Mitsubishi Lancer Problems

You say it is a slight vibration, which makes me think it’s not serious. It could just be caused by wear. I wouldn’t be concerned about it if it were my car, after all it’s not a new car.

The best times to buy are usually the end of the financial year, or at model run-out times, that's when the specials are on. The CVT and dual-clutch autos are both still unknowns in terms of long-term reliability, but either should be ok over the five years you plan to keep the car. Any of the cars you list, and the list is a long one, would be ok. It really comes down to what you like.

You should have the recall work done; your car is unsafe and dangerous with the old airbag. Make sure they understand your concerns when you take the car in, and check it closely when you get it back.

I’m guessing they made a mistake when replacing the airbag the last time, I would hope they won’t make the same mistake again.

Unfortunately you’ve kept the Corolla too long, and have had to spend money to keep it going. Keep that in mind for the next one you buy.

You’re constrained by your $20,000 budget, but I would suggest you look at a Kia Rio, Mazda2, Mitsubishi Lancer, or Suzuki Swift. All should fall within your budget and all will give you a good run. If you were prepared to buy a used car that is one or two years old, you could consider a Toyota Corolla, or a Mazda3.

It depends on which parts you want. You should be able to get most mechanical parts from outlets like Bursons, or you could go on line where you’ll find a number of parts suppliers. For body parts you would need to go to a wrecker.

All you have is your gut feeling; you need to have something more concrete than that if you hope to make any progress with the dealer. They clearly haven’t been able to find anything wrong with it when they have checked it. I would start by checking the fuel consumption. Measure it; if it’s substantially higher than it should be (7.2 L/100 km average, 5.7 L/100 km country, 9.8 K/100 km city) then that tells you there is something wrong. Then I would find a flat section of road where you could safely measure your car’s 0-100 km acceleration time, which should be around 9.5 seconds. If it takes significantly longer than that it’s also an indicator that something is amiss. With that info you can decide for yourself if there is a problem or not, and if the numbers suggest there is you have something to show the dealer.

It sounds like the clear coat is peeling away, and that’s not unusual for cars around time. It’s a problem with the paint and the only fix is to repaint it.