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Having a seven-passenger SUV, such as the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander allows families to travel in style. In fact, the new models are praised as being a “feature-filled family SUV,” but no amount of features make up for poor manufacturing. This vehicle struggles with defective air bags, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes and an engine, causing more problems than most owners want to deal with.
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Engine | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Air Bags | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Electronic Stability Control | |
| Structure:body |
Problems with the Air Bags
Manufacturers, in general, have dealt with countless air bag issues, and Mitsubishi is no exception.
Look at this NHTSA complaint. “Takata recall. I was involved in a front end collision and the air bags did not deploy.”
While there aren’t any active recalls or manufacturer communications regarding the air bag troubles, consumers agree that there are problems. Yet, the automaker does nothing but turn its head away and act like nothing is happening. In the meantime, occupants are put in danger of injury or even death. But hey, this model has some of the best features for your family.
Problems with the Electronic Stability Control
To maintain proper traction and enjoy a smooth ride, the Outlander relies on electronic stability control, but this system also remains defective according to current owners.
Another NHTSA report states, “The contact owned a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failure as listed in NHTSA Campaign Number 18V621000 (Forward Collision Avoidance, Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical System). While driving 28 mph, the vehicle crashed into a tree. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was totaled and towed from the scene. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries, but did not receive medical attention. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000.”
The recall that this owner referenced talks about how some of the safety systems become disabled even if they should be in use. This malfunction leads to an increased chance of accidents and affects almost 60,000 vehicles. Because of this defect, the system cannot intervene in time to prevent an accident, as was the case for the above driver. Now, Mitsubishi is admitting trouble with some of their praise-worthy features, so what does this vehicle have left?
Problems with the Brakes
In addition, the brakes are another safety feature that must work correctly to protect busy families on the road. It should come as no surprise that this system fails as well.
One NHTSA user states, “First of all, when the vehicle was about 6 months of use, the rear brake started to sound. When I took my vehicle to the Mitsubishi service department and the rear brake pads were worn out with only 12,000 miles. They claim that is my driving habits was what caused the premature wear of the brake pad. I told them that my last car, I changed rear brake pads at 60,000 miles with the same driving habits they alleged. At the end, I pay for the pads and the warranty pay for the disk repair and installation. Second, I had an experience in a sudden stop that the ABS system did not respond properly and my car slid through the pavement until stop. Fortunately, I had enough space to stop without causing an accident. I haven’t had any other incidents and I can’t tell if the problem persists. Third, recently I take my vehicle to another Mitsubishi service department because of a noise on the rear brakes. The technician indicated that the brake pads are worn out and the caliper rubber protector is broken. My vehicle only have one year of use and 25,000 miles. My big concern is with the ABS system that did not respond properly and I don’t have the technical knowledge to determine if the ABS problem have something to do with premature worn out of the rear brake pads.”
It seems that this owner spends more time worrying about the braking system than actually enjoying the drive. Of course, there is another recall worth noting at this point. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V620000 states that there could be prolonged braking by the Collision Avoidance System, which means the opposite of what the above driver experienced. The trouble stems from a defect in the FCM-ECU software. The rapid deceleration of the vehicle can also lead to a rear-end accident. By now, it’s clear that this Mitsubishi SUV is only concerned with looking good, but not all with families’ safety. Between the noisy brakes, excessive braking and inability to rely on safety systems, the ride is more like an amusement park roller coaster that’s out of control.
Problems with the Headlights
Looking at the exterior lighting setup, we see further concerns that should cause alarm.
Another NHTSA review states, “Head lights burned out 3 times in less than one year. Headlights have a life expectancy of more than 1 year. Not sure if static build up and shock is related, but that is ongoing too.”
The Outlander doesn’t seem interested in lighting up the path ahead, which is just one more reason this vehicle is a death trap. At this point, it’s evident that Mitsubishi should stop claiming that this is a family SUV, as there has been no focus on protecting any family member. While this SUV might not carry an expensive price tag, owners have to shell out plenty of cash for replacement parts, such as lights and brakes. By the time all is said and done, they could have bought a premium SUV instead.
Problems with the Engine
Finally, it’s time to look at the engine, which must be powerful enough to carry around seven occupants but can’t be trusted.
