Mitsubishi Motors has been contacted several times in the past about the ETACS system being faulty. The windshield wipers on this particular car went out in February, 2017, at which time they were contacted and rudely refused culpability. The car has had recall-related services completed: 2 windshield wiper recalls and a corrosion-related recall. I was told by the Mitsubishi tech in Asheville, NC that the recall on the wipers did not cover the faulty ETACS, "which is a common repair on 06-11 Mitsubishis." He was more than happy to give me a quote for more than $1,000 to replace the defective ETACS. We've replaced coil springs that snapped in two as I pulled out from my driveway with my children in tow - NOT covered by the recall because the mileage on the vehicle was 3,800 miles OVER Mitsubishi's pre-set mileage limit. I have had numerous problems out of the vehicle: coil springs snapped in two, ETACS failure, (still) non-functioning windshield wipers, corroded/rotted exhaust that cost nearly $1,000 to repair - not REPLACE but to REPAIR -, electrical failures related to headlights/interior lights/Bluetooth/cruise control, and severe cross member corrosion. I have reached out to Mitsubishi Motors several times since purchasing the vehicle, and other than speaking to extremely rude representatives three times by phone, no one has ever responded to me about my concerns. Most concerning right now: The anti-corrosion that was applied by the Mitsubishi dealership should have been a complete replacement of the front and back subframes, as BOTH are completely ROTTEN and CRUMBLING from rust! My daughter had been driving this vehicle with her baby in tow until recently! It is completely unacceptable that Mitsubishi Motors has not been held accountable and forced to fix these issues!
Mitsubishi Outlander wipers problems
32 of the 1,329 owner complaints about the Mitsubishi Outlander describe windshield wiper failure, most of them for the 2007 model year.
- owner complaints
- 32
- worst model year
- 2007
- typical mileage
- 68,578
By model year
- 20202
- 20172
- 20162
- 20143
- 20134
- 20113
- 20102
- 20091
- 20082
- 20079
- 20041
- 20031
Often reported together
Headlights 2Ball joint 2Won't start 1Coil spring 1Adaptive cruise 1
What owners say
Front windshield wiper motor went out and wipers no longer work
The touch screen is inoperable so you can't control the radio or aspects of the car such as how the lights, wipers, maintenance, etc. are set. This is a hazardous situation. I contacted the dealer, and they knew exactly what I was referring to as they said they don't repair the system but only replace and it is $3.200. My auto was only 3 years old but had over 36,000 miles (the warranty). Why is an electrical component that controls much of the car warrantied on milage and only 36K. They know of this problem.
My windshield wipers have malfunctioned. They will work for a second than malfunction again. This is creating hazardous conditions that will cause an accident when it is raining.
The contact owns a 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that after turning the front windshield wipers off, the driver’s side and passenger’s side windshield wipers remained in the upright position. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V791000 (Visibility). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
I was at a 24 hr storage unit. It was dim & I needed to unload from the rear hatch door so I backed to the open storage unit door in its upright position as high as I could get it & stopped at a safe distance from the doorway so the car door would not catch the storage unit door. I put the vehicle in PARK to have some lighting & double checked before I got out- gear shift securely in PARK. I opened the car's rear door & started unloading without overly disturbing the vehicle or causing any unnecessary movement. I had just turned my back to the car door to put down some boxes in the unit. As I turned back to the car to retrieve another item, I noticed movement. There was a rapid simultaneous series of events: I felt the rear hatch hit my nose, I heard a crash with shattering glass & I tried to jump clear. It was over in minutes . I was inside the storage unit and had to squeeze out to try to free the storage unit door. The door had fallen and gotten wedged between the rear frame of the car & behind the back wiper. I gently freed the door after much diigent effort. Once freed, the car proceeded to move forward on its own before I could access it to shut off the engine, & it eventually crashed into the opposite storage unit. I accessed the vehicle at that time & reversed away from the buildings so the car was equidistant from both buildings & facing an area where it would do minimal harm if it moved again, though I did cut off the engine. Verified vehicle was in PARK. The car had damage to the whole rear area, & damage to the driver's side bumper. Front wheels had been turned right so the car's trajectory was a wide right arc. i tried calling the rental facility manager but there was no after hours number & no answer, so I called city police who promptly arrived within minutes; one vehicle immediately drove up & I quickly punched in my gate access code for easier entry. This vehicle was followed by another white pickup who punched a code on the keypad & let himself
Windshield wipers are not working at all. They were working only on high and now have quit working entirely. The wiper arms are stripped.
