2016 Mitsubishi Outlander problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (51) · Vehicle Speed Control (12) · Exterior Lighting (10)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mitsubishi Outlander model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
82 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (8)
Structure:body:hatchback/Liftgate:support Device/Strut 2026-04-20 · campaign 26V252000 · 108,046 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV and 2014-2020 Outlander vehicles. The liftgate gas spring cylinders may corrode and lose pressure, which can result in a gas spring cylinder rupture or the liftgate falling unexpectedly.
Risk: A gas spring cylinder rupture or a liftgate falling unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: MMNA will replace the left and right liftgate gas springs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2026. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-26-001. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov June 3, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V507.
Structure:body:hatchback/Liftgate:support Device/Strut 2025-08-07 · campaign 25V507000 · 121,529 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV and 2014-2020 Outlander vehicles sold and/or currently registered in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The liftgate gas spring
Risk: A gas spring cylinder rupture or a liftgate falling unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: MMNA will replace the left and right liftgate gas springs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 6, 2025. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-25-002
Parking Brake 2020-11-30 · campaign 20V741000 · 21,758 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2016 Outlander and Outlander Sport vehicles. The rust prevention coating on the rear brake operating shafts could have been peeled off during the assembly process. As a result, water entering the rear brake caliper boot may cause the parking brake operating shafts to corrode and possibly bind.
Risk: If the parking brake operating shafts bind, the parking brakes may not engage or disengage fully. If the parking brakes do not engage properly, the vehicle could rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear brake caliper assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 4, 2021. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-20-005.
Seat Belts: Rear/Other:buckle Assembly 2020-07-13 · campaign 20V403000 · 177,000 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Outlander and 2018-2019 Outlander PHEV vehicles. The second-row center seat belt buckle may interfere with the right-side seat belt buckle when the seat backs are folded down. The interference may cause the right-side seat belt buckle cover to come off, making the buckle latch inoperable and unable to restrain an occupant.
Risk: An unrestrained occupant has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will modify the second-row center seat belt buckle cover, install a new warning label to the second-row seat support base, and provide a new warning label insert for the owner's manual, free of charge. The recall began September 1, 2020. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-20-004.
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.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch 2017-04-06 · campaign 17V233000 · 35,674 vehicles
Defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2016 Outlander and Outlander Sport vehicles. The inside door latch mechanisms may not latch securely in high temperatures, allowing the doors to open while vehicle is in motion.
Risk: If a door opens while the vehicle is being driven, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-17-002.
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.
Service bulletins (142)
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.
Visibility/Wiper 2026-02-12 · TSB-23-55-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this revised technical service bulletin provides instructions on how to remedy noise from the hvac system (heater, air conditioner, ventilation vents) when the blower motor is turned on.
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.
Structure:body 2025-10-08 · TIN-25-SR-002A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this technical information notice informs dealers that mmna is investigating the field performance of certain liftgate gas springs outside the population of vehicles covered by safety recall no. sr-25-002.
Electrical System 2024-07-23 · TSB-18-54-006REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this technical service bulletin provides instructions for a software update to correct an issue of the rear view camera displaying on the display audio unit while driving forward.
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 142 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-15 · Power Train“this vehicle exhibits a severe and dangerous acceleration hesitation, accompanied by a sudden, momentary loss of engine torque when pulling out from stops or trying to merge onto highways. this unexpected loss of power leaves the vehicle stranded briefly in oncoming traffic, creating an immediate crash hazard. this failure matches the exact physica…”
2026-09-05 · Suspension“the annual state safety inspection failed due to a severely rust corroded front cross-member. a corrosion hole developed right where the air conditioner condensate drain port is located right above it. earlier manufacturing years of this same vehicle had a major recall for this exact same cause. continued use without replacing the front cross-mem…”
2026-08-27 · Vehicle Speed Control · 145,000 mi“the contact owns a 2016 mitsubishi outlander. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle unintendedly decreased speed. no warning lights illuminated. a dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and…”
2026-07-23 · 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 stoppe…”
2025-11-18 · Parking Brake · 93,000 mi“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 cam…”
2025-10-16 · Power Train · 50,000 mi“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 …”
2025-09-23 · 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 diagnos…”
2025-02-26 · 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 …”
2024-11-22 · Wheels“cvt transmission is slipping really bad and tps not working .…”
2024-11-20 · 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?…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.