This NHTSA complaint says, “When reversing the vehicle, if you switch it into Drive to fast, the vehicle completely stalls out, requiring you to put the vehicle in Park, shut it off, restart the vehicle, then go. This is completely dangerous. It is an accident waiting to happen and should not be happening on a brand new vehicle. This has been happening ever since I bought it brand new with less than 50 miles on it. This has happened to me pulling out of a parking space at the local grocery store, to backing out of my driveway to take the kids to school.”
Mitsubishi isn’t ashamed of engine troubles, and has discussed several conditions through Service Bulletin #TSB-19-13-003. This communication was sent to dealers and informed them how some motors will throw the Check Engine light in failsafe mode, or struggle to restart after driving a short distance in cold weather. So, this SUV isn’t good for keeping people safe and now it can’t even operate correctly if the temperatures get too low.
Your Lemon Law Legal Rights
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Complaint Data
| Category | Exterior Lighting:headlights |
| Date | Feb 16, 2023 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side headlight failed to operate. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the headlight was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The contact then stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side headlight failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the headlight needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 06, 2023 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Throttle/pedal position sensor switch voltage correlation circuit high input… it has been replaced once at beginning of january and within a week the same issue occurred. The part came from the dealership and pep boys replaced it. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Jan 24, 2023 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The rear liftgate on this vehicle does not stop if there is an obstruction, I. E., a hand, a head or other body part. Not only does it not stop in case of obstruction, there is no audible sound made to indicate the door is in motion. I was hit in the head hard this morning - hard enough to cause stars and get a nice golf-ball sized bump on my skull. This is dangerous and should be remedied. This is not the first time this has happened. In the parking lot where this occurred, a man saw the entire episode unfold, yelled out to try and stop it from happening, but I didn't realize he was yelling for me. After the incident he advised me the same thing has happened to him. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 18, 2023 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Vehicle has a permanent engine code poo11 vvt intake |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Dec 14, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | I was in a head on collision on 12/13/2022, and the air bag failed to deploy. The failure of the air bag deployment cause my chest to slam into the steering wheel along with my knees on the steering column. I went to the hospital for observation and any unknown injuries. My chest hurts and knees along with consistent visions of my life flashing in my mind due to the trauma of this incident. The police, nurses, family, and friends said that I'm lucky to not have serious injuries from the failure of the air bag deployment. I have pictures, police report, and other supporting documents. My 2018 outlander air bag deployment failure is a serious issue, and it needs to be looked into due to safety, lives, and failure from the air bag. Police report number is on drivers involved. All other vehicles involved air bags deployed, but my outlander's air bag failed to deploy. Dangerous to myself or other air bag failures. The manufacturer of the vehicle need's notified with a full investigation into this matter. |
| Category | Electrical System, Power Train |
| Date | Sep 19, 2022 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | Issue #1 transmission light turns on and car starts feeling forced. My car is available for inspection upon request. Transmission issue almost caused the vehicles behind me bump into my vehicle, on a 75 mile highway going uphill. My vehicle was at normal speed then suddenly transmission light comes on then car felt forced and immediately dropped speed. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. Warning lamps of the problem came on a few minutes prior failure. Issue #2 vehicle dies frequently and has turned off while driving, it has been inspected 2 times already for same issue. Only getting the battery replaced, but issue continues. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, the issue began approximately the beginning of 2019. |
| Category | Electrical System, Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Aug 17, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | On 07/01/2022 low beam & high beams went out at the same time. Driving without headlights at night when they went out. Could have hit anything not knowing I didn't have any lights. Someone yelled at me from another vehicle to let me know my lights wasn't on keep turning lights on nothing. Made appt. With york mitsubishi they seen me on 07/19/2022 they said the etacs need to be replace control unit, time & al8637 power to fuse block no power to fuse @14. 15 to light plugs, etacs wont ground -> will not power relay -> to power fuses -> to power bulbs. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 04, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up right away. After waiting for a while, the vehicle started as needed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several warning lights were flickering while starting the vehicle. The contact called and notified the local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to nhtsa campaign number: 17v609000 (electrical system) however, the vin was not included. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Mar 02, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | I believe they said it was the cam broke a part . I was driving on a 4 lane highway going 70 my car made a horrible noise and then my car it just shut down I was in the middle lane and thank god I was not hurt or hit by the semis going around me . Then tried to order this part and cannot get it it's on backorder and they have no idea when it would be available and so they checked the motor and I now have to replace the motor because of this breaking this was definitely a safety issue with my car just shutting down while driving it. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Oct 23, 2021 |
