Mitsubishi Outlander harsh shifting problems

Filed Feb 12, 2026 · Suspension · FL

I was coming to a stop from 40 mph and CLUNK!!! The cross member on my suspension is rusted so severely that the wheel and steering column are in danger of being ripped apart. The car has 104,927 miles on it and is well cared for. Mitsubishi has recalls on this cross member part for 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander and other years in states that use salt on the roads. I feel this part is defective and I should have a recall that gets my car repaired. I believe my driving conditions mimic northern salted roadway conditions. I lived in upstate NY for 39 years. I now live in Florida and drive directly on the beach sand in New Smyrna Beach. I tow a boat in and out of salt water. My car is sprayed off with my boat and trailer after every trip. I know how to fight salt. The cross member is defective. My car is a V6 and fits the parameters of the recall perfectly except I'm not living in the North. My car engine is in perfect running condition. My car is too dangerous to drive because of the faulty cross member. I am lucky I had enough sense to take it to a local garage or I could have literally been killed trying to make it 25 miles to my dealership. I was going 40 mph and coming up to a red light I put my foot on the brake and CLUNK!! IT WAS SCARY SCARY!!! I drove directly to my local garage. They examined it on the 10th. They called my husband and I and said you need to see this damage. IT IS BAD! The cross member is rusted on the driver's side of the car and is a hairs breath away from complete failure. The passenger side is fine.

Filed Sep 30, 2025 · Brakes, Suspension · NE

Excess play with front axles, manufacture defect improperly torqued axles, under or no grease for axles. Loud clunk noise when braking, rotors and brakes were replaced noise still exists, dealership claims it was the rotors and brakes from harsh driving which is false. Issues with axle, premature wear of front and rear rotors and brakes caused by front axles and suspension failure & defects dealership is refusing to honor warranty.

Filed Sep 5, 2025 · Transmission · MI

After an afternoon driving in the rain most of the previous day my vehicle started to produce a clunking noise from the rear and front of the vehicle. I was able to stop at my mechanic near by and have them check the problem. My mechanic was able to diagnose the issue as a rear end differential coupler issue and said a bulletin had been posted about the issue. He was unable to work on the problem due to the specific equipment needed for the vehicle. I was able to call the closest dealership where they confirmed this was an issue they have been seeing more of this problem lately. So much so they had stocked that part and run out of that part. As I turned out into traffic I could have easily caused someone to rear end my vehicle due to the lack of engagement from the drive-train. Had I been on a busy road this would have caused an accident. The problem was reproduced and confirmed by my local mechanic in Shepherd, Michigan at 1st Street Auto. The vehicle is currently located at a Showcase Mitsubishi in Bay City, Michigan scheduled for repair on Tuesday September 9th where the part will be replaced. No warning lamps, messages were displayed. No other symptoms occurred before this incident.

Filed Sep 3, 2025 · Suspension · VA

Clunking/Rattling noise coming from passenger rear of vehicle when hitting bumps and rear of vehicle swaying/swerving. Can hear noise while shaking the car side to side while parked. Only 35000 miles. Rear suspension of vehicle seems soft. Took to the dealer rear was misaligned didn't find any other problems. Continue to have the problem swaying/swerving is still there but not as bad. This could possibly cause driver to loose control.

Filed Mar 6, 2025 · Transmission · PA

Cvt transmission bad at 81,000 miles as well as the transfer case causing delay in shifting and rough shifting.

Filed Aug 21, 2024 · Steering, Transmission · AK

The issue with the car involves a problem with the steering gear box. The grease between the rack and support yoke seat has thinned, leading to increased friction during steering. This causes the support yoke to drag along with the motion of the rack, resulting in contact with the rack housing. As a result, a clunk sound and vibration are felt when turning the steering wheel, especially after the car has been stationary for a while. This issue is causing a loss of power and control while driving, making the vehicle unsafe. The recommended fix involves replacing the steering gear box assembly and recalibrating the steering system. The service report ID is: TSB-24-37-001

Filed Jul 5, 2024 · Suspension · OH

At 15,000 miles the car began to exhibit a loud “knocking” and / or “clunking” sounds upon turning the steering wheel. Three dealerships later I’ve learned it is called a “strut bearing”, and that it’s covered under a “special coverage”. Which special coverage means that this is a widely known issue after the cars have be sold. This should be a total recall. They dealer a fixing it. Had to order parts. Of course no loaner car. Won’t be using the selling dealer any longer.

Filed May 21, 2024 · Steering · OH

After this car sits for at least 10 minutes, upon first turn of the steering wheel, a “popping” is felt in the steering wheel, and a “clunk” noise is heard while turning the steering wheel to either the left or the right. A strut issue was advised for the 2022 outlander as a tech bulletin. However nothing as of yet for model year 2023.

Filed Sep 7, 2022 · Transmission · WV

While driving on the highway the vehicle started jumping RPM and jerking violently. The RPM would rise and then dramatically fall with a clunking sound coming from CVT transmission. Problem persisted at slower speed with slightly less severity. After tech review, it was determined CVT belt was slipping and transmission prematurely failed at 42k miles. Being the second owner, vehicle is out of warranty and I was quoted $8k for a new CVT.

Filed Jun 18, 2022 · Acceleration, Suspension · AZ

1. Speed control: Our family outlander has had some issues following our purchase, and I was assured that the hesitation when depressing the accelerator was just a product of the CVT transmission. It’s something we have just learned to deal with given the information we were provided with. It has put us in a bad position with countless near misses over the years when needing to merge, and the annoying stall that happens when accelerating after a stop sign or red light. We have just moved from the Midwest to Phoenix(car only has 30k miles), and the hesitation and stalling is worse than ever. Even with a 3/4 depress on the accelerator, the notion of movement correlating with the amount of gas given is an eon apart. I must also mention that there are times that the car releases like a race car as well, but with minimal pressure on the accelerator. It seems like it’s an obvious programming issue or maybe just a few bad relays. I’m hoping there is a light at the end of the tunnel for this one. 2. Suspension: Our vehicle has sounded like it has had major issues since the beginning, but was told it was normal. The car has always made a loud clunk when reversing after a first of the day start. It is then followed up after warming up with a clunk in the front seats center below us, and while turning in either direction. Hitting any minor bump on a highway while on any mild curve also causes the vehicle to jump a few feet over by itself. It’s frightening judging just how the car will grip after it’s roll. The only remedy is to decelerate under the speed limit during any curve to avoid the situation all together. I’m not sure I’d ever purchase a Mitsubishi again, as I’m only scratching the surface with mechanical defects. I would be happy to finally get some answers on how this was left in the dark so long. It’s comforting knowing friends and family dealing with the same problems. Thanks you, and warm regards! [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).