2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Outlander years
- About as many complaints as other years 8th of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4–5 out of 5 stars (varies by version)
Owners have filed 57 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. That ranks 8th out of 23 Outlander model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (12 complaints, 21%), typically at around 28,000 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 8 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 57owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 12 | 21% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 10 | 18% | 36,543 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 9 | 16% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 14% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 14% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 9% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 7% | 14,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 5% | 13,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 5% | 20,900 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 5% | 30 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 5% | 38,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 4% | 7,295 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 2% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Carry Handle, Shell, Base | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 2% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 2% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 2% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 2% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 2% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 2% | 13,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander recalls (6)
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.
Equipment:other:labels; wheels:rim
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Mitsubishi Outlander vehicles equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels. The Certification Label lists an incorrect rear wheel rim size. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: The incorrect rim size information on the label can cause the operator to replace the rim with an incorrect rim size, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners and send them a corrected certification label, free of charge. Owners can also choose to have the label replaced by a dealer, free of charge. The recall began September 26, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-006.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Driving down the road and the engine shuts off. Yes its available upon request. I have reported it to my mechanic. The safety is me and others as this has happened 3 times in the past 2 weeks in the middle of traffic. My mechanic has been the only one to look at the car and doesnt know what is…
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V252000 (Structure). The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact was informed that…
See attached document for complaint
1. On hot/warm days when I start my vehicle it will run then die and give me the code for Mass air sensor which I replaced but it keeps doing it; the check engine will stay on for a while then turn off until it does it again. 2. When driving and I go over a speed bump the suspension grinds or does…
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH over a pothole, the driver's side and passenger side curtain airbags erroneously deployed. The contact stated that no collision had occurred prior to the air bags deployment. The manufacturer…
Other Mitsubishi Outlander years
← 2017 Outlander · 2019 Outlander →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Outlander | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 Outlander | 15 | 1 |
| 2024 Outlander | 26 | 1 |
| 2023 Outlander | 49 | 2 |
| 2022 Outlander | 216 | 7 |
| 2020 Outlander | 31 | 3 |
| 2019 Outlander | 29 | 5 |
| 2018 | 57 | 6 |
| 2017 Outlander | 51 | 6 |
| 2016 Outlander | 145 | 8 |
| 2015 Outlander | 53 | 5 |
| 2014 Outlander | 45 | 4 |
| 2013 Outlander | 26 | 5 |
| 2012 Outlander | 22 | 6 |
| 2011 Outlander | 58 | 8 |
| 2010 Outlander | 60 | 10 |
| 2009 Outlander | 46 | 13 |
| 2008 Outlander | 58 | 12 |
| 2007 Outlander | 125 | 9 |
| 2006 Outlander | 21 | 1 |
| 2005 Outlander | 19 | 1 |
| 2004 Outlander | 52 | 4 |
| 2003 Outlander | 116 | 6 |
See all Mitsubishi Outlander problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
Similar Mitsubishi models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander?
Owners most often report engine, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 12 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Outlander model years, the 2018 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 4–5 out of 5 stars (varies by version) overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.