2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Owner Complaints

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection? The engine experienced catastrophic internal failure. A connecting rod broke and punctured the engine block, rendering the vehicle completely inoperable. This failure is consistent with overheating and internal engine damage. The vehicle is currently available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The failure occurred suddenly while driving, without warning. The vehicle lost power immediately, which could have resulted in loss of control, inability to accelerate, and exposure to traffic hazards. This created a serious safety risk to myself and others on the road. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? An independent mobile mechanic inspected the vehicle and confirmed catastrophic engine failure. Based on the condition of the engine and damage observed, the failure is consistent with severe overheating and internal mechanical breakdown. Full written diagnosis may be pending. Dealer inspection: UNKNOWN”) Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer. Insurance has been notified and may conduct an inspection. The MD state trooper deemed the car inoperable and tagged it. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure? There were no warning lights, messages, or indications of an issue prior to the failure. The incident occurred suddenly and without warning the same day the vehicle was purchased. At the time of failure, the vehicle had an open and unremedied safety recall (SR-18-001 – Drive Belt Auto Tensioner, NHTSA Campaign #18V069). This defect can cause the drive belt to detach, disabling the water pump and leading to rapid engine overheating. The failure I experienced is consistent with this defect. . The incident occurred day of pur

NHTSA ID

11732167

Incident

Apr 4, 2026

I am submitting this complaint regarding Peachtree Mitsubishi, located at 4474 Buford Hwy, Atlanta, GA 30341, for their failure to properly address a critical safety recall on my vehicle: Mitsubishi Recall SR-20-003REV_1 (NHTSA Campaign Number 20V-279) — Crossmember Corrosion, which poses a serious risk of lower control arm detachment, potentially resulting in loss of vehicle control and collision. Timeline of Events & Misrepresentation: I brought my vehicle to Peachtree Mitsubishi specifically to have the recall repair performed. The dealership claimed the recall work was completed and assured me the car was in excellent condition. Shortly afterward, I experienced issues with the vehicle and had it inspected by two independent mechanics. Both confirmed the car was unsafe to drive due to unresolved corrosion-related damage. In a separate legal case against the dealership that sold me the vehicle, the court formally determined the car was unsafe to drive. I contacted Peachtree Mitsubishi again and requested they pick up the vehicle to reassess the recall repair. They refused, instructing me to take it to another Mitsubishi service center — despite there being none conveniently located near me. Ongoing Delay & Lack of Resolution: I have spent over eight months attempting to resolve this issue. Despite multiple attempts, I have received no meaningful resolution, acknowledgment of fault, or corrective action. Summary of Complaint: The dealership misrepresented the completion of a federally mandated safety recall. The vehicle remains unsafe, as confirmed by independent mechanics and a court ruling. The dealership has refused to re-inspect at there cost or take responsibility. I am seeking a formal investigation and consumer protection intervention. The dealership misrepresented the completion of a safety-critical repair and failed to provide adequate service or resolution.

NHTSA ID

11694564

Incident

Feb 3, 2025

The car has severe rust on the frame to the point of the rust corroding a hole in the frame making it unsafe to drive. Black paint has been applied to conceal the extent of the rust, demonstrating clear intent to mislead and a disregard for human safety. The catalytic converter has been aftermarket welded into place and failing emissions. Other repairs needed cannot be done because the rust damage is to bad for mechanics to risk removing the bolts. Yes, the car is available for inspection. This dealership endangered my life, the lives of my loved ones and other drivers on the road with us by allowing us to drive a car with a damaged frame with could have caused a major accident. I took the car to my mechanic and the dealership's mechanic of choice and both said the car is unsafe to drive. The car was inspected by the Peachtree Mitsubishi Service Center and for whatever their reason may be, they told us the car was in great condition. After driving the car for a couple of weeks, we noticed the fumes and a knocking noise under the car. Also, the check engine light was on and the Peachtree Mitsubishi Service Center said it was the tire pressure. Despite my attempts to resolve this matter with the dealership directly, they have refused to take responsibility for their actions. I believe their practices violate consumer protection laws and pose a significant risk to public safety.

