2003 Mitsubishi Outlander

The contact owns a 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle came to an immediate stop and did not return to normal operation. The contact noticed that the front control arm had detached. No warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V458000 (Suspension). The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to the residence. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was included in the recall but already had been serviced under the recall; however, the failure occurred. The failure mileage was 188,000.

NHTSA ID

11611129

Incident

Aug 22, 2024

Mileage

188,000 mi

HVAC temperature control knob is hard to turn, it broke off.

NHTSA ID

11520124

Incident

Apr 22, 2018

REAR CONTROL ARMS ARE RUSTED THROUGH, THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FRONT AND HAD THE REPAIRS DONE. THE FRONT CONTROL ARM RECALL WAS DUE TO POOR RUST PROOFING DURING MANUFACTURING. THE REAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. CANNOT REALIGN REAR WHEELS AND REAR SWAY BAR BRACKET BROKE FREE ENTIRELY. VEHICLE IS NOW STATIONARY AS IT CANNOT BE DRIVEN.

NHTSA ID

11286857

Incident

Oct 31, 2019

Mileage

120,000 mi

CAR TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, ANDERSON MITSUBISHI, 8162790354), JANUARY 2017, FOR NHTSA RECALL 16V458. CROSSMEMBER NOT REPLACED OR RUST TREATED. CROSSMEMBER FAILED 4-20-2019. REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE $2161.70. MADE CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT THROUGH MITSUBISHI DEALER AND MITSUBISHI OF NORTH AMERICA. HAVE A MITSUBISHI FILE NUMBER [XXX]. MITSUBISHI OF NA HAS VERBALLY AGREED TO SETTLE, BUT HAS NOT CONTACTED ME SINCE AUGUST OF 2019. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET MY CALLS RETURNED SINCE. THE CROSSMEMBER BROKE WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON CITY STREETS WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO VEER INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE, WITHOUT ACCIDENT. CAR WAS TOWED AND REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. I NEED HELP GETTING MY REIMBURSEMENT PAID. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE CAR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

11278142

Incident

Apr 20, 2019

Mileage

67,384 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH A DEER. DURING THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE HAD ROLLED OVER AND THE DRIVER WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD AND NECK INJURIES, A FRACTURED LEFT SHOULDER AND AN INJURED TORSO AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED AWAY. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 340,000. *DT *TR *BF CONSUMER STATES THAT AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING THE COLLISION. CONSUMER SAYS THAT MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE AIRBAG FAILURE SINCE 2004, BUT FAILED TO INFORM CONSUMERS. *DL

NHTSA ID

11222052

Incident

May 25, 2019

Mileage

340,000 mi

SINCE THE SECOND YEAR SINCE I'VE OWNED THIS CAR THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB HAS BEEN FROZEN. THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN TURN THE KNOB IS TO HAVE A MECHANIC MANUALLY TURN THE KNOB UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. MITSUBISHI MOTORS ADMITTED THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW IN 2002 TO 2007 MITSUBISHI LANCERS AND OUTLANDERS. I HAVE CALLED MITSUBISHI MANY TIMES AND SENT LETTERS OF COMPLAINTS BUT THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BUT LEAVE THE VEHICLES OWNER IN WHAT CAN BE A DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. I'VE HAD TO DRIVE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS BEFORE AND THE KNOB WAS STUCK ON AIR CONDITIONING IT WAS FREEZING TEMPERATURES WHERE I WAS DRIVING IN AND YOU COULD NOT USE THE DEFROSTER BE CAUSE IT WAS ON COLD AIR! YOU HAD TO PULL OVER AND SCRAPE THE WINDOW AND CONTINUALLY WIPE THE CLOUDED OVER WINDOW. I PAID $23,000 FOR THIS VEHICLE AND NOT TO HAVE CONTROL OF THE HEAT AND AIR IS REDICULUS! YOU CANNOT ALWAYS GET YOUR VEHICLE INTO A MECHANIC AND HAVE THEM MANUALLY TURN THE HEAT AND AIR KNOB. AND THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE A CHOICE OF IS EITHER HEAT OR COLD AIR. THE HVAC SYSTEM WAS INAPPROPRIATELY DESIGNED BY MITSUBISHI AND THE CABLE FROM THE KNOB BUNCHES UP AND DOES NOT WORK ANYMORE. I THOUGHT NOT BEING ABLE TO USE THE DEFROSTER IS A SAFETY HAZARD. MITSUBISHI NEEDS TO OWN UP TO THIS AND RECALL WHAT HAS AFFECTED 1000S OF VEHICLES. YOU CAN BE IN AN AREA OF THE COUNTRY WHERE YOU NEED THE AIR CONDITIONING AND THEN DRIVE INTO A SNOW STORM AND YOU CAN'T USE THE DEFROSTER UNLESS YOU FIND A MECHANIC IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO CHANGE IT OVER TO HEAT. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN THE KNOB TO THE SETTING YOU NEED AT WILL FOR THE DEFROSTER. VEHICLE OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED TO MITSUBISHI BUT WILL NOT FIXIT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH MY CAR SINCE 2004. THE PHOTO SHOWS THE HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONING KNOB THAT CAN ONLY BE MANUALLY TURNED BY A MECHANIC.

