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Model file · MitsubishiUpdated · 18 sources

Selling a junk or broken Mitsubishi Outlander

Two model years hold a quarter of all Outlander complaints filed with NHTSA. The 2015 has 235 and the 2022 has 228: together, 463 of 1,818. On the 2015, 110 complaints name the power train. On the 2022, 66 name the structure.

A silver first-generation Mitsubishi Outlander with roof rails, parked at a curb in front of a brick building
Photo: Vauxford · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years (EPA)
2003-2027, still sold
Complaints to NHTSA
1,818
Year with the most complaints
2015 (235)
Recall campaigns
56
Component named most
Power train (233)
2026 engine
1.5-liter turbo, 48 V mild hybrid

A slipping CVT, a rusty subframe or a liftgate that keeps dropping: your Outlander can go without any of that being repaired. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and you sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Outlander numbers come from NHTSA, checked October 10, 2026. These are complaints owners filed, not a reliability rating. Recent Outlanders haven't been driven as many years. Each recall appears under every Outlander year it names. Many cover several years, so it does not add up to the Outlander's 56. EPA lists the Outlander Sport and the Outlander PHEV under this name too, and several recalls below name those versions.

Model yearComplaintsNamed mostRecall campaigns
2003116Suspension (26)6
200452Suspension (16)4
2005-200640Suspension (13)1 each year
2007125Suspension (45)9
200858Suspension (8)12
200946Power train (5)13
201060Engine (11)10
201188Engine (21)14
201236Air bags (6)10
201368Air bags (14)14
201486Power train (15)9
2015235Power train (110)12
2016171Power train (55)11
201778Air bags (13)6
201893Air bags (16)6
201956Air bags (12)6
202057Electrical system (13)4
202119Engine (5)3
2022228Structure (66)10
202356Electrical system (8)2
2024-202650No single leader1, 2 and 1

Where the trouble sits, by era

2003-2006: the first Outlander

Wikipedia lists a 2.4-liter 4G64 SOHC four for 2003-2006, built at the Nagoya Plant in Okazaki, Japan. It was related to the Lancer. These years hold 208 complaints, and suspension leads every one of them.

Rust is the recall to know about. Recall 16V458000 covers front cross members on 2003-2006 Outlanders, 2007-2013 V6 Outlanders and 2002-2007 Lancers sold or registered in certain states. Dealers inspect the cross member and act on how much corrosion they find. The 194,674-vehicle count covers every model in the campaign.

2007-2013: second-generation years

Engines were a 2.4-liter 4B12 four and a 3.0-liter 6B31 V6, per Wikipedia. These years hold 481 complaints. The 2007 has 125, with 45 naming the suspension. On the 2011, engine leads with 21.

Belts got two recalls. 14V562000 replaces the drive belt on 2008-2011 models. 18V069000 fits an improved belt tensioner on 4B11 and 4B12 engines, 2008-2012. Both campaigns include Lancers. Water getting in between the hood and windshield led to 16V791000 and 17V461000, a wiper ball joint boot and a new wiper motor on 2007-2013 Outlanders. A second cross member recall, 20V279000, covers 2008-2013 Outlanders.

2014-2021: third-generation years

Wikipedia lists the 2.0-liter 4J11, the 2.4-liter 4B12 and 4J12, and a 12 kWh plug-in battery on 2016-2018 PHEVs. These years hold 795 complaints, the most of any stretch.

The 2015 and 2016 carry it: 110 and 55 power train complaints. Recall 16V563000 reprograms the CVT control unit on 2015-2016 Outlander Sport and 2016 Outlander and Lancer models. Other recalls in this run:

  • 17V609000: starter relays on 2015-2017 models, a 132,552-vehicle campaign that also covered the Lancer.
  • 18V070000: water in the rear calipers corroding the parking brake on 2014-2016 Outlanders and 2013-2016 Outlander Sports.
  • 20V403000: a second-row center buckle that can catch the right-side buckle, 2014-2019.
  • 25V507000 and 26V252000: liftgate gas springs that corrode and lose pressure, 2014-2020 Outlander and 2018-2022 PHEV.

Wikipedia also notes the PHEV battery packs came from GS Yuasa. After battery problems, Mitsubishi halted production and sales until it found the cause. It did not issue a recall.

2022 and newer: the fourth generation

This Outlander sits on the Renault-Nissan CMF-CD platform, related to the Nissan Rogue, with a Nissan 2.5-liter PR25DD and a Jatco CVT. For 2026, Wikipedia says, a 1.5-liter 4B40 turbo with a 48-volt mild hybrid replaced the 2.5. The 2022 is the outlier, with 228 complaints. Structure leads with 66, then "unknown or other" with 28 and fuel and propulsion with 17. Recalls 23V345000 and 25V369000 update infotainment software that can drop the rearview camera image.

Should you fix it?

Weigh the repair quote against what the Outlander sells for running. Then:

  1. Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall page. The CVT software, cross member and liftgate recalls cost the owner nothing.
  2. CVT shuddering or slipping? Our failing CVT guide lays out the choice.
  3. Rust in the front cross member or underneath? See rotted frame before you spend on it.
  4. PHEV battery trouble? Read hybrid battery failed.

How to sell the Outlander whole

  1. Write down the VIN, mileage, the problem, and whether it's a gas model, a Sport or a PHEV.
  2. Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Tell us where the Outlander sits and if it rolls in Neutral. An all-wheel-drive Outlander that won't roll needs a different load, so mention it. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
  4. Keep the Outlander whole. The battery pack, catalytic converter and wheels stay on, since gone parts shift the offer.
  5. On Outlander pickup day, hand our driver the keys and title and show a photo ID. Still paying on it? See still owe on the loan. For plates afterward, see after you sell.

Questions people ask

Which Outlander years have the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2015 (235) and the 2022 (228), as of October 10, 2026. Then the 2016 (171) and the 2007 (125). A 2023 or later Outlander has been driven only a short while, so its small number tells only part of it.
Was there a recall on the 2015-2016 CVT?
Yes. Recall 16V563000 has dealers reprogram the CVT control unit with new software, free of charge. Included are the 2015-2016 Outlander Sport plus the 2016 Outlander and Lancer. Type your Outlander VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Will you buy an Outlander with a dead transmission or a PHEV that won't charge?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, gas or plug-in hybrid, with free pickup anywhere in the US. When you ask about your Outlander, say what still works on it and what doesn't.
My liftgate won't stay up. Is that a recall?
It might be. Recalls 25V507000 and 26V252000 replace both liftgate gas springs, free, on 2014-2020 Outlanders and 2018-2022 Outlander PHEVs. The springs can corrode and lose pressure.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. EPA fuel economy data (model years, classes, variants) fueleconomy.gov
  2. NHTSA datasets: complaints flat file FLAT_CMPL.zip, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA: check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 16V458000: front cross member corrosion nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 14V562000: engine drive belt nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 18V069000: drive belt tensioner, 4B11 and 4B12 engines nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 16V791000: wiper linkage ball joint nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 17V461000: wiper motor nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 20V279000: front cross member corrosion nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 16V563000: CVT control unit software nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 17V609000: starter relays nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 18V070000: rear caliper parking brake corrosion nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 20V403000: second-row center seat belt buckle nhtsa.gov
  14. NHTSA recall 25V507000: liftgate gas springs nhtsa.gov
  15. NHTSA recall 26V252000: liftgate gas springs nhtsa.gov
  16. NHTSA recall 23V345000: rearview camera software nhtsa.gov
  17. NHTSA recall 25V369000: rearview camera software nhtsa.gov
  18. Wikipedia: Mitsubishi Outlander (generations, engines, platforms, battery incident) en.wikipedia.org