| State | MI |
| Description | I was driving when a woman pulled out in front of me. I was going 49 mph and have the edr report to prove so. (I was wearing my seatbelt). The front of my car smashed into the rear end of her car and I smashed the right side of my head into the steering wheel. I've sustained a traumatic brain injury, long term post concussion syndrome along with a page long list of injuries that I'm still dealing with. It's been a little over a year and my injuries are just getting worse. Mitsubishi sent a guy out to read my event data recorder with promises of giving me a copy of the report. After 6-7 months of them refusing me the report and telling me the air bags should not have went off I hires a lawyer to subpoena a copy of the report. It says the safety features failed. But here I am left with a car that's totaled and injuries I will never recover from. I also did research and found out that my car was made in the same plant on the same line as the other 68,000 recalled 2018 outlanders. I can't understand why mine wasn't part of the recall?!?! It was made in between the dates as the other 68,000 that was recalled. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel System, Gasoline |
| Date | Aug 13, 2021 |
| State | IL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that there was a code for leak in the fuel tank however, the mechanic was unable to determine the location of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred four times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 23, 2021 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that the lower engine heat shield had cracked at the bolt inserts causing the shield to become unsecure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the heat shield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 28,000. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Air:antilock:abs Warning Light |
| Date | Jul 22, 2021 |
| State | MO |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander sport. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the mechanic to have the wheel bearing and front hub replaced, the mechanic found out that the front passenger's side abs wheel speed sensor fractured inside the assembly housing. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,000. |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Apr 20, 2021 |
| State | WI |
| Description | Cruse control shuts off saying acc not available during road trips. This is on highways. It happened 5 times during road trip from milwaukee, wisconsin to wausau wisconsin while in motion.. This happens every time I use the cruse control. It happened on the way to wausau and on the way home round trip apx 600 miles this trip |
| Category | Electrical System, Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection |
| Date | Apr 13, 2021 |
| State | WV |
| Description | Vehicle has had ev system service required, bsw service required, and asc service required warning lights come on every few days since september. When these come on multiple safety features of the vehicle are immediately disabled. The dealer has been unable to fix the issue after five visits including one where they had the vehicle for 65 days. Per the manu: ev system service required: "one or more failure is occurring in the plug-in hybrid ev system. Have your vehicle inspected by a certified mitsubishi ev dealer" asc system service required "there is a fault in the active stability control. Contact a certified mitsubishi ev dealer to have the system checked" bsw service required "the blind spot warning (bsw) does not operate normally because there there are some malfunctions in the sensor or the system. Immediately have your vehicle inspected at a certified mitsubishi ev dealer" when the warning display appears the bsw will be deactivated. |
| Category | Wheels |
| Date | Mar 03, 2021 |
| State | MS |
| Description | I'm having trouble with my 4wd light is stuck blinking since the past winter weather also it will not reset itself from showing the wheel image on my odometer screen. Please help me understand what's going on. |
| Category | Air Bags, Structure:body |
| Date | Dec 16, 2020 |
| State | KS |
| Description | The vehicle was traveling at approximately 63 mph on a rural blacktop, when a white tail deer ran into the side of the vehicle where the drivers side front and rear door meet. The collision caused both door windows to shatter, and the doors are dented so bad they cannot be opened. The side airbags on the vehicle did not deploy even after taking a direct hit from the deer. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Dec 13, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | While driving in a parking lot and slowed down because of a bump the car immediately died as soon as I passed the bump with no engine light errors. The battery was car jump and nothing happened. The battery was tested with voltage meter and same issue. When you turn on the car nothing happens, no sound, no cranks, no engine light. I had the car towed at home. This is a safety issue and very concerning. The car is 2018 outlander es and have 34k miles. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 24, 2020 |
| State | NV |
