Home · 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander · Complaints

What 51 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (51)Crash / fire / injury (8)Brakes (12)Airbags (8)Electrical system (8)Engine (8)Transmission & drivetrain (7)Visibility & wipers (6)Driver assistance (3)Lights (3)Seat belts (3)Seats (3)

Newest first · 51 complaints · page 1 of 3

May 4, 2026AirbagsLane DepartureDriver assistance

FCM/ service required camera. Camera/braking assistance. Electric SRS /Airbag of

NHTSA ODI 11735439

May 4, 2026

The CVT transmission went out at 115k and has to be replaced and can not be repaired

NHTSA ODI 11735516

Mar 11, 2026Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering, and it was difficult to stabilize the steering wheel before the vehicle shut off. The check transmission message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called an independent mechanic who was unable to locate a transmission fault. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to a Mitsubishi dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

NHTSA ODI 11723534

Aug 23, 2025Electrical system

I keep getting the 4wd system service pop up and my vehicle stalls at 40 and jerks a lot.

NHTSA ODI 11682632

Mar 6, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

Cvt transmission bad at 81,000 miles as well as the transfer case causing delay in shifting and rough shifting.

NHTSA ODI 11646872

Nov 15, 2024BrakesDriver assistance

The electric parking break was stuck and alarm going off. Only used ebrake maybe 5 times in the years I have had my car. This time was I used it while parked on a hill. The ebrake would not disengage properly. Dealer says need a new one, even though the electric parking brake now engages and releases ok, just the alarm won't go off. Then I learned that there was a recall for the 2016 Outlanders for the parking brake not engaging/disengaging properly. Why is there not a recall for the 2017 Outlanders with this problem?

NHTSA ODI 11625635

Oct 7, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngine

I would that it's too early for my vehicle with 64900 miles already has an oil pan gasket that causes a leak to my vehicle every time I do oil change on time and also that I have a cooler hose of the transmission leaked and for the transmission to be in service every 60000 miles. So I filed a complaint against the manufacturer who is the cause for this model for the same year to have the same problem for having any leaks too early. So I need your help that the manufacturer should recall the same model from this year based on the mileage of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11618600

Sep 7, 2023Visibility & wipersLane Departure

Failure of driver side exterior mirror. 3 years after purchase of vehicle the mirror would no longer move in and out. Dealer replaced with OEM quality mirror July 2021. 2 years later (August 2023)mirror now has the exact same malfunction/defect. Mitsubishi is unable to tell me why the failure happened in the first place or why it has again happened. Mitsubishi refuses to take any action to fully rectify this issue. They only suggest again replacing the mirror. As the mirror is part of a side vehicle warning system the malfunction creates the possibility of a side collision with another vehicle. Thank you , [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11543226

Jun 8, 2023BrakesDriver assistance

E brake will not disengage.

NHTSA ODI 11526117

Dec 10, 2022BrakesCrash

12/08/22 My breaks malfunctioned prior to impact i could not stop and i rear ended another car the other persons car wasn't nearly as bad as mine ..my outlander however is totaled. even though i was only doing 30. they were replaced in September 2022 as well but the problem had happened a few times before but i didn't know if there was a recall on it until now . and i have also had my engine stall on a few occasions for no reason. im very disappointed . had my breaks not malfunctioned id still have my car

NHTSA ODI 11496898

Nov 14, 2022Electrical systemEngine

I’ve changed the battery at least once or twice within the first 2 years of purchasing the vehicle from the dealer with zero miles on it. Lately (in the past 2 months) I’ve changed the battery at least four times or more. Some expensive batteries as well. In the past 2 months, it’s been giving me problems including stalling on me, slowing down on the highway, sometimes won’t start at all, sometimes it’ll say electrical system service required. Once it said four-wheel drive system service required on the highway as it slew down and I had to pull aside. I’ve noticed some recalls on the vehicle via internet research. It may not be specific to my vehicle, but it does seem very familiar problems with my vehicle. Such as Electrical system: Starter assembly: Relay, Electronic stability control, Electrical system: Software and even with the transmission. I’ve towed the vehicle to the Mitsubishi dealer in Totowa, NJ today. I was informed that my specific vehicle doesn’t any recalls. Service advisor did say there are other similar vehicles did have those recalls but mine didn’t come up on the recall.

