The vehicle is currently experiencing severe hesitation during acceleration, slipping gears, high RPM surging, shuddering, jerking at low speeds, and complete loss of motive power. This behavior represents a critical safety hazard, particularly when merging onto highways or turning across oncoming traffic. I have yet to take it to a dealer due to financial hardship and concern for my safety of driving it to one. It has yet to be inspected. Manufacturer was contacted via email about current issues but have had no response yet. There were no warning lamps when I initially was driving away from dealer.
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport hesitation problems
60 of the 482 owner complaints about the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport describe hesitation when accelerating, most of them for the 2015 model year.
- owner complaints
- 60
- worst model year
- 2015
- typical mileage
- 32,600
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Trouble codes mentioned
P1609 1
What owners say
Ive had the car for about a year, the problem I've been noticing is a hesitation when pulling up to a redlight and it changes to green before you come to a stop, and when you press the gas pedal down right there when your rpms go up my car is like missing a beat if that makes sense, also it does it when hard acceleration from a complete stop as well, seems like it might stall out at redlights. I ran a diagnostic test and fault p1609 is popping
Hesitation when accelerating. Has stalled while driving. Has come to a complete stop when put in reverse.
The vehicle has exhibited recurring ignition-system and powertrain malfunctions involving repeated ignition-coil failures, engine misfires, and catalyst-system efficiency faults. These issues cause intermittent loss of power, hesitation during acceleration, and unstable engine performance. The malfunction has occurred multiple times since the date of purchase and has been confirmed through diagnostic trouble codes related to misfire events and catalyst-system operation. A certified Mitsubishi dealership confirmed that the failure pattern aligns with an active manufacturer recall and corresponding Technical Service Bulletin affecting the same model year, engine type (4B11), and vehicle platform. I was informed that the vehicle “falls under” the same defect pattern listed in the current recall/TSB; however, because the vehicle no longer has an active factory warranty, the dealership stated they would have to sell the repair parts rather than process the issue under recall or warranty coverage. Despite this, the same safety-related symptoms described in the recall and TSB continue to occur. The defect presents a safety hazard because the vehicle may lose power or fail to accelerate when entering traffic, merging, or navigating intersections. Warning indicators have appeared repeatedly, including the check engine light and catalyst-system warnings. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by authorized service personnel on multiple occasions. All components and diagnostic documentation are available for inspection upon request.
The contact owns a 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated upon depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to shift to reverse(R). The warning message "Service Transmission" was displayed. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the transmission. The mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V563000(Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,429.
The contact owns a 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing rough idling, and the failure mainly occurred while the air conditioning system was activated. Additionally, while driving at various speeds or from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated, jerked, and responded upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while reversing. The contact stated that the failure had caused the vehicle to bump into nearby curbs while attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined; however, the dealer cleaned the throttle body. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer approximately 4 to 5 times. The dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
In less than one year with this car, 2016 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT, is hesitating when accelerating then jerking forward into 4th gear, while driving at various speeds, the steering column vibrates makes loud sound, I’ve replaced the headlights at least 6x, water is getting in the vehicle somehow even a car wish will leave the floorboards soaking wet, the steering sways. This car had given me more issues in a year than all my cars throughout my lifetime combined and vehicle's vin number was NOT INCLUDED IN MANY SAFETY RECALLS. CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF THE CRASH.
Was driving up highway and all of a sudden it felt like the car was hesitating and had hard time shifting gears, when you pushed on the gas the Rpms would go up and down but it seemed like the car wouldn’t go anywhere. I was in the left lane and traffic if going 70, 80 mph and the car would not go anywhere. It had to be towed to a garage. We was almost rear ended because we couldn’t get the car to go to get it off the I do have a text message from the machine from garage
The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly hesitated before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine a cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the gear independently shifted causing the engine to rev up and then immediately shifted back into the intended gear and stabilized. The vehicle failed to accelerate without a slight hesitation at a rate slower than intended. The Service Engine and Transmission Failure warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the VIN not being included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V563000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,000.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: control module: software
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with continuously variable transmissions and mechanical key ignition systems. A software error in the transmission control unit (CVT-ECU) may incorrectly reduce the transmission gear ratio at high speeds, which can result in an engine stall.
- Risk
- An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the CVT-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-22-004.
Recall number 22V563000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles and 2016 Outlander and Lancer vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a constant velocity transmission (CVT) that, in certain driving conditions, may cause a delay in the vehicle accelerating.
- Risk
- A hesitation during acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 16V563000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport vehicles manufactured June 25, 2014, through November 25, 2015 and equipped with a 2.0L engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). During assembly, a clamp for a CVT hose may not have been properly secured, allowing the hose to detach and leak transmission fluid.
- Risk
- If enough transmission fluid leaks out, the transmission may not function properly and the vehicle may become inoperable, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, if leaking transmission fluid contacts an a hot surface there is an increased risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the hose clamps, correcting their installation, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2016. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-16-005.
Recall number 16V548000 · Recall details
Questions about the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport hesitation
Which Mitsubishi Outlander Sport years have hesitation when accelerating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2015 (48 complaints), 2016 (6 complaints) and 2014 (2 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history