Main control unit 8637c096 failed and was replaced. Wipers failed to operate. Dealer replaced module. Very expensive. This car had a lot of wiper motor and other recalls.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 mitsubishi outlander. While driving various speeds, the parking brake handle was levered, but failed to stick. The contact mentioned that there was a clicking noise coming from the parking brake handle. In addition, the windshield wipers were hesitant and failed to operate in a timely manner. The contact also noticed water leaking from the windshield wipers. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 18v103000 (visibility) and 18v070000 (parking brake). The approximate failure mileage was 41,892.
Tl* 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.
Related recalls
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Outlander, 2008-2010 Lancer, 2009-2010 Lancer Evolution, and 2010 Lancer Sportback vehicles equipped with sunroofs. The sunroof glass may detach from the sunroof assembly, becoming a road hazard to other vehicles.
- Risk
- If the sunroof glass detaches from the assembly while driving, it can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sunroof glass assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-003.
Recall number 18V071000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2007-2013 Outlander vehicles. In the affected vehicles, water may drop between the hood and the windshield and leak into the wiper motor breathing hole. The water may cause internal corrosion of the windshield wiper motor and the possible failure of the motor.
- Risk
- Failure of the wiper motor can cause a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper motor, free of charge. The recall began July 28, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-17-003.
Recall number 17V461000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2007-2013 Outlander vehicles manufactured September 8, 2006, to March 29, 2013. In the affected vehicles, water may enter between the hood and windshield and cause the front wiper link ball joint to corrode, possibly resulting in the wiper link separating and the wipers becoming inoperative.
- Risk
- Loss of wiper function can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rubber boot on the ball joint to prevent water intrusion. Additionally, they will inspect the wiper motor crank arm for excessive play, replacing it as necessary. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-009.
Recall number 16V791000 · Recall details
Visibility: defroster/defogger/HVAC system: fan/motor
- What is wrong
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Lancer vehicles manufactured March 16, 2009, to March 30, 2011, 2010-2011 Lancer Sportback vehicles manufactured June 17, 2009, to December 1, 2010, 2010-2011 Lancer Evolution vehicles manufactured July 14, 2009, to January 7, 2011, 2009-2011 Outlander vehicles manufactured February 10, 2009, to June 22, 2011, and 2011 Outlander Sport vehicles manufactured August 26, 2010, to November 19, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the blower motor may fail.
- Risk
- Failure of the blower motor may reduce the performance of the windshield defroster, diminishing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace a suspect blower motor, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1‑888‑648‑7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-15-003.
Recall number 15V233000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles located in the caribbean, due to a software programming error in the electronic timing and control system (etacs), while using the intermittent wiper mode, the intermittent wiper sweep time interval may increase as much as 6.8 second between wiper sweeps.
- Risk
- If this occurs during severe weather and during vehicle's high-speed operation, the driver visibility would be reduced, which could lead to a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the etacs module. Owner notification began november 14, 2003. Owners should contact mitsubishi caribbean at 1‑800‑981‑0452.
Recall number 03V429000 · Recall details
Questions about the Mitsubishi Outlander wipers
Which Mitsubishi Outlander years have windshield wiper failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2007 (9 complaints), 2013 (4 complaints) and 2011 (3 complaints).
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