the Japanese automaker might be done in North America. There have been no definitive plans to pull out, but the fact that Mitsubishi is scaling back can’t be ignored.

There is hope for Lancer lovers, however. If the potential for fire doesn’t bother you and you’re determined to own a Mitsubishi Lancer, it’s possible to have one imported. It might be a long, drawn-out process, but it is one of the few ways left to get a Lancer in America.