Owners have filed 205 complaints
about the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander with NHTSA between 2016 and 2026.
The largest single group is the transmission & drivetrain.
Across this model's run it ranks 2 of 22 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 100
Against the median year of the Mitsubishi Outlander. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 86
16.6% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 57
34% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
How 2016 compares with every other Mitsubishi Outlander
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
86.9%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
108.6%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
119.5%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
2420.7%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
2824.1%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
2118.1%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
1412.1%
NHTSA crash tests
The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own
photographs and star ratings.
Frontal crash test
Side barrier crash test
Side pole crash test
Photographs taken by NHTSA during its own New Car Assessment Program crash
tests of this model year. Public domain.
Configuration
Overall
Front
Side
Rollover
2016 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV AWD
16.4% risk
2016 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV FWD
18.5% risk
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jan 2016peak 9Jul 2026
Recalls on the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202540562,111 units in Canada
Structure
Issue: On certain vehicles, water could enter the tailgate struts and cause them to corrode. If this happens, the struts could fail, and the tailgate could drop suddenly. Safety Risk: A tailgate that drops suddenly could increase the risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Mitsubishi will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the tailgate struts.
Recall 2024554258,000 units in Canada
Label
Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words and abbreviations listed on the label for "TIRES", "RIMS", "WITH", "FR" and "RR" and appear in English only, when they should be listed as "TIRES/PNEUS", "RIMS/JANTES", "WITH/AVEC", "FR/AVT" and "RR/ARR". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: These small errors do not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. Mitsubishi has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Recall 20205794,916 units in Canada
Brakes
Issue: On certain vehicles, the parking brake operating shaft in the rear brake caliper could rust and become stuck. If this happens, the parking brake may not work properly. As a result, the brakes could drag or parking brake performance could be reduced. If the vehicle is not left in in gear when it is parked, it could roll away. Note: This is an expansion of recall SR-18-002 (Transport Canada Recall No. 2018-053). Safety Risk: A parked vehicle that rolls away could create the risk of an injury or a crash. Corrective Actions: Mitsubishi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the rear brake calipers.
Recall 202031745,689 units in Canada
Seats And Restraints
Issue: On certain vehicles, the seat belt buckle for the right seat in the second-row could be damaged when the seats are folded down. This can cause the seat belt buckle cover to come off. If this happens, the seat belt may not latch properly. Safety Risk: A seat belt that does not latch properly could create an increased risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Mitsubishi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to modify the center seat belt buckle in the second seating row. A warning label will also be attached to the right seat base and additional instructions will be added to the owner's manual.
Recall 201805339,131 units in Canada
Brakes
On certain vehicles, insufficient rust prevention to the parking brake shaft and insufficient sealing performance of the rear brake caliper boot could allow water to penetrate inside these components causing corrosion. As a result, the parking brake shaft may become stuck causing brake dragging and/or decreased parking brake performance. Additionally, the automatic adjuster for the brake pad clearance of the rear brake caliper with the built-in parking brake may not work correctly. These conditions could lead to a vehicle rollaway, which would increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect and repair the rear brakes as necessary.
Recall 201747528,615 units in Canada
Engine
On certain vehicles, defective electrical relays may have been installed in the power distribution center. This could cause various electrical circuits to fail, potentially resulting in engine stalling, reduced engine power, or loss of engine cooling fan function potentially resulting in engine overheating. These issues could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace affected relay(s) with updated parts.
Recall 20171987,742 units in Canada
Structure
On certain vehicles, the dimensions of some components in certain door latch mechanisms may be out of specification and may not securely latch in high-temperature conditions. If this occurs and a door mechanism does not securely latch, the door could inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, which could increase the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant seated next to the door, or result in damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the affected door latches with countermeasure units.
Recall 201637910,833 units in Canada
Powertrain
On certain vehicles equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the range switch could momentarily experience a loss of signal. If this occurs, the driver may experience an unexpected reduction of vehicle acceleration which could, in conjunction with traffic, road conditions and the driver's reactions, increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the CVT-ECU.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Houston, TXCrash1 injured
SEAT BELTS
I have had multiple issues with this SUV. The main issue I am writing this for is because the car was hit stopped at a red light by another car going over 40 mph. The car rolled back then slammed into my car again going just as fast. The airbags did not deploy and the seatbelts did not lock. The impact actually broke the seats the passenger and I were sitting in. There were extensive injuries that happened because of this. The SUV was deemed a total loss because of the extensive damage done to the car. There were no warning messages, no recalls, etc. The SUV was inspected by a mechanic and insurance company and both said that the airbags should have gone off and the seatbelts should have locked based on the amount of damage to the SUV. I also took this SUV into the Mitsubishi dealership for all services/maintenance and nothing ever came up about any issues.