| Description | The sunroof glass exploded out of our car while we were driving on the freeway in idaho. The sunroof was closed because it had been raining and it was cold. Mitsubishi had a similar problem with sunroof glass detaching in outlanders from 2007-2010. When we contacted mitsubishi they informed us that the glass flying out of our sunroof was not a safety problem or a manufacturer's defect even though it was ruled as such in previous years. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Service Brakes |
| Date | Oct 17, 2020 |
| State | ME |
| Description | Within 10,000 miles of owning my new car I noticed it would randomly stall sometimes at the stop light of an intersection. It doesn't take long to start back up. Other times my car struggles to start all together. I'll turn the key 2-3 times before it starts. Several months went by where the issue was no longer present but over the past month it started again. Likely related to the whether now that winter is near. Finally my ebrake has never worked since I bought the car in early 2019 with 21k miles. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Oct 09, 2020 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | I have replaced the lowbeam headlights 7 times in the past year. I dont realize they are out until someone or the police tell me. This is a safety problem. |
| Category | Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Oct 02, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that when attempting to shift the gear from drive into reverse with the foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into a house wall. The contact stated that there was no warning lights before or after the failure occurred. However, the contact advised that the low tire pressure light illuminated on the instrumental panel before the failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to an unknown repair facility. A police report was not filed. The contacts right hand was injured that required medical attention. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 7,000. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Sep 03, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | While driving my vehicle, the propulsion reduced warning light came on and the car went from 70 mph to 10 mph. I was driving up a grade in the late evening. I had a full tank of gas but no miles left on the electric charge indicator. After I pulled over and waited a few minutes the light went off and I was able to drive the vehicle home. I took it to the dealership the next day. The dealership was not able to find the problem and insisted I come get the car. It is not safe to drive a car if it reduces its speed/ power for no reason. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 08, 2020 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | Call volume is set for 11 and can't be heard over common road noise. This causes distracted driving as the driver attempts to turn off bluetooth or worse to transfer the call to the phone - which is illegal in most states requiring hands free calls. This is a long known problem and was supposed to be fixed in earlier models. It still isn't. Dealers can't do anything. Yet I can't crank the music up volume without issue. This typically occurs when the vehicle is in motion on either streets or highway. |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jun 30, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The vehicle slowed down to 20 mph when the outside air temperature was near 95 deg f and the road slightly uphill. A message came on the dashboard that read limited propulsion. It happened on I-15 on the way to vegas last september. I filed a complaint with bbb and the answer I got from mitsubishi was that it is designed that way. I have a copy of the mitsubishi manual stating that. I wrote letters with no action. This already happened twice. I am afraid to drive the car in hot weather. See the attached 5 detailed files for info. *tr |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Jun 04, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander. The contact called on behalf of the driver his daughter. The contact stated that while his daughter was at a complete stop, a vehicle driving at 50 mph failed to stop and crashed into the contact rear removing the vehicle rear bumper, and tail lights, the driver proceeded to spin the contact vehicle in a circle, and pushed the contact vehicle into the vehicle in front. The driver air bag, passenger front air bag, the steering air bag, the side air bags failed to deploy. The driver head hit the steering wheel, driver sustained disk, injury, head trauma, concussion, ears ringing, memory lost, neck, back injury, can not look into bright light. The passenger sustained head trauma, neck, back, knees injuries. The read oak police department was present, the vehicle was towed to a collision shop. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000. *ln*dt*jb consumer stated there was no deployment of the airbags.*jb |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | May 08, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My 2018 outlander sport se has very poor acceleration when taking off from a complete stop. After reading about a similar recall for the 2015-2016 outlander sport I feel my vehicle is experiencing the same symptoms. *tr |
| Category | Electrical System, Electronic Stability Control, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 04, 2020 |
| State | OR |