NHTSA ID

11193003

Incident

Jan 1, 2004

Mileage

10,000 mi

THE ISSUE BEGAN IN 2004 WHEN MY VEHICLE WAS 1 YEAR OLD. THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB BECAME FROZEN AND YOU COULD NOT TURN IT FROM HEAT TO AIR CONDITIONING OR THE OTHER WAY. I SPENT $23,000 ON THIS CAR AND YOU COULD NOT TURN FROM AIR CONDITIONING TO HEAT AT WILL ONLY A MECHANIC CAN MANUALLY TURN IT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND THEN ONLY PUT IT ON HOT OR COLD. ONE TIME I WAS DRIVING 600 MILES FOR AN EMERGENCY WITH THE KNOB STUCK ON AIR CONDITIONING AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN IT TO HEAT. IT WAS BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND THE WINDOW FOGGED UP BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO PUT THE DEFROSTER ON. I HAD TO CONTINUALLY PULL OVER TO WIPE OFF THE WINDOW AND THE FROST. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT IF I HAD NOT CONTINUALLY PULLED OVER. 2002 TO 2007 LANCERS AND OUTLANDERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW BY THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY WILL NOT OWN UP TO THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD IT TO A MECHANIC MANY TIMES BUT THEY CANNOT FIX IT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY MITSUBISHI IS NOT FORCED TO FIX THIS FOR CONSUMERS WHEN THIS IS CLEARLY A DANGEROUS PROBLEM IF YOU CANNOT USE THE DEFROSTER. I SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING WHEN IT IS A MANUFACTURING FLAW. THERE ARE 1000S OF VEHICLES ON THE ROAD WITH THIS PROBLEM AND MITSUBISHI WILL NOT OWN UP THAT THIS IS A CLEARLY SAFETY ISSUE. THE CONSUMER HAS NO POWER IN THIS SITUATION I HAVE CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND AM TOLD THEY WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT UNLESS IT'S RECALLED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER I HAVE NO PLACE ELSE TO GET HELP WITH THIS AND I CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER VEHICLE. THIS IS WRONG MITSUBISHI ALLOWS CARS ON THE ROAD WITH THIS PROBLEM AND TURNS A BLIND EYE TO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.

NHTSA ID

11192997

Incident

Jan 1, 2004

Mileage

15,000 mi

CAR HAS BEEN OWNED FOR 10+ YEARS AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED VERY WELL. GAS MILEAGE HAS DROPPED SINCE 2014. CAR THREW A P420 CODE IN THE YEARS AFTER. CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES IN A YEAR. OXYGEN SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED AND NEW EXHAUST HAS BEEN INSTALLED. WE HAVE NOW SEEN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAS A CRACK IN IT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURER ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11151262

Incident

Nov 13, 2018

Mileage

112,000 mi

This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.

This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of rap-film adhesive residue.

This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load carrying capacity be affixed to vehicles when the total net weight of accessories is more than 1.5 percent of the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or 100 lbs.

This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.

Tech Talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers. It covers various topics and reviews the previous months publications.

This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew condensation, which is a natural phenomenon, and water penetration caused by improper sealing or a defective/broken part.