I was parked in a parking spot and when returned to my car and turned my car on a loud bang came from the front of the vehicle. Both of my front tires were facing inward. The drivers side front tie rod snapped with a clean break for no reason. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where after inspection there was no obvious reason for this to happen, no damage to the tire, aluminum wheel, or any other component under the car. There was no warning of any kind, the vehicle was driving perfectly smooth and not pulling to one side just before this happened. The vehicle and damaged tie rod are available for inspection. Needless to say If i were driving at highway speeds there could have been catastrophic injury. As of right now Mitsubishi only viewed pictures, I asked them to inspect the vehicle but they did not. I would prefer the federal safety agency inspect the tie rods because if this happened while parked the tie rod could be defective and dangerous.
Mitsubishi Outlander ball joint problems
53 of the 1,329 owner complaints about the Mitsubishi Outlander describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 2003 model year.
- owner complaints
- 53
- worst model year
- 2003
- typical mileage
- 124,500
By model year
Often reported together
Wipers 2Jerking 2Grinding brakes 2Pulling 1Shudder 1Harsh shifting 1Fuel smell 1
What owners say
Control arm became unattached losing ability to steer and cracking the subframe on the front driver side.
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.
I am submitting this complaint regarding Peachtree Mitsubishi, located at 4474 Buford Hwy, Atlanta, GA 30341, for their failure to properly address a critical safety recall on my vehicle: Mitsubishi Recall SR-20-003REV_1 (the federal safety agency Campaign Number 20V‑279) — Crossmember Corrosion, which poses a serious risk of lower control arm detachment, potentially resulting in loss of vehicle control and collision. Timeline of Events & Misrepresentation: I brought my vehicle to Peachtree Mitsubishi specifically to have the recall repair performed. The dealership claimed the recall work was completed and assured me the car was in excellent condition. Shortly afterward, I experienced issues with the vehicle and had it inspected by two independent mechanics. Both confirmed the car was unsafe to drive due to unresolved corrosion-related damage. In a separate legal case against the dealership that sold me the vehicle, the court formally determined the car was unsafe to drive. I contacted Peachtree Mitsubishi again and requested they pick up the vehicle to reassess the recall repair. They refused, instructing me to take it to another Mitsubishi service center — despite there being none conveniently located near me. Ongoing Delay & Lack of Resolution: I have spent over eight months attempting to resolve this issue. Despite multiple attempts, I have received no meaningful resolution, acknowledgment of fault, or corrective action. Summary of Complaint: The dealership misrepresented the completion of a federally mandated safety recall. The vehicle remains unsafe, as confirmed by independent mechanics and a court ruling. The dealership has refused to re-inspect at there cost or take responsibility. I am seeking a formal investigation and consumer protection intervention. The dealership misrepresented the completion of a safety-critical repair and failed to provide adequate service or resolution.
The contact owns a 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal and attempting to make a left turn, the cross member attached to the control arm failed. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent center to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V279000 (STRUCTURE, SUSPENSION); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 205,000.
The contact owns a 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH over a bump in the road, and the front passenger’s side tie rod was fractured due to a corroded cross member, and the vehicle was undrivable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the front cross member and tie rod assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V458000 (SUSPENSION). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle came to an immediate stop and did not return to normal operation. The contact noticed that the front control arm had detached. No warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and became aware of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V458000 (Suspension). The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to the residence. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was included in the recall but already had been serviced under the recall; however, the failure occurred. The failure mileage was 188,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, she observed a rubbing noise emanating from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that on one of those occasions, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, while driving over bumps in the roadway the vehicle was not driving smoothly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the drive belt was cracked on the ribs of the belt, the sway bar links, and front and rear CV boots were torn, the tie rod end replacement boots were torn, and the lower front and lower control arms, ball joints, and rear bushings were torn, the motor mount front bushings had started to tear, motor mount was torn, and the shock absorbers needed to be replaced due to rear shocks leaking and that all the listed parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,148.
I had a bent right control arm, this was replaced in the dealership with out of pocket payment on February 12th 2024, same issue above reoccurred and the dealership is asking for the same sum to be paid out of pocket. Mitsubishi motors customer complain refused to assist that I had an accident with the car. I believe this is a defect because, I never had any accident, As of now, the right control arm got broke on the street without any impact… kindly look into this. Thank you
I have a 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander that I purchased July 26, 2023, from Ciocca Subaru of Philadelphia with a 100,000 mile/24-Month Dealership Warranty, an Extended Warranty in addition to the Manufacturer's Warranty, Ciocca Dealership Promise Warranty, Tire Warranty , Service, and Collision Care Program Warranties. The control arm broke as I was coasting in the parking lot of the supermarket on Wednesday, November 22nd, right before Thanksgiving. I was told on Friday by the Ciocca Subaru Dealer of purchase that the repairs had to be completed at a Mitsubishi Dealer, and told that it would not be covered in any of the warranties. Previous Mitsubishi Outlander's have had faulty/recalled control arms also. The vehicle was towed to Montgomeryville Mitsubishi at 1011 Bethlehem Pike, Montgomeryville, PA18936. To date, no one has looked at or egun repair and they refuse to provide a loaner vehicle. In the 4 months that I have had the vehicle, it seems that the fuel system is faulty also. The car will cut off when the vehicle shows 60 miles of gas remaining in the vehicle, which the vehicle is not on E (Empty).
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: lower arm
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 Lancer, 2004 Lancer Wagon, 2003-2006 Lancer Evolution, 2003-2006 Outlander and 2007-2013 Outlander V-6 vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
- Risk
- A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross member will be replaced with a new one that has a sealing/anti-corrosion agent applied to it. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-003.
Recall number 16V458000 · Recall details
Questions about the Mitsubishi Outlander ball joint
Which Mitsubishi Outlander years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2003 (11 complaints), 2007 (11 complaints) and 2004 (9 complaints).
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