| Description | On may 1, 2020 I drove about 15 miles from my home to medford, oregon. I made one stop and upon getting back into the vehicle, I could not start or turn off the electrical component of the vehicle. The mainframe kept showing "electrical system service required" I could not lock the vehicle for safety. I could not drive the vehicle as it is its main purpose. I could not turn off the unit which most likely ran the battery down and is most likely dead. It had to be towed to the nearest dealership which cannot access recall information. They want to charge me 0 to diagnose, and cannot perform any recall work. I purchased this car to avoid getting fired from a job that I had to travel an hour each way. Three months later they laid me off. Now the car I purchased is not working. I had contacted the place I bought the car from after I purchased before this happened to get help with the recall which they assured me there was a place locally. Which there is not. The closest place is california or portland. Now that the car is not driveable, I cannot get it to the right dealership to be fixed under warranty. I don't have extra finances to manage this. I am a single parent on unemployment and I need a vehicle to be able to work. This situation is critical and I am very upset and disappointed in the lack of help and support I have received to have a working safe reliable vehicle. Situation: I drove to town. Parked in a parking lot. When I returned to the vehicle. It would not start. Brakes are locked. Stearing wheel locked. Shifter locked. Radio on. Electrical components would not shut off draining the battery. Windows can roll down, but cannot use power locks to lock the vehicle. |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Feb 25, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shift into park. The contact was able to shift the vehicle into other gears however, the vehicle failure to shift into park persisted. The contact turned the vehicle off and restarted the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,535. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 28, 2020 |
| State | MS |
| Description | The transmission has less then 100,000 miles and has gone out needs to be replaced. While driving on highway it slipped. Then in about 3 miles on filth street went out completely |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jan 28, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | The cruise control (acc) disengages on its own without any notice when traveling on the road. Other times without any prompting it flashes that the acc needs servicing. |
| Category | Electrical System, Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 06, 2019 |
| State | NY |
| Description | I picked up the car from the body shop code on dashboard ev system service required no gas or battery so went to gas station and vehicle wouldn't go into park went home called my wife and had her come outside she had to put gas in. Then drove to the dealership I had my wife get out and go get help she came out with a salesman. He saw what was going on so he called the manager and asked him what to do. He told him to take the car and give me a loaner. The only way to switch was emergency brake. Wouldn't go into park/neutral. Went inside asked manager come outside and see the car and he said that doesn't matter to me, what the f*** do I care about that it has nothing to do with me! So I went back outside the salesman drove into service give loaner. The next day the salesman told me nothing's wrong with the car pick it up. I have videos of this event happening and corporate closed my claim and told the dealership there is nothing for them to do because its fine and the video footage was not enough proof and not to drive the car. I reopened the claim, I wanted to talk to a higher up member of management, I asked corporate if I could keep the loaner until resolution and they said yes. So service said I have to have that loaner back that night I told him what the lady at corporate told me. He said no they didn't I told him to call and ask to pull the recorded call. The next morning I had a va appointment at 10am and was sitting in the waiting room and got called by service I need the car by 12pm I told him I was at a dr. Appt. An hour away ed him no way possible I can get it to him by noon ed him when I got back we can get it squared away he said nope tell me the address you're at and I'll come get it I said absolutely not I will bring it to you when I'm done with my appointment. They called the police and told them I stole the car returned loaner waiting on resolution. |
| Category | Electrical System, Electronic Stability Control, Power Train |
| Date | Dec 06, 2019 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Started up the car and started backing up out of my garage. When I put my car into reverse I saw my charging port door open on the passenger side of the car at this point my cars back end was partially sticking out of the garage I put the car into park by pushing the park button, I opened the door got out of the car and left the door open and started to walk down the driver side towards the back end of the car I got outside the garage right next to the rear driver side tail light, and the car went into reverse and drove out of the garage it took the door and bent it back to the driver side front fender and kept going almost ran me over I had to run and jump in the car and slam on the brakes. I called my insurance company and they had a tow truck pick it up the next day and bring it up to the dealership my friend picked me up and brought me to the dealership so I could tell them what happened and they told me that's not possible and to call mitsubishi corporate so I did. The dealership had my vehicle for a total of 46 days between the diagnostic test and having the body repaired which my insurance paid for and I had to pay the deductible mitsubishi would not pay to have the car fixed and blamed the entire event on me. I even went to the dealership and had the service guy get into the car and gave him a full demonstration on what had happened and he agreed that it's not possible to get out of this car if it was in reverse. I have a documented bad back and can't get out of a car all that well it takes me a min and I was at the back of the car outside the garage before the car started moving and proved on multiple occasions of this event and they still said call ghost busters after I picked up car it did it again this time I have video proof and they still won't do anything and even called the police on me because I had their loaner while they had my car see next post. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting, Structure:body, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 06, 2019 |
| State | NY |
