What 55 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander

The sunroof on our vehicle, self exploded while driving. There was a loud bang, and then we were covered in sunroof glass shards. The fine dust of the sunroof glass went into my right eye which created minor eye irritation. I was able to pull over. Flush out my eye with water and then proceeded to remove the pieces of glass from the sunroof area because I was afraid the pieces would blow off and hit any vehicle that was behind us for the remainder of our drive home. It scared the hell out of us. I am thankful that my daughter was not driving due to seeing her panic reaction from this experience. There were no drivers in front of us. We were not driving under any trees. It was a clear open rural road. Went to our local dealer. They inspected the sunroof & stated they have never seen anything like this happen. Since I was out of the warranty due to mileage(9,000 over)they suggest I go through my insurance company to resolve this matter. My view on this is it wasn’t so much a warranty issue, but a huge safety issue. Never would I imagine a Sunroof self exploding while driving and not causing me to have an accident because of my reaction to it. So with this in mind, I directly called Mitsubishi motors of North America. I had them open up a case number on this issue. The final response back from the manufacture was that I needed to go through my insurance company to deal with having my sunroof replaced. During filing my case to the manufacture directly, they asked me what I would like to have Mitsubishi motors of North America do. I stated to have my sunroof replaced with the right tempered glass. That this was a scary situation and one of great safety concern that no sunroof with all the manufacture testing should ever have this happen. I was very disappointed that they were not willing to take the responsibility of replacing the sunroof properly with the right tempered glass. My insurance company view the photo of the sun roof damage and a claim is in the process.

NHTSA ODI 11559095

I was in a head on collision on 12/13/2022, and the air bag failed to deploy. The failure of the air bag deployment cause my chest to slam into the steering wheel along with my knees on the steering column. I went to the hospital for observation and any unknown injuries. My chest hurts and knees along with consistent visions of my life flashing in my mind due to the trauma of this incident. The police, nurses, family, and friends said that I’m lucky to not have serious injuries from the failure of the air bag deployment. I have pictures, police report, and other supporting documents. My 2018 Outlander air bag deployment failure is a serious issue, and it needs to be looked into due to safety, lives, and failure from the air bag. Police report number is on drivers involved. All other vehicles involved air bags deployed, but my Outlander’s air bag failed to deploy. Dangerous to myself or other air bag failures. The manufacturer of the vehicle need’s notified with a full investigation into this matter.

NHTSA ODI 11497480

I was driving when a woman pulled out In front of me. I was going 49 mph and have the EDR report to prove so. (I was wearing my seatbelt). The front of my car smashed into the rear end of her car and I smashed the right side of my head into the steering wheel. I’ve sustained a traumatic brain injury, long term post concussion syndrome along with a page long list of injuries that I’m still dealing with. It’s been a little over a year and my injuries are just getting worse. Mitsubishi sent a guy out to read my Event Data Recorder with promises of giving me a copy of the report. After 6-7 months of them refusing me the report and telling me the air bags should not have went off i hires a lawyer to subpoena a copy of the report. It says the safety features failed. But here I am left with a car that’s totaled and injuries I will never recover from. I also did research and found out that my car was made in the same plant on the same line as the other 68,000 recalled 2018 outlanders. I can’t understand why mine wasn’t part of the recall?!?! It was made in between the dates as the other 68,000 that was recalled.

NHTSA ODI 11437886

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE DRIVER HIS DAUGHTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS DAUGHTER WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP, A VEHICLE DRIVING AT 50 MPH FAILED TO STOP AND CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT REAR REMOVING THE VEHICLE REAR BUMPER, AND TAIL LIGHTS, THE DRIVER PROCEEDED TO SPIN THE CONTACT VEHICLE IN A CIRCLE, AND PUSHED THE CONTACT VEHICLE INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE DRIVER AIR BAG, PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG, THE STEERING AIR BAG, THE SIDE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL, DRIVER SUSTAINED DISK, INJURY, HEAD TRAUMA, CONCUSSION, EARS RINGING, MEMORY LOST, NECK, BACK INJURY, CAN NOT LOOK INTO BRIGHT LIGHT. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED HEAD TRAUMA, NECK, BACK, KNEES INJURIES. THE READ OAK POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS PRESENT, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION SHOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000. *LN*DT*JB CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS.*JB

