2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Outlander Phev years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev. That is the most of any Outlander Phev model year in the database (9 years). The most reported problem area is power train (5 complaints, 33%), typically at around 10,328 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 15owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 5 | 33% | 10,328 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 27% | 10,329 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 27% | 5,100 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 27% | 9,300 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 20% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 20% | 8,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 13% | 3,300 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 7% | 10,328 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 7% | 3,547 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 7% | 1,843 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 7% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 7% | 1,843 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:support device/strut
Problem: 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
Problem: 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 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 October 6, 2025. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-25-002
Seat belts: rear/other:buckle assembly
Problem: 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.
Forward collision avoidance:software:pedestrian/cyclist/object/obstacle/ recognition; electrical system:software
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Outlander Sport, 2018-2019 Eclipse Cross, and 2017-2018 Outlander vehicles equipped with a Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system that detects pedestrians. Due to incorrect software, the FCM-ECU (Electronic Control Unit) may apply braking for longer than needed, even after a pedestrian is no longer detected.
Risk: If the FCM-ECU software activates the brake for longer than necessary, the driver may react by applying additional braking. The resulting rapid deceleration of the vehicle can increase the risk of a rear-end collision.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the FCM-ECU software with updated software, free of charge. The recall is began October 16, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-007.
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control; electronic stability control (esc); electrical system:software; service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with a Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system and 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross vehicles and 2017-2018 Outlander vehicles equipped with an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system and/or an Electric Parking Brake (EPB) system. The software for the Hydraulic Unit Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may be incorrect, possibly preventing the intervention of a safety system such as automatic emergency braking, Anti-lock Braking (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), or the Brake Auto Hold (BAH) function when any of these systems are in use.
Risk: If the safety systems do not function as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will update the Hydraulic Unit-ECU software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-008.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
While driving my vehicle, the propulsion reduced warning light came on and the car went from 70 mph to 10 mph. I was driving up a grade in the late evening. I had a full tank of gas but no miles left on the electric charge indicator. After i pulled over and waited a few minutes the light went off…
Call volume is set for 11 and can't be heard over common road noise. This causes distracted driving as the driver attempts to turn off bluetooth or worse to transfer the call to the phone - which is illegal in most states requiring hands free calls. This is a long known problem and was supposed to…
The vehicle slowed down to 20 mph when the outside air temperature was near 95 deg f and the road slightly uphill. A message came on the dashboard that read limited propulsion. It happened on i-15 on the way to vegas last september. I filed a complaint with bbb and the answer i got from mitsubishi…
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shift into park. The contact was able to shift the vehicle into other gears however, the vehicle failure to shift into park persisted. The contact turned the vehicle…
Started up the car and started backing up out of my garage. When i put my car into reverse i saw my charging port door open on the passenger side of the car at this point my cars back end was partially sticking out of the garage i put the car into park by pushing the park button, i opened the door…
Other Mitsubishi Outlander Phev years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Outlander Phev | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 Outlander Phev | 2 | 1 |
| 2024 Outlander Phev | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 Outlander Phev | 1 | 2 |
| 2022 Outlander Phev | 1 | 2 |
| 2021 Outlander Phev | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 Outlander Phev | 0 | 2 |
| 2019 Outlander Phev | 1 | 4 |
| 2018 | 15 | 5 |
See all Mitsubishi Outlander Phev problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
Similar Mitsubishi models
Embed this 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, service brakes problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Outlander Phev model years, the 2018 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.