NHTSA complaint #11525307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Houston, TXCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
I have had multiple issues with this SUV. The main issue I am writing this for is because the car was hit stopped at a red light by another car going over 40 mph. The car rolled back then slammed into my car again going just as fast. The airbags did not deploy and the seatbelts did not lock. The impact actually broke the seats the passenger and I were sitting in. There were extensive injuries that happened because of this. The SUV was deemed a total loss because of the extensive damage done to the car. There were no warning messages, no recalls, etc. The SUV was inspected by a mechanic and insurance company and both said that the airbags should have gone off and the seatbelts should have locked based on the amount of damage to the SUV. I also took this SUV into the Mitsubishi dealership for all services/maintenance and nothing ever came up about any issues.
NHTSA complaint #11525307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Houston, TXCrash1 injured
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have had multiple issues with this SUV. The main issue I am writing this for is because the car was hit stopped at a red light by another car going over 40 mph. The car rolled back then slammed into my car again going just as fast. The airbags did not deploy and the seatbelts did not lock. The impact actually broke the seats the passenger and I were sitting in. There were extensive injuries that happened because of this. The SUV was deemed a total loss because of the extensive damage done to the car. There were no warning messages, no recalls, etc. The SUV was inspected by a mechanic and insurance company and both said that the airbags should have gone off and the seatbelts should have locked based on the amount of damage to the SUV. I also took this SUV into the Mitsubishi dealership for all services/maintenance and nothing ever came up about any issues.
NHTSA complaint #11525307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Charleston, SCCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN THE VEHICLE WAS UNEXPECTEDLY HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THE CONTACT STATED SHE WAS SEEN IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR A CT SCAN AND SOFT TISSUE INJURY. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
NHTSA complaint #11316315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 900 milesHercules, CAFire
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ON SEPTEMBER 2019 AROUND 10:45 PM, MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT 2016 WAS THE CAUSE OF GARAGE FIRE AT MY HOUSE. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE /BATTERY AREA AFTER I HAD TRIED TO GIVE A JUMP START A DAY BEFORE BUT THE CAR DID NOT START. FIRE WAS MOSTLY CONTAINED UNDER THE HOOD. SINCE 2016, THE CAR WAS MOSTLY GARAGED AND SPARINGLY DRIVEN AND HAD VERY VERY LOW MILES NOT ENOUGH TO GET FIRST SERVICE IF I RECALL CORRECTLY. THE INTERIOR STILL SMELLS FRESH CAR. I HAD REGISTERED THE CAR WITH DMV AS NON OPERATIVE STATUS AND DID NOT RENEW MY INSURANCE AS I WAS NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR QUITE SOME TIME. EVEN WHEN I DROVE COUPLE OF TIME, MITSUBISHI SMELLED LIKE ROTTEN EGGS ESPECIALLY WHEN I WOULD START OR PARK AFTER A SHORT DRIVE. I ASKED THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS NOT TOLD TO IGNORE IT. I HAVE FEW DOCUMENTS FROM DMV, INSURANCE AND PHOTOS THAT I WILL ATTACH. I NEED TO BE TOTALLY REIMBURSED FOR THE PRICE OF THE CAR. I DO HAVE FEW LOAN PAYMENT RECEIPTS , IF NEEDED TO PROVE. AFTER THE FIRE, NEITHER HOME NOR AUTO INSURANCE WILL COVER THE DAMAGE OF THE CAR. THE BURNT CAR IS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY. PLEASE HELP ASAP.
NHTSA complaint #11302972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 900 milesHercules, CAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ON SEPTEMBER 2019 AROUND 10:45 PM, MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT 2016 WAS THE CAUSE OF GARAGE FIRE AT MY HOUSE. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE /BATTERY AREA AFTER I HAD TRIED TO GIVE A JUMP START A DAY BEFORE BUT THE CAR DID NOT START. FIRE WAS MOSTLY CONTAINED UNDER THE HOOD. SINCE 2016, THE CAR WAS MOSTLY GARAGED AND SPARINGLY DRIVEN AND HAD VERY VERY LOW MILES NOT ENOUGH TO GET FIRST SERVICE IF I RECALL CORRECTLY. THE INTERIOR STILL SMELLS FRESH CAR. I HAD REGISTERED THE CAR WITH DMV AS NON OPERATIVE STATUS AND DID NOT RENEW MY INSURANCE AS I WAS NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR QUITE SOME TIME. EVEN WHEN I DROVE COUPLE OF TIME, MITSUBISHI SMELLED LIKE ROTTEN EGGS ESPECIALLY WHEN I WOULD START OR PARK AFTER A SHORT DRIVE. I ASKED THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS NOT TOLD TO IGNORE IT. I HAVE FEW DOCUMENTS FROM DMV, INSURANCE AND PHOTOS THAT I WILL ATTACH. I NEED TO BE TOTALLY REIMBURSED FOR THE PRICE OF THE CAR. I DO HAVE FEW LOAN PAYMENT RECEIPTS , IF NEEDED TO PROVE. AFTER THE FIRE, NEITHER HOME NOR AUTO INSURANCE WILL COVER THE DAMAGE OF THE CAR. THE BURNT CAR IS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY. PLEASE HELP ASAP.