NHTSA ID

11653563

Incident

Feb 17, 2025

Since I bought my car in 2021 the air bag system sensor goes off as well as the seatbelt light even if my seatbelt is on.

NHTSA ID

11647273

Incident

Aug 18, 2021

Consumes ( Burns ) good amount of oil

NHTSA ID

11566013

Incident

Jan 17, 2024

Was driving the car and it totally lost power to everything. Had to pull over immediately with whatever power I had left to have the car roll to a stop. Multiple lights came on the dash. Notification came on the screen saying car can not communicate, engine is over heating. Tried to turn off car and back on and it would do nothing at all. Car has been at mechanic for 3 weeks they believe it is the ecu/psu but when replacing car continue to act up and not start.

NHTSA ID

11533521

Incident

Jun 28, 2023

The engine is shutting off while In traffic and from a full stop on red light. This happened so many times. I had to put on park and start the engine for it to work again.

NHTSA ID

11519749

Incident

May 1, 2023

The Diamond white paint is pealing off the hood. Down to bare mettle. It is also gone from the back hatch under the rear window. I also have a slow drain in the electrical system. A battery lasts about 1 year. Then it is dead and will not charge.

NHTSA ID

11518129

Incident

Jul 12, 2018

Unknown

NHTSA ID

11517959

Incident

Nov 4, 2022

The Transmissions in these vehicles are junk and very dangerous. I was driving out of town and all of a sudden the RPM´s started revving up. Then I tried to slow down and pull over and the vehicle did not want to down shift and it stalled on the highway with traffic. This is not the first time the transmission went out on the same vehicle. I had a hard time finding a transmission to put in and when I did it only lasted a year. Please, you can not put these cars out there with this type of transmission in them. They are junk. Please make this right.

NHTSA ID

11517019

Incident

Feb 15, 2023

2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE I bought the car on March 7, 2022 from Cherry Hill Auto with the owner by name Steven. The car was bought under my cousin Denise based at that moment I didn't had a temporary permit. The car was parked technically all the time. It was driven just one mile. Oil change was thick and black, electrical issues, Car asking for maintenance, then it shows new issues and didn't turn on. I call Steven and explain him the issues and he referred me to a shop he said he has more confidence than the MITSUBISHI Company in Cherry Hill. The shop is Universal Auto Repair on Cherry Hill as well. Car it's been almost a month, catalytic converter and Oxygen sensor was stolen. The shop told me to call Geico and claim the parts which I know isn't right. I pay almost 12K between Car, taxes, all charges and a 36 months Penn Warranty Gold Plan with a check. Car has a lot of issues. My cousin open a case with GEICO and I have to pay $250 deductible for something that occur under their responsibility and in their shop. Is very strange Steven said he don't trust in MITSUBISHI Service when car start having problems and referred me to this mechanic and parts was stolen there. My car still in the shop for almost 2 months. I couldn't even do the inspection because have a lot of issues and car don't qualified base on that. I just want my money back. I bought a car about 5 months ago and I never driven it. If I can have any assistance in spanish I'll appreciate it. Thanks.

NHTSA ID

11476013

Incident

Apr 28, 2022

I purchased the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander in 2015. In January 2018 the engine seized up while driving and was not repairable. Thankfully I was able to pull over and no one was hurt. The vehicle was only 7 years old with only 112,846 miles and I still had a loan on the vehicle for approxiamtly $10,000. The vehicle was at the time worth the cost left to pay it off. I consulted many Mitsubishi dealerships around the country and the only fix as a new engine for the vehicle which was an additional $10,000 and there were no engines anywhere in the country that could be found. The reason is that Mitsubishi decommissioned this Outlander model in 2013 due to the issue with the engine - essentially it was built like a snowmobile engine. The belt snapped and there was no repairing it - only replacing the entire engine. Mitsubishi knew this was an issue with this model - they decommissioned it only after 2 years on the market and they didn't issue a recall until 2018 - 5 years later! In the mean time I had found others around the coutnry with the same issue and we were all left with auto loans and no working vehicle. This is extremely poor business tactics and dishonest and very unsafe. I was lucky I was not driving on a freeway at the time when the engine seized up and the vehicle bucked like wild horse - it could have resulted in a major accident. It is dishonest to issue a recall 5 years after the company knew the vehicle had an issue and most likely all of the models had been sold or abandoned by this time so they don't have to pay for many repairs since there are not many that have lasted until 2018 to be repaired. A complaint has also been filed with the Minnesota State Attorney General. I was stuck with the $10,000 loan on a car that was now worth $0 and Mitsubishi at that time acted they had no idea what was wrong with it or why this happened. All lies.

