2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine1115.5%
- Airbags1014.1%
- Electrical912.7%
- Driver assistance79.9%
- Body & structure79.9%
- Exterior lighting57.0%
- Brakes57.0%
- Other / unspecified45.6%
- Interior & seats34.2%
- Powertrain (other)34.2%
- Seat belts22.8%
- Suspension22.8%
- Fuel system22.8%
- Visibility11.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
1. On hot/warm days when I start my vehicle it will run then die and give me the code for Mass air sensor which I replaced but it keeps doing it; the check engine will stay on for a while then turn off until it does it again. 2. When driving and I go over a speed bump the suspension grinds or does a hard squeaking noise. 3. The USB in the center console stops working at times or when move the charging cord it disconnects for a few seconds. 4. Internal lights work when they want to, I thought the bulbs where burnt out and replaced them but they still come on when they want to not everytime a door is opened.
Camshaft phaser shattered and is missing a chunk of metal
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH over a pothole, the driver's side and passenger side curtain airbags erroneously deployed. The contact stated that no collision had occurred prior to the air bags deployment. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failures. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 215,000.
SRS-Air Bag codes B1476, B1558, B1631 repeated triggering since 2020. History: - 9/30/20 - Dealer read code B1631 (DR Knee ABG Squib Short) & U0154 (OCM CAN Timeout), did not diagnose cause, erased codes - 4/12/21 ~0920 - check airbag light illuminated - 7/30/21 ~0800 & ~0920 - check airbag light illuminated -- called dealer; was informed since light extinguished I would be liable for diagnostic cost if not covered under warranty - 9/30/21 ~0700 twice - check airbag light illuminated - 11/16/21 ~0720 - check airbag light illuminated - 1/5/22 ~0630 - check airbag light illuminated - 1/14/22 ~1319 twice - check airbag light illuminated - 1/18/22 ~1550 & ~1700 - check airbag light illuminated - 1/19/22 ~1052 & ~1059 - check airbag light illuminated - 1/20/22 ~1304 - check airbag light illuminated - 1/25/22 ~1534 - check airbag light illuminated - 2/11/22 ~1000 - check airbag light illuminated - 3/19/22 ~1800 x 2, ~2245 - check airbag light illuminated - 5/16/23 ~1600 - check airbag light illuminated - 6/18/23 ~1426 - check airbag light illuminated - 6/22/23 ~0928 & ~0955 - check airbag light illuminated - 10/22/23 ~1040 - check airbag light illuminated - 6/16/24 - used personal car scan tool and found B1476 (IG1[A] voltage extraordinary low), B1558 (OCSS control unit), B1631 (DR knee ABG squib short) faults *** Original action by dealer in 2020 to simply delete latched codes did not remedy airbag problem...safety complaints at NHTSA indicate airbag failure during collision...this appears to be a serious public safety problem. ***
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
1. On hot/warm days when I start my vehicle it will run then die and give me the code for Mass air sensor which I replaced but it keeps doing it; the check engine will stay on for a while then turn off until it does it again. 2. When driving and I go over a speed bump the suspension grinds or does a hard squeaking noise. 3. The USB in the center console stops working at times or when move the charging cord it disconnects for a few seconds. 4. Internal lights work when they want to, I thought the bulbs where burnt out and replaced them but they still come on when they want to not everytime a door is opened.
Car will drive on interstate then will be unable to accelerate on interstate warning, “Propulsion power reduced” light turns on and vehicle speed decreases and car does not accelerates and loses speed. I had to stop vehicle multiple times to reset the car per advice on the internet but car continues with drastic decrease in speed on the interstate and message “Propulsion Power Reduced.” Car is serviced as per car dealership recommendations but now car is not safe to drive on the interstate.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the contact became aware that the rearview camera was inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera failed to function properly, and the camera image appeared blank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
See attached document for complaint
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V507000 (Structure); however, the liftgate gas springs had failed and were replaced prior to the recall. The manufacturer was contacted for reimbursement, and the contact mailed the required documents as requested by the manufacturer. The contact later followed up with the manufacturer, who confirmed that the requested documents had been received and informed the contact that there was no time frame for the reimbursement process. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide reimbursement. The failure mileage was 132,324.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
2018 Mitishichi Headlights, left, then right stop working. Dealer replaced first one within 6 months. So far I have replaced one or the other 4 or 5 Times. I did complain to NHTSA . These lights have been out more than they have worked. Google indicates a large number of these issues but no recall from NHTSA.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and making a turn, the message "ABS Service Required" was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the warning message was turned off. However, the contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was related to Mitsubishi Technical Service Bulletin Numbers: SR-18-008 and SR-18-007. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle in for diagnostic tests whenever the messages were displayed; however, the contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently, and the dealer required scheduling a service appointment in advance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was awaiting a call back. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
Our car seat is nearly brand new (first used at the end of Sept 2023 upon birth of our daughter) upon placing the car seat in the base, we noticed it wasn’t making the clicking sound indicating a secure lock to base. Upon further investigation it appears the pieces that lock the car seat in place are jammed and not operating properly. If we had gotten in a car accident the car seat would not have been properly secured.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
The power electric drive seat becomes loose with time. Very dangerous while braking cause the drive seat moves forward fast, driver feels disoriented to extent feeling unstable and could lead to not appropriately having control over vehicle during brake events. This could lead to hitting front vehicle.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
I have a safety recall on my vehicle. Mitsubishi says I will have to dry from oklahoma to Arkansas because they no longer have places in Oklahoma that will fix a recall. But there are many dealerships that are selling Mitsubishis. Those dealerships also tell me I would have to take it to Arkansas. This is a huge problem, I bought this car brand new and unable to get recalls fixed on it unless I drive to another state. This is awful. I’m a nurse and work a lot I don’t have time to dry to Arkansas and have my car worked on. Not only that time, gas and mileage. That’s not fair at all to me. They should have to have a center of some sort in Oklahoma to fix these recalls if they are going to be selling new Mitsubishis here in Oklahoma.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
1. On hot/warm days when I start my vehicle it will run then die and give me the code for Mass air sensor which I replaced but it keeps doing it; the check engine will stay on for a while then turn off until it does it again. 2. When driving and I go over a speed bump the suspension grinds or does a hard squeaking noise. 3. The USB in the center console stops working at times or when move the charging cord it disconnects for a few seconds. 4. Internal lights work when they want to, I thought the bulbs where burnt out and replaced them but they still come on when they want to not everytime a door is opened.
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while the front tires were being replaced, corrosion was found underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving over 60 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. In addition, the vehicle vibrated abnormally while driving over 60 MPH. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the shocks, struts, and lower control arm were replaced due to corrosion. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
Car will drive on interstate then will be unable to accelerate on interstate warning, “Propulsion power reduced” light turns on and vehicle speed decreases and car does not accelerates and loses speed. I had to stop vehicle multiple times to reset the car per advice on the internet but car continues with drastic decrease in speed on the interstate and message “Propulsion Power Reduced.” Car is serviced as per car dealership recommendations but now car is not safe to drive on the interstate.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .