2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (93) · Vehicle Speed Control (24) · Engine (8)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mitsubishi Outlander Sport model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
115 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (9)
Structure:frame And Members 2021-03-05 · campaign 21V144000 · 15,347 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Outlander Sport vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt w
Risk: A detached front control arm can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied, or the front cross member will be replaced with a new one, free of charge. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-21-001. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-279. Owners not previously notified under 20V-279 were notified on March 22, 2021.
Structure:frame And Members 2020-05-18 · campaign 20V279000 · 141,200 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2008-2010 Lancer, 2009-2010 Lancer Sportback, 2008-2013 Outlander, and 2011-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The front lower c
Risk: A detached front control arm can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross member will be replaced with a new one. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2020. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-20-003.
Visibility:windshield Wiper/Washer:linkages 2018-02-09 · campaign 18V103000 · 158,651 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2011-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles. Water may enter between the hood and windshield and cause the front wiper link ball joint to corrode, possibly resulting in the wiper link separating and the wipers becoming inoperative.
Risk: Loss of wiper function can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rod of the wiper link and the wiper motor crank arm, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 10, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-004.
Parking Brake 2018-01-26 · campaign 18V070000 · 170,354 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Outlander and 2013-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles. Water may enter the rear brake calipers causing the parking brake actuator shafts to corrode and possibly bind.
Risk: If the parking brake actuator shaft binds, the parking brake may not engage or disengage fully. If the parking brake does not engage properly, the vehicle may move unexpectedly if it is parked on a slope, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear brake calipers and replace the parking brake boot and lever or the brake caliper body, as necessary. Dealers will also replace the piston assembly of the rear brake caliper. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 27, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-002.
Electrical System:starter Assembly:relay 2017-09-29 · campaign 17V609000 · 132,552 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Outlander, 2015-2016 Lancer and Outlander Sport, and 2015 Lancer Evolution vehicles. These vehicles may have defective relays that can result in an engine stall, reduced engine power or the engine overheating.
Risk: If the engine stalls, there is an increased the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected relays, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-17-005.
Visibility:windshield Wiper/Washer:motor 2016-10-31 · campaign 16V792000 · 93,801 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2011-2015 Outlander Sport vehicles manufactured August 26, 2010, to January 5, 2015. In the affected vehicles, water may drop between the hood and the windshield and leak into the wiper motor breathing hole. The water may cause internal corrosion of the windshield wiper motor and the possible failure of the motor.
Risk: Failure of the wiper motor can cause a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper motor, free of charge. The manufacturer has begun the recall, but parts are not yet available; a second notice will be sent when parts are available. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-010.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) 2016-07-28 · campaign 16V563000 · 82,436 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles and 2016 Outlander and Lancer vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a constant velocity transmission (CVT) that, in certain driving conditions, may cause a delay in the vehicle accelerating.
Risk: A hesitation during acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the CVT control unit with modified software, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2016. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-006.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines 2016-07-22 · campaign 16V548000 · 45,731 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport vehicles manufactured June 25, 2014, through November 25, 2015 and equipped with a 2.0L engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). During assembly, a clamp for a CVT hose may not have been properly secured, allowing the hose to detach and leak transmission fluid.
Risk: If enough transmission fluid leaks out, the transmission may not function properly and the vehicle may become inoperable, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, if leaking transmission fluid contacts an a hot surface there is an increased risk of a fire.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the hose clamps, correcting their installation, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2016. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-16-005.
Seat Belts 2014-11-21 · campaign 14V744000 · 54,779 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Outlander Sport vehicles manufactured July 20, 2012, to July 23, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the front passenger seat belt lap end attachment fastener may not be torqued to specification, and the fastener may loosen with time.
Risk: A loosened and weakened fastener may not be capable of withstanding the load forces associated with a vehicle crash, leaving the seat occupant insufficiently restrained and increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt lap end attachment fastener, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2014. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-714-372-6000. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-14-011.
Service bulletins (148)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Seat Belts 2025-11-21 · TECH TALK 289 · Other
tech talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers. it covers various topics and reviews the previous months publications.
Visibility/Wiper 2024-08-07 · TECH TALK 281 · Other
tech talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers. it covers various topics and reviews the previous months publications.
Electrical System 2024-07-23 · TSB-16-54-001REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this technical service bulletin instructs the dealer to update the hands free module software to improve the bluetooth connection when certain devices are connected to wi‐fi.
Power Train 2024-06-03 · TSB-24-23-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service manual revision - this technical service bulletin provides corrections to the description of special tools used to install the oil seal within the automatic transaxle sections of the applicable service manuals.
Power Train 2024-03-25 · TSB-20-23-001RV4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service manual revision - this technical service bulletin instructs dealers to diagnose and test drive vehicles exhibiting a shudder or surge condition possibly caused by poor reaction of the hydraulic pressure circuit.
Power Train 2024-03-04 · TSB-20-23-001REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service manual revision - this technical service bulletin instructs dealers to diagnose and test drive vehicles exhibiting a shudder or surge condition possibly caused by poor reaction of the hydraulic pressure circuit.
Showing the 6 most recent of 148 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-23 · Suspension · 124,175 mi“the contact owns a 2015 mitsubishi outlander sport. the contact stated that while driving, the contact felt as is the vehicle was about to lose control. additionally, while accelerating, the contact almost lost control of the vehicle control. the contact associated the failure with nhtsa campaign number: 21v144000 (suspension, structure); however, …”
2026-07-20 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“front air bags did not deploy upon impact at approximately 40mph…”
2026-07-06 · Power Train“while driving on a highway at approximately 55–60 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost its ability to accelerate and maintain power. the engine rpm increased, but the vehicle would not respond normally, creating a significant safety hazard in traffic. the cvt transmission intermittently enters a reduced-power mode (limp mode), making it difficult to safe…”
2026-06-29 · Vehicle Speed Control“purchased used car in july 2024 and was able to drive it maybe 2 months and the transmission would not shift and would come to a complete stop. not a safe feeling driving in 3 lanes of traffic on a busy highway at rush hour. transmission light on and took to mechanic and was told this make and model is notorious for transmission failure and it need…”
2026-03-04 · Vehicle Speed Control“hesitation when accelerating. has stalled while driving. has come to a complete stop when put in reverse. …”
2026-02-09 · Power Train“car jerks like it’s losing power when pulling off, not sure if it’s transmission issue or engine issue…”
2025-08-07 · Power Train · 86,429 mi“the contact owns a 2015 mitsubishi outlander sport. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds and while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated upon depressing the accelerator pedal. additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to shift to reverse(r). the warning message "service transmission" was displayed…”
2025-08-06 · Power Train · 30,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 mitsubishi outlander sport. the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing rough idling, and the failure mainly occurred while the air conditioning system was activated. additionally, while driving at various speeds or from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated, jerked, and responded upon depressing the accelerator pe…”
2025-04-04 · Air Bags“air bag explode on impact of accident. hurt face both handes with burns. no warning lights insurance yes for pay out for accident smoke from air bag…”
2025-02-23 · Power Train“while driving on the highway the car did a "skip", then the check transmission light came on. i got off the highway, shut the car off, waited a while and started the car again. the light was off so i drove home. as i was driving the light came on again. the next time it came on the code was p084a. have not had it checked by dealer yet. the mechanic…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.