NHTSA complaint #11302972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Chicago, IL
POWER TRAIN
The car itself should not be sold considering the number of complaints about the transmission issues. I’ve only had the car a month and Its started to stall and jerks when in acceleration. The gears started to not shift properly and the car would not go over 20 miles without jerking. I took the car back to the lot to get it fixed and then it stopped, was driving back smoothly. The car shop said they changed the transmission oil which supposedly was the problem. 2 weeks later the car is back stalling and jerking with the “transmission service required” light back on yet again.
NHTSA complaint #11752307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chicago, IL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car itself should not be sold considering the number of complaints about the transmission issues. I’ve only had the car a month and Its started to stall and jerks when in acceleration. The gears started to not shift properly and the car would not go over 20 miles without jerking. I took the car back to the lot to get it fixed and then it stopped, was driving back smoothly. The car shop said they changed the transmission oil which supposedly was the problem. 2 weeks later the car is back stalling and jerking with the “transmission service required” light back on yet again.
NHTSA complaint #11752307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chicago, IL
ENGINE
The car itself should not be sold considering the number of complaints about the transmission issues. I’ve only had the car a month and Its started to stall and jerks when in acceleration. The gears started to not shift properly and the car would not go over 20 miles without jerking. I took the car back to the lot to get it fixed and then it stopped, was driving back smoothly. The car shop said they changed the transmission oil which supposedly was the problem. 2 weeks later the car is back stalling and jerking with the “transmission service required” light back on yet again.
NHTSA complaint #11752307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mankato, MN
POWER TRAIN
transmission went out
NHTSA complaint #11718389 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 93,000 milesBeaver Falls, PA
PARKING BRAKE
The contact owns a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that upon manually activating the parking brake, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle was taken to Jack's Independent Service Inc, where it was diagnosed and determined that the parking brake operating shafts were corroded. The dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V741000 (Parking Brake); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
NHTSA complaint #11700107 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 50,000 milesCrawfordsville, IN
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred repeatedly after coming to a complete stop. The contact stated that because of the failure, the contact was nearly involved in several crashes. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had not occurred until after the vehicle had been driven for a while or the engine had warmed up. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that a software update for the CVT transmission was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V563000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11693850 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Diego, CA
POWER TRAIN
On the freeway TRANSMISSION FAILURE SERVICE light came on and the cars acceleration geared, had to immediately pull over on the side of the freeway, restarted the car with emergency lights to get out of the freeway. Vehicle would not accelerate much and the rpm was switching fast up and down. Check engine light came on the next day and the diagnosis read catalytic converter needs replacement. Car does not accelerate on hills, its shifts and tugs on a regular road.
NHTSA complaint #11689068 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Diego, CA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
On the freeway TRANSMISSION FAILURE SERVICE light came on and the cars acceleration geared, had to immediately pull over on the side of the freeway, restarted the car with emergency lights to get out of the freeway. Vehicle would not accelerate much and the rpm was switching fast up and down. Check engine light came on the next day and the diagnosis read catalytic converter needs replacement. Car does not accelerate on hills, its shifts and tugs on a regular road.
NHTSA complaint #11689068 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Diego, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On the freeway TRANSMISSION FAILURE SERVICE light came on and the cars acceleration geared, had to immediately pull over on the side of the freeway, restarted the car with emergency lights to get out of the freeway. Vehicle would not accelerate much and the rpm was switching fast up and down. Check engine light came on the next day and the diagnosis read catalytic converter needs replacement. Car does not accelerate on hills, its shifts and tugs on a regular road.
NHTSA complaint #11689068 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rochester, NY
POWER TRAIN
I bought a Mitsubishi outlander 2016 and just in couple of month the car doesn’t want to engage on the transmission , the SUV doesn’t go forward or backwards, it sound like the engine tend to try but the car doesn’t move
NHTSA complaint #11644957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rochester, NY
ENGINE
I bought a Mitsubishi outlander 2016 and just in couple of month the car doesn’t want to engage on the transmission , the SUV doesn’t go forward or backwards, it sound like the engine tend to try but the car doesn’t move
NHTSA complaint #11644957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tamarac, FL
POWER TRAIN
CVT transmission is slipping really bad and TPS not working .
