2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe recall repair parts that dealers could not obtain, often with no date given for availability, and many of these owners say they had not experienced a failure. Engine stalls or power loss, transmission problems, and blower, wiper, or defroster failures also come up often, while frame and crossmember rust and airbag warning or non-deployment reports appear in smaller groups. Where mileage is recorded, reports range widely, and many complaints do not list mileage at all.

1. 1
   Engine

   Recall repair parts unavailable or repair delayed

   • 15 complaints (26%)
   • median 64,000 mi at 1.1 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners with open recall notices describe a repair part the dealer could not obtain, with no date given for when it would be available, and in some cases the wait ran for months or years. Many say they had not experienced a failure, and some quote the notice as a safety recall. According to complaints, a dealer charged for part of a recall repair, and complaints often note that the manufacturer was not notified of the delay. Most were filed between 2014 and 2017, and where mileage is recorded it is about 64,000 to 73,000 miles.

   Recall 14V562000Recall 16V791000Recall 16V458000Recall 18V069000

   What to check: Ask the dealer for the open recall status by VIN and an expected date for any remedy part, and keep written records of delays. Confirm that the recalls cited in these complaints (14V562000, 16V791000, 16V458000, 18V069000) are completed or have a parts date before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have been waiting for 1.5 months and counting for a local Mitsubishi dealer to replace my drive belt per instructions in the important safety recall notice. I have called every local dealer with the promise of returning my call when they receive the parts. I would like to know what vehicle manufacturers and the NHTSA consider to be prompt considering these are safety risks that put myself, my family, and others at risk on a daily basis until the part is repaired. Is it 45 days? 180 days? …”

   NHTSA complaint #10669127, filed 2014-12

   “The contact owns a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander. While driving at 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14v562000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10683041, filed 2015-02, 64,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine stalls, shuts off, or loses power

   • 11 complaints (19%)
   • median 47,000 mi at 2.5 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2011–2026

   Owners describe the engine shutting off or stalling in traffic, from a stop at a light, or while driving, sometimes with warning messages on the dashboard. Other complaints describe hesitation when accelerating from a stop or at 35 mph, a check engine light with the car unable to accelerate past 55 mph, and in the most serious reports a seized engine or a broken connecting rod. According to complaints, dealers could not reproduce some hesitation or find a failure code, and a complaint describes a full engine replacement quoted at a high cost. Where mileage is recorded, these reports range from about 600 to about 100,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether any open recall has been completed, and whether the cold-weather check engine light bulletin (10159648) has been checked against this vehicle. On a test drive, check for hesitation from a stop and smooth acceleration at highway speed, and confirm no check engine light appears.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander in 2015. In January 2018 the engine seized up while driving and was not repairable. Thankfully I was able to pull over and no one was hurt. The vehicle was only 7 years old with only 112,846 miles and I still had a loan on the vehicle for approxiamtly $10,000. The vehicle was at the time worth the cost left to pay it off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11424428, filed 2021-07

   “Was driving the car and it totally lost power to everything. Had to pull over immediately with whatever power I had left to have the car roll to a stop. Multiple lights came on the dash. Notification came on the screen saying car can not communicate, engine is over heating. Tried to turn off car and back on and it would do nothing at all. Car has been at mechanic for 3 weeks they believe it is the ecu/psu but when replacing car continue to act up and not start.”

   NHTSA complaint #11533521, filed 2023-07
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Wipers, blower, or defroster stop working

   • 6 complaints (10%)
   • median 73,176 mi at 7.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2016–2018

   Owners describe the blower motor, heater, or defroster stopping without warning, and windshield wipers that fail to operate or activate, sometimes while driving in rain. Other complaints describe windshield fogging regardless of outside temperature, so the defogger has to stay on to see, and a complaint links a wiper failure to a no-start that was remedied by reprogramming the ECU. According to complaints, the dealer or manufacturer said the vehicle was not included in a recall in some reports, and a complaint describes a dealer denying recall service. Where mileage is recorded, these reports fall between about 60,000 and 143,000 miles.

