People have been preferring compact SUVs a lot lately and manufacturers have been trying to get themselves to stay on top of this competitive market. The Mitsubishi Outlander is one of the many players in this segment but unfortunately for this Japanese brand, things haven’t been working the way they anticipated. The Outlanders struggles to grab customers and it sold only over 12,000 units. Mitsubishi hasn’t really been able to make the car very reliable and as a result, the Outlander comes with a massive 14 recalls but the complaints stay low at just 57. The problem with the Outlander ranges from engine stalls to fuel leaks and for a car that is sold in a very limited number, the complaint list does seem quite extensive. Another aspect that puts the car further down is the competition and the Mitsubishi is up against cars like the Nissan Rogue, the Ford Escape, and the Honda CR-V.
User complaints and problems
Electrical Problems
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Alternator – When the user tried starting the car, the engine failed to crank and instead, the windshield wipers started going crazy and the radio would turn on. The users suspected a weak battery but replacing them did not solve the issue. The car would drain power after it’s been parked overnight and the dealers found the alternator to be causing the issue. The weak alternator failed to recharge the battery and hence, failed to start the car when needed.
Mechanical Problems
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Engine – The user stated that they heard a crack from the nose of the car and multiple warning lights were said to start flashing. The car was safely stopped towards the shoulder of the road and later towed to the dealership. The technicians there found the belt tensioner bearing to be pulling out, resulting in the belt not riding on the pulley correctly. The mechanics replaced the tensioner along with the serpentine belt.
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Fuel tank – The Fuel nozzle area was found to have rust spots and the users had no idea how this happened. The rust particles even entered the tank and Mitsubishi has not recalled the car for this issue.
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Powertrain – The owner spotted puddles of oil underneath the car and immediately took it to the dealers. The leak was seen coming from near one of the seals and it was understood that the seal between the transmission and engine was faulty.
Safety Problems
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Airbag – The airbag was said to not deploy during a crash and this was identified to be a case of a faulty airbag control unit. The sensor failed to register a crash, leaving the airbag to not deploy.
Exterior Problems
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Headlamp – The driver-side headlight was said to have condensation build-up and the dealers stated it to be normal. However, the condensation in the headlamp lowered the light intensity and it looked like only one of the headlamps was working. This was suspected to happen because of a poor headlight seal.
2013 Mitsubishi Outlander recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
5th March 2021 |
21V144000 |
Lower control arm may detach due to corrosion. |
Detached front control arm may cause loss of control. |
A corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross member will be replaced. |
|
2. |
18th May 2020 |
20V279000 |
Lower control arm may detach due to corrosion. |
If the front control arm detaches, the vehicle control will be lost. |
Dealers will inspect and replace the cross member. |
|
3. |
9th February 2018 |
18V103000 |
Wiper link can corrode. |
This can lead to the loss of wiper function and disturb the visibility. |
Dealers will replace the rod of the wiper link and wiper motor arm. |
|
4. |
26th January 2018 |
18V070000 |
Parking brake actuators may corrode. |
A corroded parking brake actuator may not engage or disengage fully, increasing the risk of rolling away. |
The rear brake calipers will be inspected and replaced. |
|
5. |
20th July 2017 |
17V461000 |
Water intrusion may cause wiper motor failure. |
Water may drop between the hood and the windshield and cause the wiper motor to fail, leading to disturbing the drover’s view. |
Dealers will replace the wiper motor. |
|
6. |
31st October 2016 |
16V791000 |
Water intrusion may cause wiper link corrosion. |
Water leak between the hood and the windshield onto the wiper link can cause it to corrode. |
Dealers will replace the rubber boot on the ball joint to prevent water intrusion. |
|
7. |
31st October 2016 |
16V792000 |
Water intrusion may cause wiper motor failure. |
Failure of the wiper motor can cause a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. |
Dealers will replace the wiper motor. |
|
8. |
23rd June 2016 |
16V458000 |
Lower control arm detachment due to corrosion. |
The front lower cross arm may corrode sure to salt water exposure from road salt use and detach while driving. |
The front cross member will be replaced. |
|
9. |
21st November 2014 |
14V744000 |
Seatbelt lap fastener not torqued properly. |
A weak and loose fastener may not restrain the occupant safely during a vehicle crash. |
Dealers will replace the seatbelt lap end attachment fastener. |
|
10. |
25th June 2014 |
14V366000 |
Power steering pressure tube may leak. |
The poor clearance between the power steering pressure tube and the automatic transmission converter housing may result in contact and cause the pressure tube to develop a hole. |
The pressure tube and return tube will be replaced. |
|
11. |
4th February 2014 |
14V031000 |
Seat-mounted side airbag wiring. |
Incorrectly routed wiring may be damaged, resulting in the illumination of warning light. This can also affect the deployment of the airbag in the event of a crash. |
The wiring will be re-routed by the dealers. |
|
12. |
8th July 2013 |
13V300000 |
Strut stabilizer link bracket may disconnect. |
A damaged stabilizer link may lead to difficult drive control and handling. |
The front left strut assembly will be replaced. |
|
13. |
29th March 2013 |
13V112000 |
Fuel gauge may rear incorrectly. |
The driver may think the car hold fuel while it actually is empty. This can lead to the car getting stranded or stalled. |
The correct fuel sending harness will be installed. |
|
14. |
29th March 2013 |
13V116000 |
Stop lamp switch. |
If the brake lamps do not illuminate, other vehicles may not know when the vehicle is stopping. |
Dealers will correct the installation of the stop lamp. |
Should you buy the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander?
The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander does struggle in terms of reliability and the constant issues and recalls make owning the car unreliable. The Outlander seems to have multiple rust issue that is hard to keep a track of and also an engine issue that the brand failed to recall the car for. With the underlying issue that hasn’t been addressed or is hard to notice, the car imposes multiple reliability and safety concerns and for this reason, the Mitsubishi Outlander does not portray to be the ideal choice in this segment. However, the competition offers high value and great reliability and we recommend either picking the Honda or the Nissan if you are looking for a car that would spend lesser time with the mechanics.
