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 wrong. When the car shuts off the battery light comes on and the car said airbag system service required on 09/13/2026 but went off a few hrs later. The problems started on 09/02/2026
The worst 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
Recalls 6
Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: support device/strut
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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 June 3, 2026. This recall expands previous the federal safety agency recall number 25V507.
Recall number 26V252000 · Recall details
Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: support device/strut
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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
Recall number 25V507000 · Recall details
Seat belts: rear/other: buckle assembly
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 20V403000 · Recall details
Forward collision avoidance: software: pedestrian/cyclist/object/obstacle/ recognition
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 18V620000 · Recall details
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 18V621000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 18V591000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander 116
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This revised Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions on how to remedy noise from the HVAC system...
- Tech Talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers
- This Technical Information Notice informs dealers that MMNA is investigating the field performance of...
- This Technical Service Bulletin instructs the dealer to update the Smartphone Link Display Audio software...
- This Technical Service Bulletin instructs the dealer to update the Smartphone Link Display Audio software...
- Service Manual Revision
- Service Manual Revision
- Service Manual Revision
- This Revised Technical Information Notice provides dealers with the requirements needed to be entered into...
- This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd...
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 23-25 | 29-30 | 25-27 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | FWD | 23-24 | 29-30 | 25-27 |
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | 4WD | 23-24 | 28-29 | 25-26 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | 4WD | 23 | 29 | 26 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl Plug-in hybrid | AWD | 25 | 26 | 25 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 20 | 27 | 22 |
What 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency 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 there would be a callback to schedule the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.
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 a hard squeaking noise. 3. The USB in the center console stops working at times or when move the charging cord it disconnects for a few seconds. 4. Internal lights work when they want to, I thought the bulbs where burnt out and replaced them but they still come on when they want to not everytime a door is opened.
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 and local dealer were not yet notified of the failures. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 215,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact had received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V507000 (Structure); however, the liftgate gas springs had failed and were replaced prior to the recall. The manufacturer was contacted for reimbursement, and the contact mailed the required documents as requested by the manufacturer. The contact later followed up with the manufacturer, who confirmed that the requested documents had been received and informed the contact that there was no time frame for the reimbursement process. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide reimbursement. The failure mileage was 132,324.
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while the front tires were being replaced, corrosion was found underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving over 60 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. In addition, the vehicle vibrated abnormally while driving over 60 MPH. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the shocks, struts, and lower control arm were replaced due to corrosion. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and turning into a parking area, there was an abnormal snapping sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the exhaust had fractured in half due to excessive corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V507000 (Structure). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that after opening the liftgate, while reaching into the trunk, the liftgate fell and hit the contact on the head. The contact had not sustained an injury. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V507000 (STRUCTURE) as a possible cause for failure; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
The power electric drive seat becomes loose with time. Very dangerous while braking cause the drive seat moves forward fast, driver feels disoriented to extent feeling unstable and could lead to not appropriately having control over vehicle during brake events. This could lead to hitting front vehicle.
Compare the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander
Is the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander reliable?
Owners have filed 57 complaints about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander, close to a typical Outlander model year.
What is the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander year score?
The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander scores 65 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Mitsubishi Outlander: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander?
Engine and cooling, with 12 complaints, typically around 28,000 miles. Next is airbags (10).
How many recalls does the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander have?
6 recalls, covering structure, seat belts and forward collision avoidance.
What year does the Mitsubishi Outlander have bad engine?
The Mitsubishi Outlander model years with the most engine complaints are 2011 (24 complaints), 2016 (20 complaints) and 2010 (19 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander get?
Official estimates for the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander range from 22 to 27 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.4L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 23-25 city and 29-30 highway.
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