2023 Mitsubishi Outlander: What to check before buying

Dashboard blackouts lead these reports. The digital instrument cluster goes blank while driving, which removes the speed readout and warnings, and the rearview camera can fail along with it. Other reports describe sudden warnings: a parking brake sensor fault at stops, check engine lights, a "PHEV System Fault" message that stops the car from charging, and "power reduced" engine alerts dealers could not trace. One report describes a total power loss that stranded the car across traffic, and the electronic shifter could not be put in neutral. Repeat dealer visits often end without a fix.

Popping, clunking, or cracking from the steering wheel is the most common report. It is often felt on the first turn after the car sits, or when stopping and starting. Some dealers acknowledge the noise but have no fix yet. Other complaints describe heavy highway steering that is slow to return to center. There are also reports of the rear end fishtailing over bumps and hydroplaning in rain, with loss of control at about 10,000 miles. Dealers could not reproduce that instability.

Airbags deploy without a collision in some reports. A pothole or a tire blowout set them off, sometimes along with a sudden loss of power and a dark screen. One crash report describes the opposite problem. No airbags deployed in a high-speed rear-end collision that sent the car into a wall, and one person was injured. Another owner cites unspecified airbag defects on a new car and months without a dealer response. No dealer has confirmed any of the unexpected deployments.

The rearview camera and infotainment screen go black, sometimes for several seconds while reversing. Sometimes the radio and sound cut out too. Owners report that dealer work did not fix the blank camera, and one paid $100 for a diagnostic that found nothing. Another owner waited at about 20,000 miles because repair parts were not yet available. Some dealers could not replicate the failure. Backing up with no camera image is the main safety risk.

Sudden acceleration while creeping into a parking space appears in one crash report. The airbags deployed, smoke filled the cabin, and two people were injured. Cold weather is the other theme. Below about 10 degrees Fahrenheit the plug-in hybrid may not run, accept a charge, or heat the cabin, and the warning lights point to low temperature. One report also describes a transmission that will not shift out of first gear until the vehicle reaches full operating temperature.

Power loss is the common symptom. "Power reduced" warnings appear without notice, and one was traced to a stuck EGR valve code at only 10,000 miles. On the plug-in hybrid, the electric motors sometimes fail to deliver power even with charge left in the battery. The car then struggles to merge or hold speed on slight inclines. In another report, a sweet coolant smell and a leak came before jerking, hesitation, and possible engine replacement.

Knocking and clunking when the steering wheel turns starts around 15,000 miles. In one case it was traced to a strut bearing, and the owner was told a special coverage applied but had to wait for parts. Separately, the rear end sways, swerves, or moves on its own over bumps, with rattling from the rear at about 35,000 miles. Dealer findings range from misalignment to water in the shocks and a failed rear differential. Owners say the swaying continues after repairs.

A sticking rear brake caliper wears the pads unevenly, leaving the outer pad far thinner than the inner one at only 7,343 miles. That causes uneven braking force and longer stopping distances. A separate report describes forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking switching on suddenly, followed by a feeling that the car is shutting off while driving.