What breaks most · 2003 to 2019 model years
Mitsubishi Outlander problems by year
Owners have filed 644 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mitsubishi Outlander across model years 2003 to 2019. Two years stand out: 2003 for suspension complaints and 2007 for suspension complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2005 and 2017.
- Years to check closely: 2003, 2007
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2005, 2017
- Complaints on file
- 6442003 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2003111 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 695 fires · 63 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 59kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 109Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | 9 | 6 | Suspension (25) | |
| 48 | 10 | 4 | Suspension (16) | |
| 16 | 3 | 1 | Suspension (6) | |
| 19 | 1 | 1 | Exterior lighting (7) | |
| 104 | 5 | 9 | Suspension (44) | |
| 47 | 1 | 12 | Powertrain and transmission (8) | |
| 42 | 5 | 13 | Suspension (5) | |
| 50 | 4 | 10 | Engine (12) | |
| 39 | 3 | 8 | Engine (13) | |
| 10 | 0 | 6 | Wipers and visibility (3) | |
| 19 | 3 | 5 | Wipers and visibility (6) | |
| 32 | 8 | 4 | Air bags (11) | |
| 32 | 3 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (14) | |
| 45 | 5 | 8 | Body and structure (8) | |
| 17 | 4 | 6 | Brakes (7) | |
| 12 | 5 | 6 | Unknown or other (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 5 | Electrical system (1) |
What fails on the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 23% |
25 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 17% |
19 | 1 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 13% |
14 | 2 | Shop steering parts for the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 12% |
13 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 8% |
9 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander |
| Air bags | 6% |
7 | 5 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 5% |
6 | 1 | Shop visibility parts for the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander |
| Seat belts | 5% |
6 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Our mits. Outlander pulls to the right, badly! We had it aligned...twice! Had new tires put on, re-aligned, and it still pulls to the right! If i let go of the wheel, w/in 2 seconds, i am in the next lane!
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I crashed my car due to the rotting away of my sub frame and control arms, mitsubishi is not taking responsibility. The car has been sitting at crown mitsubishi and they only jwant to fix the recall
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mitsubishi Outlander years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003, 2007 carry the most filings on the Mitsubishi Outlander. The 2003 alone has 111 complaints, led by suspension.
What is the most common Mitsubishi Outlander problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is suspension with 25 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mitsubishi Outlander problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mitsubishi Outlander complaints that include mileage is about 59,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.