NHTSA ODI 11493486

Jun 18, 2022SuspensionSpeed control

1. Speed control: Our family outlander has had some issues following our purchase, and I was assured that the hesitation when depressing the accelerator was just a product of the CVT transmission. It’s something we have just learned to deal with given the information we were provided with. It has put us in a bad position with countless near misses over the years when needing to merge, and the annoying stall that happens when accelerating after a stop sign or red light. We have just moved from the Midwest to Phoenix(car only has 30k miles), and the hesitation and stalling is worse than ever. Even with a 3/4 depress on the accelerator, the notion of movement correlating with the amount of gas given is an eon apart. I must also mention that there are times that the car releases like a race car as well, but with minimal pressure on the accelerator. It seems like it’s an obvious programming issue or maybe just a few bad relays. I’m hoping there is a light at the end of the tunnel for this one. 2. Suspension: Our vehicle has sounded like it has had major issues since the beginning, but was told it was normal. The car has always made a loud clunk when reversing after a first of the day start. It is then followed up after warming up with a clunk in the front seats center below us, and while turning in either direction. Hitting any minor bump on a highway while on any mild curve also causes the vehicle to jump a few feet over by itself. It’s frightening judging just how the car will grip after it’s roll. The only remedy is to decelerate under the speed limit during any curve to avoid the situation all together. I’m not sure I’d ever purchase a Mitsubishi again, as I’m only scratching the surface with mechanical defects. I would be happy to finally get some answers on how this was left in the dark so long. It’s comforting knowing friends and family dealing with the same problems. Thanks you, and warm regards! [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11469872

Mar 14, 2022

Trunk strut exploded while closing the trunk, rod went through the right tail light.

NHTSA ODI 11456670

Feb 15, 2022Visibility & wipers

I am the owner of a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander. On February 14, 2022 at 1:00 PM, my wife and I were driving home along the 405 freeway northbound from our son’s house. All of a sudden, we heard a loud bang and shattered glass entered the vehicle from overhead. The majority of the sunroof glass spontaneously flew off with only remnants of shattered glass entering the vehicle. Upon later inspection, I noticed that the glass was very fragile (easily breaks). There were no warning messages and no prior indication of problems with the glass sunroof. The glass sunroof randomly broke without incident (i.e., no contact with any other vehicles). The experience was tremendously jarring and unsettling because it was completely unexpected and could have caused me to lose control of the vehicle. Fortunately, I was able to maintain control of the vehicle and avoided any accident. We were a few car lengths away from any vehicles, both to the front of us and from behind and there were no foreign objects inside the vehicle that would indicate foul play. Since we are both retired, the SUV is kept in the garage most of the time. It only has 31,500 miles on it. We are reporting this incident to let you know that it could happen again to other vehicles of the same model or manufacturer that could result in serious injuries. I hope you’ll look into this incident as soon as possible. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please look at the quality of the glass and its proper installation. I went to the Cerritos Mitsubishi dealership on the day of the incident (February 14, 2022) to show them the damage.

NHTSA ODI 11452107

Jan 8, 2022Seat belts

Unknown

NHTSA ODI 11446736

Mar 23, 2021Transmission & drivetrain

THE 2017 HAS THE SAME CVT TRANSMISSION AS THE RECALLED 2015 AND 2016 MODELS. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 4 YEARS AND ITS NOW HESITATING ON ACCELERATION - A CLASSIC SIGN OF CVT FAILURE. MITSUBISHI MECHANIC ADVISES ME TO PAY 8 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPLACE THIS AS ITS OUT OF WARRANTY (124K MILES) I CONTEND THAT THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AS THE PRIOR YEARS MODELS ARE.

NHTSA ODI 11404540

Mar 17, 2021Visibility & wipers

WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE NOT WORKING AT ALL. THEY WERE WORKING ONLY ON HIGH AND NOW HAVE QUIT WORKING ENTIRELY. THE WIPER ARMS ARE STRIPPED.

NHTSA ODI 11403468

Aug 31, 2020Lights

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE TRAVELLING WITH MY FAMILY WITHIN LESS THAN A YEAR OF OWNING THE NEW CAR (2017 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER). THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT THE PLACE OF PURCHASE, A MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP, TO REPLACE THE BULBS WHICH AGAIN WENT OUT WITHIN 7 MONTHS. NEXT, THE BULBS WERE REPLACED AT THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP ONLY TO LOSE THEM AGAIN ON VEHICLE STARTUP 12 - 13 MONTHS LATER. I WAS LEFT WITH NO LIGHTS IN THE DARK AND SUBJECT TO GETTING TO AN AREA OF SAFETY WITH FAMILY IN THE CAR. I AM DILIGENT WITH PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE & REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS ISSUE IS AN ISOLATED CONDITION WITH THE OEM BULBS AS THEY CONTINUE TO FAIL IN THE SAME MOMENT.