   Recall 15V233000Recall 17V461000Recall 16V7910001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the blower, defroster, and wiper recalls (15V233000, 17V461000, 16V791000) have been completed, and have the status checked by VIN, since some complaints say the VIN was not included. On a test drive, run the blower at every speed, use the defroster, and test the wipers in rain to confirm the windshield clears without the defogger being left on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander. While operating the vehicle, the windshield wipers failed to activate. The next morning, the vehicle would not start. The contact replaced the battery, but the failure continued. The contact reprogrammed the ecu and the failure was remedied. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 84,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10938698, filed 2016-12, 84,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that the windshield wipers failed to operate correctly. In addition, the visibility was blurry through the windshield. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”

   NHTSA complaint #11096527, filed 2018-05
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission failure, stalling, or safe mode

   • 6 complaints (10%)
   • median 68,500 mi at 5.8 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2015–2023

   Owners describe transmission problems such as a sudden stop with a message that the car entered a safe mode, gears that do not downshift while the engine speed climbs, and acceleration that stops while the engine revs. Some describe a noise from the front end linked to a bearing that was about to fracture, or an overheating warning followed by stalling on the freeway. According to complaints, a replacement transmission lasted only about a year, a complaint notes the warranty had expired, and a technician reportedly described the failure as known. Where mileage is recorded, these reports fall between about 23,000 and 70,000 miles.

   What to check: Ask for the transmission service history, including any replacement or fluid service, and whether any warranty coverage applies. On a test drive, check for smooth downshifts, steady acceleration, and any overheating warning or unusual noise from the front of the car.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “There have been many problems the last couple years with my car, I noticed last year when I was on a long distance road trip that my transmission overheating light was coming on? I had to pull over a couple times and let it cool down before I could continue... It stopped doing it for awhile, and then now my car is losing accelleration on the freeway and seems to be stalling , it is very dangerous and no one at Mitsubishi or other shops knows whats wrong? Please help”

   NHTSA complaint #10994053, filed 2017-06, 70,000 miles

   “I was stopped on one stop signal, waiting my turn to cross a busy highway, when I had my chance to cross the higway the vehicle suddenly stops and pops up on the screen service required according what I got explained the vehicle enter in safe mode and wont let us finish to cross the highway, a truck came right on front to us and we got help to push the car to finish to cross the highway and be safe from an accident, we went over to Mitsubishi specialist and they told us that the bad component that cause this issue was the oil cooler from …”

   NHTSA complaint #10721082, filed 2015-05, 23,750 miles
5. 5
   Suspension

   Frame and crossmember rust

   Mentioned in 4 of 55 sampled complaints

   Owners describe rust that corroded the subframe, crossmember, or frame, in some cases leaving a hole through the metal. A complaint says paint was applied to conceal rust, and the crossmember corrosion is described as a risk of the lower control arm detaching. According to complaints, a dealer sold a vehicle with recalls still open, and the dealer and manufacturer declined to cover a replacement part because no recall applied. Where mileage is recorded, these reports fall between about 64,000 and 114,000 miles.

   Recall 20V2790002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the front crossmember, subframe, and lower control arm mounts inspected from underneath, and ask whether the corrosion recall (20V279000) applies, since it covers vehicles sold or registered in listed states. Ask for repair records and any written statement of the frame condition before buying.

   An excerpt from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Harpswell auto illegally sold me a vehicle with 5 safely recalls on the vehicle before I bought the vehicle. Safety recall codes are c1611z, c1614z, c1801r, c1806z, c2003r. I bought the vehicle 4/25/2020 and 2 recalls were due in 2016 and 3 were due in 2019. Where these are very big safety recalls I think harpswell auto needs to have their license revoke for service and inspection stickers because my vehicle should never have passed inspection with the crossmember recall completely rotted out.”

   NHTSA complaint #11396847, filed 2021-02, 64,000 miles

Buying note. Prospective buyers may want to check open recall status by VIN, confirm whether any recall part was installed, and inspect the frame and crossmember from underneath, especially if the car has spent time in areas that use road salt. A test drive with stops, highway speeds, and blower, wiper, and defroster checks can help show whether the engine, transmission, or visibility symptoms appear.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 55 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.