NHTSA ID

11424428

Incident

Jan 11, 2018

HARPSWELL AUTO ILLEGALLY SOLD ME A VEHICLE WITH 5 SAFELY RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. SAFETY RECALL CODES ARE C1611Z, C1614Z, C1801R, C1806Z, C2003R. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE 4/25/2020 AND 2 RECALLS WERE DUE IN 2016 AND 3 WERE DUE IN 2019. WHERE THESE ARE VERY BIG SAFETY RECALLS I THINK HARPSWELL AUTO NEEDS TO HAVE THEIR LICENSE REVOKE FOR SERVICE AND INSPECTION STICKERS BECAUSE MY VEHICLE SHOULD NEVER HAVE PASSED INSPECTION WITH THE CROSSMEMBER RECALL COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT.

NHTSA ID

11396847

Incident

Feb 15, 2021

Mileage

64,000 mi

VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND SMELLED OF GAS. TOOK TO MECHANIC WHO PROVIDED EVIDENCE THAT THE FUEL TANK IS LEAKING FUEL. THE MECHANIC PROVIDED PICTURES OF THE TANK WHICH LOOKS TO HAVE ABNORMAL DAMAGE. DOES NOT SEEM THAT TANKS WOULD LEAK IN THE EVIDENCED MANNER. CONTACTED BOTH MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP AND MITSUBISHI MANUFACTURER WHO COULD NOT PROVIDE REPLACEMENT TANK IN TIMELY MANNER AND WERE NOT WILLING TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY ISSUE RAISED REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN FAR AT ALL DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN A REASON TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT DAMAGE TO THE FUEL TANK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE DRIVER/OWNER.

NHTSA ID

11363191

Incident

Oct 6, 2020

Mileage

11,200 mi

PAINT CHIPPING. PAINT LIFTING ON HOOD AND ROOF OF CAR. CAR DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. CALL WAS BROUGHT BACK TO WANTAGH MITSUBISHI SALES AND SERVICE WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN WANTAGH NEW YORK. FILED COMPLAINT AND REPORTED ISSUE WHEN ORIGINALLY HAPPENED.

NHTSA ID

11363184

Incident

Oct 3, 2013

Mileage

30 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED UPON COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF AN UNKNOWN FUSE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,600.*DT CONSUMER STATED ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT SHORTS DRAINS THE BATTERY CONTINUOUSLY. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF COMPLETELY WHILE IN TRAFFIC. *JB

NHTSA ID

11323646

Incident

May 1, 2020

Mileage

99,600 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON I 75, ME, 2 PASSENGERS AND 7 ANIMALS DEEP. WHEN OUT OF NO WHERE MY ACCELERATION STOPPED AND THE RPMS REVED, THE CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN, I WASN'T ABLE TO ACCELERATE ANYMORE. I COSTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WE WERE STUCK.! MY CVT TRANSMISSION IS BAD.