| Description | I bought my car in march of 2019 and after my first car wash I realized there was a paint defects little divots down to the primer all over on the hood and other places on the vehicle the dealership attempted to repaint vehicle paint due to factory defect three times to a non-mitsubishi body shop and dealership did not inform mitsubishi corporate about this matter informed the dealership in may I was not going to except this car back and would like a new car because I shouldn't have to have my brand new car painted by someone after a month or two of owning the vehicle and especially three times and still nothing they said they would trade it out and they will find something comparable for me I checked in if not every day it was every other day from april/may to october and no word back very disappointed about this matter also looking over the paperwork with another mitsubishi dealership yesterday and looking at the way they did the paperwork at the dealership I bought the vehicle from charged me 20,000 dollars more for the car then what I was supposed to pay for it total amount they charged me for it was 52,299. 00 from what we understand from the paperwork and it says I put down 3816. 75 and never put anything down. The other dealership I went to told me that I'm 17,000 dollars in negative equity on the vehicle so it's going to be hard to trade it in and nobody with help me with this issue. The dealership I bought it from told me in this sale that I would have positive equity in the vehicle because of all of the rebates because it was a 18 rollover and military discounts and etc. And also the equity in the two vehicles I traded in were positive equity. On the invoices the only two they would give me say 2 hoods and body work nothing at all about paint see attached invoices & documents |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Nov 21, 2019 |
| State | MO |
| Description | Was driving at highway speeds and just topped a hill without any other vehicles around, no overpasses, no one on the side roads, etc. When the sunroof spontaneously exploded. Had been driving for about 20 minutes without any incidents before this happened. Not only did the glass blow out but the shards left hundreds of scratches to the paint on the roof bad enough to need to be repainted. When it happened the sound of the glass exploding was extremely loud. That morning was the first morning we had frost on the vehicles since we bought it new. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Nov 06, 2019 |
| State | PR |
| Description | I bought my car july 31, 2018, 0 miles vehicle mitsubishi outlander gt 2018. I have notice dangerous condition on the break system. - first of all, when the vehicle was about 6 month of use the rear break start to sound. When I take my vehicle to the mitsubishi service department and the rear break pads was worn out with only 12,000 miles. They claim that is my driving habits was what causes the premature worn of the break pad. I told them that my last car I change rear break pad at 60,000 miles with the same driving habits they alleged. At the end, I pay for the pads and the warranty pay for the disk repair and installation. - second, I had an experience in a sudden stop that the abs system did not respond properly and my car slide through the pavement until stop. Fortunately I had enough space to stop without causing an accident. I haven't had any other incident and I can't tell if the problem persist. - third, recently I take my vehicle to another mitsubishi service department because of a noise on the rear breaks. The technician indicate that the break pads are worn out and the caliper rubber protector is broken. My vehicle only have one year of use and 25,000 miles. My big concern is with the abs system that did not responded properly and I don't have the technical knowledge to determine if the abs problem have something to do with the premature worn out of the rear break pads. If you need additional information, please let me know. |
| Category | Electrical System, Seats |
| Date | Sep 16, 2019 |
| State | MA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander phev. While driving at low speeds, the front parking sensors erroneously activated and a beeping sound was heard although no objects were present in front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to corner stone mitsubishi (580 main st, wilmington, ma) where the front parking sensor was replaced, but the failure continued. Also, while driving, the front driver and passenger seats were very loose and moved when braking and accelerating. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 13,000. |
| Category | Electrical System, Electronic Stability Control, Wheels |
| Date | Jul 06, 2019 |
| State | WA |
| Description | 8 recalls on brakes. Electrical. Wheels. Collision. Stability. Emergency braking. Antilock brakes. Hydraulics. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jun 06, 2019 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The forward collision mitigation system activated braking when a motorcyclist passed between lanes on the highway. I was traveling about 45 mph in medium traffic. The motorcyclist passed on my left and brakes were applied by the car when the motorcyclist was approximately 20-25ft in front of me. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Jun 01, 2019 |
| State | OH |