NHTSA ODI 11352229

Aug 12, 2020Seats

DRIVER SEAT MOVE TO MUCH COMPLETE BRING CAR BACK TO DEALER SAY NOTHING CAN'T DO FOR ME THIS HAPPENS FROM THE DAY I BY THE CAR .I NEED HELP WHIT THIS PROBLEM & I CALL MITSUBISHI OF NORTH AMERICA TOLL ME SEAT IS NO PART OF SAFETY IN THE CAR

NHTSA ODI 11348828

Jul 15, 2020Transmission & drivetrainEngine

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR FROM A SLOWER ENTRANCE SPEED TO A HIGHWAY AND AFTER GETTING UP TO SPEED THE ENGINE WILL CONTINUE TO REV AT HIGHER RPM UNTIL I AM OFF THE THROTTLE COMPLETELY. THEN AFTER REAPPLYING THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SHIFT DOWN. NO MATTER HOW LIGHT OR STEADY THE THROTTLE, EVEN BARELY TOUCHING THROTTLE AT ALL, IT SEEMS TO STAY IN "PASSING GEAR". THIS HAS THE CVT TRANMISSION AND IT HAS NEVER DONE THIS UNTIL THE LAST SERVICING OF FLUID CHANGE IN THE DIFFS/TRANNY. CURRENTLY HAVE 77K MILES. LAST SERVICE WAS AT 2K. I PLAN TO TAKE IT TO DEALER FOR NEXT OIL CHANGE AND HAVE IT LOOKED AT

NHTSA ODI 11339598

Jul 8, 2020

I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE SINCE JUNE 2019. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO BE SERVICED 4 TIMES FOR A MAJOR LEAK WITH A CRAZY RATTLE NOISE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEN YOU DRIVE THE CAR WITH THE AC ON. EVENTUALLY THEY REPLACED THE AC ASSEMBLY. HOWEVER, IT STILL MAKES THE RATTLING NOISE FROM THE AREA THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2017. TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT.

NHTSA ODI 11338245

Apr 4, 2020Electrical system

THE VEHICLE WON'T START. BATTERY KEEPS DRAINING, I HAVE TO CHARGE THE BATTERY WITH A CHARGER EACH TIME. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL THAT CONTINUOUSLY IS DRYING THE BATTERY. HAD IT CHECKED A YEAR AGO WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND THEY TOLD ME I COULD OPT TO HAVE THEM INSTALL IN A TRICKLE CHARGER TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, OF COURSE AT MY EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 8,000 MILES PRESENTLY. WHEN PURCHASED NEW IT HAD 300 MILES. NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, IF THE BATTERY CONTINUES TO DRAIN I FEEL IT HAS AN ELECTRICAL DEFECT NOT JUST A BATTERY ISSUE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE LAST WEEK OR TWO.

NHTSA ODI 11320184

Mar 16, 2020Brakes

EMERGENCY BREAK STUCK AND ALARM SOUNDING. FIRST TIME EBRAKE WAS EVER USED. VEHICLES EBRAKE WAS SET WHILE PARKED ON A HILL. WILL NOT DISENGAGE PROPERLY.

NHTSA ODI 11318252

Feb 5, 2020AirbagsSeat beltsBody & structure

THE SERVICE AIRBAG SOON LIGHT IS ON. WHEN TAKEN TO A MECHANIC IT DOESN'T SHOW ANYTHING IN THE COMPUTER. THE MIDDLE ROW MIDDLE AND RIGHT SIDE SEATBELTS ARE DIFFERENT SIZES AND PASSENGERS GET STUCK IF THEY PUT THE LATCH IN THE WRONG ONE. RUNNING BOARD CLIPS PASSENGER SIDE KEEP BREAKING.

NHTSA ODI 11307249

Jan 20, 2020SteeringElectrical systemLights

MY INTERIOR LIGHTS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. INITIALLY WHEN I NOTICED THE PROBLEM, ONE SIDE WAS WORKING AND THE OTHER ONE WAS NOT. NOW, NONE OF THE LIGHTS WORKS. ADDITIONALLY, MY HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY EITHER.

NHTSA ODI 11300468

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Working with the data? Download all 51 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 12, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander verdict →