NHTSA complaint #11626750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tamarac, FL
WHEELS
CVT transmission is slipping really bad and TPS not working .
NHTSA complaint #11626750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Burgettstown, PA
SERVICE BRAKES
The emergency brake suddenly failed to function. Applied the brake but there was no tension on the lever & no brake function occuring. I understand there was a VIN specific recall on this vehicle and just wondering how my vehicle that falls under the year, make & model does not qualify for the recall but is suffering from the same exact issue?
NHTSA complaint #11626381 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mckeesport, PA
POWER TRAIN
I was driving home from work when the car started to violently shudder. I took my foot off the accelerator and it stopped, only to happen again when I resumed pressing the gas. This also causes the car to suddenly slow down somewhat dramatically. The tachometer also "bounces". I purchased this vehicle used and drove it for 6 or 7 months with no issues before this happened. I took I to a local mechanic who immediately identified it as the transmission. A check engine light came on and intermittently goes out and back on. This happened after the shuddering started. The problem is easily repeated just by simply driving the car. It has not been inspected by anyone other than the mechanic I took it to.
NHTSA complaint #11595066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Gurabo, PR
POWER TRAIN
Delay in the accelerating pedal and hesitation, transmission will chande gear abnormal.Ac went out at same time.
NHTSA complaint #11594625 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Palmyra, PA
POWER TRAIN
Transmission control module Shifting goes into limp mode and doesn't allow acceleration until the car is turned off and back on There are other years of my vehicle where this is an active recall. The transmission service required light comes on Codes are as follows PO776 C1560 U0114 U0100
NHTSA complaint #11587366 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Weatherford, TX
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Complete loss of headlights while driving at night. Having to replace headlights monthly. Heater fuse keeps blowing.
NHTSA complaint #11566762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Weatherford, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Complete loss of headlights while driving at night. Having to replace headlights monthly. Heater fuse keeps blowing.
NHTSA complaint #11566762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Waynesboro, PA
VISIBILITY/WIPER
My windshield wipers have malfunctioned. They will work for a second than malfunction again. This is creating hazardous conditions that will cause an accident when it is raining.
NHTSA complaint #11565968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Jacksonville, FL
POWER TRAIN
While traveling on the highway, as I accelerated, my vehicle began to shutter as if it was about to stall. Then the D on the display panel began flashing and a message concerning the transmission was displayed. As I increased my speed the more the car shuttered. I researched and found that this has been an issue with this make and model of this vehicle. After calling a Mitsubishi dealership, I was informed that my vehicle has had this problem fixed. They require a couple hundred dollars to look at it but it sounds like they have already made up their mind that it is not under recall.
NHTSA complaint #11559276 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Farmington, WV
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
On the outlanders speed control sensor on the back hubs the lil ears that hold the sensor in place have broken off both sides of my car there's is no way to replace them makeing my car shift different drive funny and it's just about made me wreck a few times and cause when they pop out the car downshift and the engine reves at 9000 rpm and now I have a tick in my engine but i have had to try and glueing the sensors back into place this is a big problem with the outlander I have plus the roads in WV are not the greast potholes are everywhere and when you hit one they pop out of place very ease
NHTSA complaint #11555874 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Farmington, WV
SERVICE BRAKES
On the outlanders speed control sensor on the back hubs the lil ears that hold the sensor in place have broken off both sides of my car there's is no way to replace them makeing my car shift different drive funny and it's just about made me wreck a few times and cause when they pop out the car downshift and the engine reves at 9000 rpm and now I have a tick in my engine but i have had to try and glueing the sensors back into place this is a big problem with the outlander I have plus the roads in WV are not the greast potholes are everywhere and when you hit one they pop out of place very ease
NHTSA complaint #11555874 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pasco, WA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On 10/10/23, my boyfriend was driving the listed vehicle home. He had it in cruise control, note vehicle does not have adaptive cruise. Suddenly the vehicle started speeding up and redlining the RPM'S, he tried pressing the brakes and it did nothing. He finally was able to put it in neutral and get it to stop. Upon stopping. He tried shutting the vehicle off with the push button, but it would not shut off at first. Finally after several attempts he got it to shut off but noticed the vehicle trying to run other systems on its own while it's supposedly off.
NHTSA complaint #11549382 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Jacksonville, FL
POWER TRAIN
I am having a problem with accelerating while driving. Car starts to jerk or stutter while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11539233 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