| Description | When reversing the vehicle if you switch it into drive to fast the vehicle completely stalls out, requiring you to put the vehicle in park, shut it off, restart the vehicle then go. This is completely dangerous. It is an accident waiting to happen and should not be happen on a brand new vehicle. This has been happening ever since I bought it brand new with less than 50 miles on it. This has happened to me pulling out of a parking space at a local grocery store, to backing out of my driveway to take the kids to school. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | May 06, 2019 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Push button start failed. Dash message "electrical failure". Car was parked. Tried to start. Button started flashing and message appeared on dashboard. After second attempt, heard an electrical short behind the glove box area. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Vehicle Speed Control, Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Apr 24, 2019 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Put car in drive took off on it's own went up to 40 mph and stayed there shout it down and restarted ran ok rest of the day. Next morning did same thing. I did the something I did the day befor. Called service and mitsubishi usa both said bring it to the service department so I started up the road and on the interstate I put it in cruise control. There wasn't anyone in front of me and the brakes slammed on. Good thing no one was behind me . So I took it out of cruise control drove on up the road and the wipers came on it wasnt raining. Just got it back and they didn't do anything to it. Said couldn't get it to duplicate what I said it did. So guess I'm there test dummy for this car |
| Category | Air Bags, Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes |
| Date | Apr 19, 2019 |
| State | NH |
| Description | On march 11 th, my outlander was unable to stop and had minimal traction in about a quarter of an inch of snow causing my vehicle to hit a tree head on. I was driving under 30 miles an hour when the accident occurred. After hitting the tree, the steering wheel began to smoke. I was able to exit the vehicle and turned around to see the airbag only partially deployed. From there, my vehicle was declared a total loss. Now, after requesting my insurance company to demand a safety inspection from the mitsubishi dealership to no avail, I've contacted mitsubishi corporate and gave them my accident report with high concern in regards to the recall #18v621. I have offered to tow my outlander to the dealership and they have responded to my concern by refusing to evaluate and inspect this vehicle. When I last spoke to my case manager at mitsubishi corporate, she let me know there is nothing they will do. I have called the nashua nh dealership to make an appointment for safety inspection of this recall and they have refused to have the service department investigate. Today, I have been told upon towing my vehicle there that they refused delivery of the outlander. I have not agreed to the settlement offered by my insurance and continue to seek means of having this vehicle inspected for the recall which I'm certain caused my accident. Corporate did state that if I subrogate than they may be able to diagnose my defective vehicle. As of today, I'm in the process of gathering documents. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Apr 17, 2019 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Started vehicle and immediately got multiple warnings including the service engine soon light. When I tried to drive the car, it had almost no acceleration. It would not start the gas engine and the regenerative braking was disabled. The rbs and acc warnings were due to the systems being disabled because the hybrid system was non functional. It was all on electric but at a severely reduced power level. I tried to turn off and turn on the car a few times but there was no change. I decided to try to plug the car into the charger for a minute to see if that would reset it, and it seemed to help. The car operated normally but the service engine soon light stayed on. I pulled codes and got p0aa9 which points to a failure of the battery voltage isolation sensor inside the battery control module. I called the dealer and they told me not to drive the car and they towed it to the dealership (150 miles away.) they had to reflash the computer anyhow due to 2 recalls and they said that was what triggered the fault. They never did find a cause but I did notice someone else posted here that they were told "that usually doesn't happen that early." my car is 8 months old with 3500 miles on it. |
| Category | Electrical System, Electronic Stability Control, Forward Collision Avoidance, Service Brakes |
| Date | Mar 29, 2019 |
| State | NH |
| Description | Tl* the contact owned a 2018 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failure as listed in nhtsa campaign number: 18v621000 (forward collision avoidance, electronic stability control, service brakes, hydraulic, electrical system). While driving 28 mph, the vehicle crashed into a tree. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was totaled and towed from the scene. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries, but did not receive medical attention. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000. *js *js |
| Category | Seats |
| Date | Mar 28, 2019 |
| State | OH |
| Description | The drivers seat is loose and wobbles. The seat is loose and wobbles both when the vehicle is in motion and when the vehicle is stationary. I took the brand new vehicle to the dealership and they said that they were told by mitsubishi not to fix at this time. They are aware of this and are looking for a way to fix it. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Feb 07, 2019 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Head lights burned out 3 times in less than one year. Headlights have a life expectancy of more than 1 year. Not sure is static build up and shock is related, but that is ongoing too. |
| Category | Wheels:rim |
| Date | Jan 25, 2019 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that the vehicle could not be driven in snow or ice. While driving in these conditions, the vehicle would shake violently. The failure occurred when the speed reached 40 mph. The vehicle was taken to sunnyside mitsubishi (7630 pearl rd, middleburg heights, oh 44130, (440) 243-7711) where the mechanic stated that the rims needed to be washed out. The dealer also sprayed the rims with silicon. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The failure mileage was 2,000. *tr |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | Jan 09, 2019 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The charger supplied by mitsubishi melted during normal charging. Mitsubishi has stated that the cord is not defective and will not cover the cost of replacement nor are they interested on the possibility of an electrical fire caused by the loose plug terminal and hot spot. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Dec 27, 2018 |
