Mitsubishi · Outlander · 2013
5
Recalls
68
Complaints
4/5
Safety Rating
The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander has 5 recalls and 68 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: air bags (11 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
16.9% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2013 Outlander vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Additionally, Mitusbishi is recalling certain 2007-2012 Outlander vehicles that received replacement 6-speed automatic transmissions during servicing. The transmissions in these vehicles have insufficient clearance between the power steering pressure tube and the converter housing of the automatic transmission. As a result of the contact, the power steering pressure tube may develop a hole and leak power steering fluid.
Remedy Status
Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering pressure tube and return tube, free of charge. The recall began in August 2014. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-14-006.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2008-2010 Lancer, 2009-2010 Lancer Sportback, 2008-2013 Outlander, and 2011-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
Remedy Status
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. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2020. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-20-003.
My vehicle shut off on a state route when I had the vehicle towed to the dealership I was informed it was the ecu. I found out a year after my vehicle was purchased, there was a technical service bulletin out in this part. I am not sure why there was not a recall sent when they knew this part could be defective and my life was put at risk by it shutting off on the highway. How is a vehicle safe when it just shuts off. This should have been a recall and not a bulletin. Please reconsider making this a recall. I would hate to see people lose their lives because of this.
The contact owns a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V144000 (Suspension, Structure); and it was determined the undercarriage was extremely rusted. The vehicle was not repaired due to the rust. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
AIRBAG SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED message appears on dash. Occurred on 09/20/2018 and again on 09/29/2023. Both times required service to fix. Has now happened again on 10/14/2024. Secondary issue was reported by another driver for same vehicle for NHTSA ID Number: 11339357 and NHTSA ID Number: 11567379
The lights on my clutch are not coming on. I’m concerned there are other electrical issues affecting the cluster and the odometer display
In 2020 I got a recall for engine support from Mitsubishi. We took it in and told me that the support was find that I didn’t need to be replace even tho the recall called for it. They ended up putting rust paint on the support. 4 weeks ago that part broke on my wife when she was driving down the road. The steering wheel was taken out of my wife’s hand while driving. She was able to get the off the road safely. But sprained her wrist. When I found the broken part on the car. I call Mitsubishi themself. When I reported these issue, I was told that someone would be coming to my house to look at the car. I signed a form for them to do that. And for the to read the computer on my car. That was 4 weeks ago. I have emailed them and called them. And no one knows what I’m talking about our replying to my email. And on top of it all we are missing work, at least one day a week because of this.
On Dec 8,2023 our mitsubishi outlander shut off while being driven. When this occurred multiple warning lights come on including, service engine immediately, engine overheating (which it was not) and multiple other lights. It was towed to the dealership where they told us the ECU is bad. Mitsubishi no longer makes the part. They have also told us this is the 3rd vehicle in the last month with the same issue. Car had no power/electrical /engine issues prior to this event. Mitsubishi is offering no solution to fix the issue. Luckily when the car shut down we were driving at a low speed in a neighborhood. If this had happened on the freeway it could have been very dangerous. We now have no car, no possibility of repair and no answers to why this happened without warning.
The contact owns a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, his wife indicated that the vehicle was not driving in a straight line. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the front driver’s side suspension lower control arm had fractured due to subframe rust and corrosion. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V279000 (Suspension) but the failure occurred. The failure mileage was 140,000. The contact stated that the subframe was repaired two years ago under recall but there is rust and corrosion again.
hello: i purchased this vehicle last nov. the rear hatch was opening fine," but after a couple of months it has stopped and the only way to open it," is from the lever on the inside. you have to use a screw driver or prying tool of some sort to remove the cover in order to get to the lever and you have to lay the back seats down and crawl back there to get to this. i've spoken to other owners who have the same issue. they've had to replace either and or both the actuator and the handle tailgate lock release mechanism. the handle tailgate lock release mechanism is electrical and is susceptible to water getting into it and corrodes the electrical parts. it sits mostly flush one the outside of the hatch where water can get too it. i feel this is a safety issue incase of an accident or emergency if it is imperative to gain access. also the design of the so called emergency release lever is terrible. some people might not have a screw driver or something to pry with in order to remove the cover in order to gain access to the release lever. in my opinion (1)the emergency lever needs to be redisgned and have easier access to it.(2) replace the acutator and or the handle tailgate lock release. it could cost owners up tp $400 to replace these item at a dealership," unless they would want to tackle it themselves. i feel it's worth looking into. thankyou for your time and any help.
Airbag service system light is on In my car and the codes ran and it popped up SR-14-001 they gave me paperwork saying its a recall on my driver seat mounted airbag wiring has been improperly installed. Dealership is saying its not a recall.
My electrical system and/or computer brain is not operating properly. About a year and 1/2 ago the low beam passenger light stopped working. I had the bulb replaced at Walmart. 2 months later it went out again. Walmart checked and said the bulb was not the problem so I went to Firestone and was told the wiring was melted. Firestone said my options were to replace the entire harness or pig tail the low beam. I opted for the pig tail. A few months later I had issues with slow starts as if my battery was being drained. A few weeks after that my drivers side low beam started working intermittently. Then went out completely. I went to Gillman dealership in Schertz, TX (330 miles from my home) who said the bulb needed to be replaced which they did. A month later the drivers low beam is out again. Firestone says the wiring has melted on that side too. This time I asked them not to fix it because I wanted to go back to the dealership to repair. 1 week later my battery died twice and the passenger low beam has stopped working again. A mechanic advised that a few years ago he worked on a 2012 Mitsubishi with the same issues and ended up totaling it out because the car’s computer was not modulating voltage properly. He said that car’s computer was not reading the codes correctly and was outputting voltages that did not match the Outlanders configuration. I was told there is a recall for this already. I wanted information on this before contacting the Texas State Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Office.
The contact owns a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the "Transmission Overheating" message was displayed on the instrument panel as the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle would restart after waiting approximately 10 minutes and would resume normal operation. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who discovered that there was no defect with her vehicle and that the failure was linked to an electrical issue. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
Passenger side rear view mirror became inop. Horn inop/ unresponsive. Air bag driver and passenger side (components inside cabin roof posts lateral of vehicle dashboard coming loose.
1) Transmission or power train 2) The vehicle may be inspected at request 3) The vehicle starts and may go for about a mile, and then it will buck and act like it's in neutral for all gears. I got stuck in the middle of an intersection turning left. I managed to get it back home, and then needed help pushing it into the driveway, where it sits. 4) I have seen several similar complaints for the years; 2012, and 2014 through 2021. 5) The vehicle has been worked on, and the valve body for the transmission was replaced about a month ago. 6) The warning message that popped up just before the issue was "Transmission service is required." It appeared on 9/27/2021, the day I was giving a ride to someone across town. I had recently replaced the valve body, because the solenoids were failing, and the transmission itself was serviced.
My catalytic converter just went in my vehicle. I was told by dealership that the warranty expired by months. I contacted Mitsubishi and a case was opened. I was called by them today and they wont make an exception even though my mieage is well under the 80000 miles (under by over 28,000 miles) When I asked to talk to a manager I was told no and no exception would be made. I just want them to pay for the defective part.
A PARKING BRAKE RECALL HAS NOT FIXED THE CORROSION/LOCKING OF REAR PARKING BREAK CALIPERS. ROLLS WHILE IN GEAR AND TURNED OFF-IF ON INCLINE. PARKING BRAKE DOESN'T ENGAGE FULLY AND THEN STICKS BUT WILL NOT KEEP CAR FROM MOVING. STICKS WHILE FROZEN OR IN WARM WEATHER.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN AN ACTIVE STABILITY CONTROL SERVICE WARNING DISPLAYED ON THE DASHBOARD. IT WAS COUPLED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND IMMEDIATELY CAUSED MY CAR TO SEIZE UP MAKING ME MOMENTARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AS I REGAINED CONTROL THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RESIST ANY ACCELERATION WHILE THE RPMS WOULD FREQUENTLY SPIKE. I ALSO LOST ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FUNCTIONALITY WITH NO DASHBOARD WARNING. THROUGH MY MECHANIC I LATER FOUND OUT THE CAR WAS FORCING ITSELF INTO "LIMP MODE" BECAUSE THE ENGINE AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS GIVING A FAULTY READING. ALL OF THIS PUT MY CAR INTO CONDITIONS FOR A CRASH HAD I NOT ACTED QUICKLY TO AVOID IT. IT ALSO CREATED A REPAIR BILL THAT WAS UNNECESSARY AS THIS IS APPARENTLY PART OF A KNOWN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSB-13-13-008. I FIND IT INAPPROPRIATE AND IRRESPONSIBLE OF MITSUBISHI TO NOT HAVE ALERTED ME TO THE DEFECT IN THE AIR FLOW SENSOR AND FILTER BOX. IT CAUSED A NEEDLESS DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION AND EXCESS REPAIRS.
A WARNING MESSAGE POP UP ON MY DASH BOARD " AIRBAG SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED.
AT 115,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. MY SUV NO LONGER GOES ABOVE 30MPH WITHOUT THE RPMS WILDLY JUMPING. BOTH THE 2014 AND 2015 MODELS HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS VERY CVT ISSUE BUT THE 2013 DOES NOT.
My vehicle has had over 10 recalls but Mitsubishi has refused to properly fix any of the problems. I will attach a photo of the control arms and certain parts and recalls THEY cleared, and sent me on my way with. Now there is full suspension damage. Tire damage. And an entire list of other recalls that were never fixed by Mitsubishi. Also Airbag light, incorrect gas level. Windshield fluid leaking, and more. My front tire is about to fly off. There are problems with the struts. And no mechanic wants to touch it due to a strut recall and can’t even buy struts anywhere for my car. They have been taken off the market completely. I have a 8 year old child in this car. And both of our lives at risk. I have brought it to several mechanics and they are in shock at the damage and how we have survived. I have had to pay with my own money for certain repairs because Mitsubishi said “everything looks fine” and sent me on my way. And now refuse to open a claim and pay it back. Or fix all the damage it has caused since the first control arm problem. I can get receipts and invoices together. But honestly the entire car is A huge liability and needs an IMMEDIATE SOLUTION!
POWER LOCKS ONE BU ONE DONT FUNCTION. IT HAPPEN FIRST WITH LEFT REAR DOOR THEN WITH RIGHT REAR DOOR AND THEN WITH THE DRIVER DOOR.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander has 5 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 68 owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander.
The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander are air bags (11 reports), visibility/wiper (7 reports), power train (6 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 5 recalls on record for the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.