NHTSA ID

11310303

Incident

Feb 16, 2020

THIS MODEL VEHICLE HAS A BAD DESIGN FLAW THAT MITSUBISHI REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE. THE LOCATION OF THE AIR CONDITIONER DISCHARGE CAUSES WATER TO DRIP DIRECTLY ONTO THE SUB FRAME BELOW. THIS DRIPPING CORRODED A HOLE THROUGH MY SUB FRAME DEEMING IT STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND CAUSED IT FAILED MY STATE INSPECTION. MY LOCAL DEALER AND MITSUBISHI BOTH REFUSED TO COVER THE COST OF REPLACING THE PART SINCE NO RECALL CURRENTLY EXISTS. I ENDED UP GETTING A USED PART FROM A LOCAL SHOP FOR HALF THE COST OF WHAT THE DEALER QUOTED ME. I ALSO HAD THE MECHANIC JURY RIG AN AC DISCHARGE TUBE EXTENSION TO DIRECT THE WATER AWAY FROM THE SUB FRAME SO IT WOULDN'T KEEP HAPPENING. HAD MY STATE INSPECTOR NOT CAUGHT THIS CORROSION, I WOULD BE STILL DRIVING THE UNSAFE VEHICLE. A COMPROMISED SUB FRAME COULD RESULT IN NUMEROUS FAILURES THAT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I WAS LUCKY IT DID NOT GET TO THAT POINT. IT IS CLEAR THE CORROSION IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE AC DISCHARGE, RATHER THAN NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE REST OF THE SUB FRAME AND SUSPENSION THROUGH OUT THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE ANYWHERE NEAR THE LEVEL OR CORROSION THAT IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE AC DISCHARGE TUBE. GOOGLE SEARCHING THIS PROBLEM MAKES IT CLEAR I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. THERE ARE OTHER MODELS OF OUTLANDERS AND OUTLANDER SPORTS THAT SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED SO A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED FOR ALL MODELS WITH THIS DESIGN.

NHTSA ID

11244359

Incident

Jul 15, 2019

Mileage

114,065 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JERRY'S MITSUBISHI (443-219-9464, LOCATED AT 1906 E JOPPA ROAD, PARKVILLE, MD 21234) WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BEARING INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION WAS ABOUT TO FRACTURE, WHICH CAUSED THE NOISE. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A KNOWN ISSUE. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED AND THAT THE CONTACT WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 69,000.

NHTSA ID

11234090

Incident

Jun 4, 2018

Mileage

69,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEATER AND DEFROSTER STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BLOWER WIRE MOTOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER (OAKLAND MITSUBISHI, 2500 WEBSTER ST, OAKLAND, CA 94612, (510) 267-0688) WAS CONTACTED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE WARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

NHTSA ID

11156630

Incident

Nov 28, 2018

Mileage

69,000 mi

BRAKES MAKE A DIFFERENT SOUND (LIKE A BLOW) WHEN IT BRAKES SUDDENLY. AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING TWO WEEKS AGO. WHEN THE A / C IS TURNED ON, THE SOUND OF THE COMPRESSOR IS HEARD BUT NO AIR IS VOTED. OPAQUE OR NOT ILLUMINATE WELL. LOW INTENSITY OF THE LIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

11156405

Incident

Nov 16, 2018

Mileage

22 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR FAILED TO OPERATE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BIGGERS MITSUBISHI (LOCATED AT 1325 E CHICAGO ST, ELGIN, IL 60120, (224) 276-5676), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V233000 (VISIBILITY). NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143,000.

NHTSA ID

11152897

Incident

Oct 17, 2017

Mileage

143,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WOULD BECOME FOGGED OVER NO MATTER THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. THE CONTACT STATED MUST KEEP THE DEFOGGER ON CONSTANTLY IN ORDER SO HE CAN SEE OUT OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER ROUTE 46 MITSUBISHI (400 US-46, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 (973) 330-9535) AND THEY STATED THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT COVERED BY A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ID

11144411

Incident

May 31, 2018

Mileage

60,000 mi

2011 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. CONSUMER WRITES WITH REGARD TO BELT TENSION TIGHTENER RECALL REPAIR. *AS THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DEALER CHARGED FOR A PORTION OF THE REPAIR THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER THE RECALL.*JS *JS

NHTSA ID

10918395

Incident

Jun 28, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL POPPING SOUND EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN JERRY'S MITSUBISHI LOCATED AT 1906 E JOPPA RD, PARKVILLE, MD WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT BEARING IN THE DRIVE AXLE WAS DEFECTIVE AND RECOMMENDED IT BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11123647

Incident

Jul 2, 2018

Mileage

70,000 mi