NHTSA ODI 11327258

ON MARCH 11 TH, MY OUTLANDER WAS UNABLE TO STOP AND HAD MINIMAL TRACTION IN ABOUT A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF SNOW CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO HIT A TREE HEAD ON. I WAS DRIVING UNDER 30 MILES AN HOUR WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. AFTER HITTING THE TREE, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SMOKE. I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND TURNED AROUND TO SEE THE AIRBAG ONLY PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. FROM THERE, MY VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. NOW, AFTER REQUESTING MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO DEMAND A SAFETY INSPECTION FROM THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP TO NO AVAIL, I'VE CONTACTED MITSUBISHI CORPORATE AND GAVE THEM MY ACCIDENT REPORT WITH HIGH CONCERN IN REGARDS TO THE RECALL #18V621. I HAVE OFFERED TO TOW MY OUTLANDER TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE RESPONDED TO MY CONCERN BY REFUSING TO EVALUATE AND INSPECT THIS VEHICLE. WHEN I LAST SPOKE TO MY CASE MANAGER AT MITSUBISHI CORPORATE, SHE LET ME KNOW THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO. I HAVE CALLED THE NASHUA NH DEALERSHIP TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SAFETY INSPECTION OF THIS RECALL AND THEY HAVE REFUSED TO HAVE THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATE. TODAY, I HAVE BEEN TOLD UPON TOWING MY VEHICLE THERE THAT THEY REFUSED DELIVERY OF THE OUTLANDER. I HAVE NOT AGREED TO THE SETTLEMENT OFFERED BY MY INSURANCE AND CONTINUE TO SEEK MEANS OF HAVING THIS VEHICLE INSPECTED FOR THE RECALL WHICH I'M CERTAIN CAUSED MY ACCIDENT. CORPORATE DID STATE THAT IF I SUBROGATE THAN THEY MAY BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE MY DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. AS OF TODAY, I'M IN THE PROCESS OF GATHERING DOCUMENTS.

NHTSA ODI 11202533

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AS LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V621000 (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). WHILE DRIVING 28 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TOWED FROM THE SCENE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000. *JS *JS

NHTSA ODI 11192398

'TAKATA RECALL' I GOT INTO A THREE COLLISION ACCIDENT ON A CITY HIGHWAY. WHEN I WAS BRAKING TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT IT KEPT ON MOVING LIKE IT WAYS DELAYED. I BELIEVE THAT THE ACCIDENT COULD OF BEEN PREVENTABLE IF MY BRAKES WAS AWARE THAT MY FEET WAS ON IT. IT'S LIKE THE CAR WAS DOING IT'S OWN THING. THERE COULD BE MORE THINGS UNKNOWN GOING ON WITH THE CAR. I JUST BROUGHT THIS CAR 2 MONTHS AGO.

NHTSA ODI 11162079

TAKATA RECALL.. I WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11113921

ON 27MAY2018, I STARTED MY 2018 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV AND PUT IT IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF THE GARAGE. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE ALARM DINGED AND THE CAR WOULD NOT REVERSE. MY CONSOLE INDICATED THE CHARGE CORD WAS STILL PLUGGED IN. SO I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR TO UNPLUG THE CORD, NOT REALIZING THAT I NEVER PRESSED THE 'P' BUTTON TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK. I DIDN'T EVEN THINK TO PRESS THE 'P' BUTTON TO INITIATE PARK BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD NO MOTION. ANYWAY, I QUICKLY UNPLUGGED THE CHARGER, AND IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER, THE CAR STARTED MOVING IN REVERSE, WHICH WAS THE LAST COMMAND THAT I HAD PLACED IT IN. IN SHOCK, I RAN AROUND TO THE BACK OF THE CAR WITHOUT SHUTTING THE ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE DOOR AND WAS NEARLY RUN OVER BY THE VEHICLE WHILE TRYING TO STOP IT FROM ROLLING OUT OF MY GARAGE. LUCKILY, I MOVED OUT OF THE WAY QUICKLY ENOUGH, BACK AROUND THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR, HOPPED INTO MY SEAT, AND HIT THE 'P' BUTTON TO PARK THE CAR. HOWEVER, BEFORE THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE DOOR I LEFT OPEN IN MY HASTE WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED BY THE VEHICLE REVERSING INTO THE SIDE OF MY GARAGE DOOR OPENING. OVERALL, THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT I FEEL WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IN A CONVENTIONAL VEHICLE BECAUSE, IN A CONVENTIONAL VEHICLE, THE DRIVER, UPON REMOVING HIS OR HER FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, WOULD IMMEDIATELY NOTICE IF THE VEHICLE WAS ACTUALLY IN PARK OR REVERSE. IN CONTRAST, THE PHEV WAS IN A STANDBY STATE, WHICH APPEARED THE SAME AS PARK, THEREBY SIMULATING THE PERCEPTION OF BEING IN PARK EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY WAS UNDER THE LAST COMMAND OF REVERSE. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS INCIDENT HAS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT VEHICLE AND PROPERTY DAMAGE, NOT TO MENTION A HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WOULD RECOMMEND THE 2018 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV BE PROGRAMMED TO SHIFT TO PARK AUTOMATICALLY IF THE CHARGE CORD IS STILL PLUGGED IN.

NHTSA ODI 11098228