| State | LA |
| Description | City street driving and a notification of airbag system service required appeared on the screen. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting, Structure:body, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 17, 2018 |
| State | FL |
| Description | 'takata recall' I got into a three collision accident on a city highway. When I was braking to avoid the accident it kept on moving like it ways delayed. I believe that the accident could of been preventable if my brakes was aware that my feet was on it. It's like the car was doing it's own thing. There could be more things unknown going on with the car. I just brought this car 2 months ago. |
| Category | Seat Belts |
| Date | Nov 18, 2018 |
| State | MI |
| Description | The second row middle seat belt has a problem. It always seizes once the middle passenger fastens it and then starts being more tighter on the passenger, thus pressing on the chest causing high level of discomfort. |
| Category | Seats |
| Date | Oct 30, 2018 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The driver's side seat rocks back and forth when I accelerate and brake. This became evident days after I purchased the vehicle. The dealer tried to fix the issue but they damaged the vehicle even more. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train, Service Brakes |
| Date | Oct 26, 2018 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Parked on a 25% graded pointing down hill, when I tried to start the outlander, the screen produced a rbs error. The gas based engine would not start. The ev motors seemed to come on with very little power. When I called mitsubisi to tow the car they said, ouote"that doesn't normally start this soon" , this tells me they know there is a problem. My phev has been in the shop since monday, I'm being told they reset the check engine light error and they don't see a problem. This is not a fix. I took pictures after I restarted it the third time. The one thing that remained was the driving range for both gas and ev only had dashes, they should show how many miles are avaliable for ev and gas. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Suspension |
| Date | Oct 25, 2018 |
| State | IA |
| Description | I had a recall schedule an appoint with mitsubishi dealer in des moines, ia * went to my appt today 10-25 and was told they cannot do the recall because the computer they need to reset the software is down. No call or offer to give me a loan car due to the saftey issue of the recall. I do not think that any dealership should take recalls and saftey issues with the recalls the lightly. Thank you |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Oct 16, 2018 |
| State | CA |
| Description | On multiple occasions I have received a brake alert when nothing was in my way. Today, when driving down a side street at about 20 miles per hour, I was given a brake warning and then the automatic brakes turned on and my car skidded to a stop. I was fortunate no one was behind me or we would have been rear-ended. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Oct 04, 2018 |
| State | UT |
| Description | Driver's side glass spontaneously shattered while driving down road with no rock strike. Driving down the road at 70 mph with sun on driver side window and ac on. Car only one month old. |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 02, 2018 |
| State | AL |
| Description | While driving if key is hit, the car will shut off. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Jul 26, 2018 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Takata recall.. I was involved in a front end collision and the air bags did not deploy. *tr |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 27, 2018 |
| State | NY |
| Description | On 27may2018, I started my 2018 mitsubishi outlander phev and put it in reverse to back out of the garage. For the first time ever, the alarm dinged and the car would not reverse. My console indicated the charge cord was still plugged in. So I jumped out of the car to unplug the cord, not realizing that I never pressed the 'p' button to put the car in park. I didn't even think to press the 'p' button to initiate park because the vehicle had no motion. Anyway, I quickly unplugged the charger, and immediately thereafter, the car started moving in reverse, which was the last command that I had placed it in. In shock, I ran around to the back of the car without shutting the electric receptacle door and was nearly run over by the vehicle while trying to stop it from rolling out of my garage. Luckily, I moved out of the way quickly enough, back around the driver's side of the car, hopped into my seat, and hit the 'p' button to park the car. However, before the car came to a complete stop, the electric receptacle door I left open in my haste was heavily damaged by the vehicle reversing into the side of my garage door opening. Overall, this was a very dangerous situation that I feel would not have happened in a conventional vehicle because, in a conventional vehicle, the driver, upon removing his or her foot from the brake, would immediately notice if the vehicle was actually in park or reverse. In contrast, the phev was in a standby state, which appeared the same as park, thereby simulating the perception of being in park even though the vehicle actually was under the last command of reverse. Unfortunately, this incident has resulted in significant vehicle and property damage, not to mention a highly dangerous situation. I would recommend the 2018 mitsubishi outlander phev be programmed to shift to park automatically if the charge cord is still plugged in. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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