2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport recalls & complaints

1. Brakes

What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. 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.

What could happen: 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.

The 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.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 OUTLANDER SPORT.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Mitsubishi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 20V741000 (manufacturer code SR-20-005).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-888-648-7820.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

2. Body / structure

What's wrong, in plain English: Body panels, frame, doors, hood, trunk or latches. 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,…

What could happen: A detached front control arm can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The 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.…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 OUTLANDER SPORT.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Mitsubishi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 20V279000 (manufacturer code SR-20-003).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-888-648-7820.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

3. Electrical system

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. These vehicles may have defective relays that can result in an engine stall, reduced engine power or the engine overheating.

What could happen: If the engine stalls, there is an increased the risk of a crash.

The 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.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 OUTLANDER SPORT.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Mitsubishi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 17V609000 (manufacturer code SR-17-005).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-888-648-7820.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

4. Visibility (wipers / glass)

What's wrong, in plain English: You may not be able to see the road clearly. 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.

What could happen: Loss of wiper function can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash.

The 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.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 OUTLANDER SPORT.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Mitsubishi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 18V103000 (manufacturer code SR-18-004).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-888-648-7820.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

5. Brakes

What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. Water may enter the rear brake calipers causing the parking brake actuator shafts to corrode and possibly bind.

What could happen: 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.

The 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 Mar…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 OUTLANDER SPORT.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Mitsubishi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 18V070000 (manufacturer code SR-18-002).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-888-648-7820.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

6. Transmission / drivetrain

What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. The affected vehicles are equipped with a constant velocity transmission (CVT) that, in certain driving conditions, may cause a delay in the vehicle accelerating.

What could happen: A hesitation during acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.

The 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.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 OUTLANDER SPORT.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Mitsubishi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V563000 (manufacturer code SR-16-006).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-888-648-7820.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

7. Latches / locks

What's wrong, in plain English: Doors, hood or trunk may open unexpectedly. The inside door latch mechanisms may not latch securely in high temperatures, allowing the doors to open while vehicle is in motion.

What could happen: If a door opens while the vehicle is being driven, it can increase the risk of injury.

The 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.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 OUTLANDER SPORT.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Mitsubishi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 17V233000 (manufacturer code SR-17-002).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-888-648-7820.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

8. Body / structure

What's wrong, in plain English: Body panels, frame, doors, hood, trunk or latches. Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Outlander Sport vehicles manufactured August 26, 2010, to June 1, 2012, and 2016 Outlander Sport vehicles manufactured January 11, 2016, to July 8, 2016. The lift gate support outer tube on the affected vehicles may have insufficient anti-corrosion treatment that can allow the outer tube to corrode due to salt and water penetratio…

What could happen: If the outer tube corrodes, there may be a rapid loss of the gas used to provide lift assistance, causing the lift gate to fall suddenly, increasing the risk of injury.

The fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the lift gate supports, free of charge. The recall began on January 20, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-011.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 OUTLANDER SPORT.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Mitsubishi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V867000 (manufacturer code SR-16-011).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-888-648-7820.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Most complained-about parts: Transmission / drivetrain (65), Engine (28), Brakes (25), Unknown Or Other (18), Electrical system (16).

Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.