2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Pricing and Specs

It could be that the gearbox linkages are poorly adjusted, meaning that the gearbox is not fully selecting fifth gear, allowing it to jump into neutral. But it could also be that the selectors themselves are worn or that there’s internal wear inside the transmission that is allowing the gearbox to leap from fifth to neutral all on its own. Either way, it’s a problem that could lead to a range of potentially dangerous situations, so it needs further investigation.

It’s probably worth mentioning that a batch of five-speed manual Lancers made between May and June 2014 were recalled to fix a problem with the gear selectors which could see them suffer gear-selection problems with reverse and fifth gear. Your car, as a 2011 model, shouldn’t be affected by that, but it does seem a bit of a coincidence.

I’ve certainly heard of metallic paint on Mitsubishi Lancers peeling from the clear coat before, but it’s hardly a Mitsubishi-specific problem. Many car-makers had trouble (and some of them still struggle) to get clear-over-base paint finishes to work with Australian levels of UV radiation. Strangely enough, Australian car-makers have been some of the worst offenders over the years. The problem is that once the top, clear coat has begun to discolour and peel, the lower, colour cat is usually compromised beyond salvation as well. Repainting either the entire car or the horizontal surfaces (which cop the most UV grief) is the only real long-term solution.

I’d be very surprised if any car-maker came to the rescue with a paint-finish warranty claim after a decade, but it certainly can’t hurt to ask Mitsubishi Australia’s customer service department at head office. In any case, getting any sort of help with this will depend on how the vehicle has been maintained, where it’s been parked and whether any aftermarket paint treatments were ever applied. Largely, however, this type of paint degradation is regarded as normal wear and tear.

Don’t buy a Focus, they are plagued with automatic transmission troubles, don’t buy a Holden Cruze either, as they also have problems with their automatic transmission. The Lancer is fine; you could also look at a Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla.