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2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, most often about the electrical (26% of complaints, typically around 70,000 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about Outlander Sport model year since 2000 and has 10 recalls.
Most common 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport problems
Electrical
11 complaints · 26%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles.
Over night, my battery died. When I tried to turn the car on, the windshield whispers would go crazy, radio would turn on, but not the car. Purchased a new battery, car is only 3 yrs old. The new battery is being drained now. When the car is off, the radio turns on and off by itself, the fog lights strobe, and there…
-electric lock button did not respond. -unlock button on key did not respond. -on pushing start button, console cycled through every warning available, in this order: 'close fuel cap lid', 'electrical system service required', 'brake system service required' , 'acc service required', 'rbs service required', 'close…
Air bags
11 complaints · 26%Half of these problems showed up before 81,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. While driving 55 MPH, the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (kelly Mitsubishi, located at 536 state ave, emmaus, pa 18049; ([phone]) where it was diagnosed that the ecu needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The…
The contact owns a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to avondale Mitsubishi (10555 papago fwy, avondale, az 85323, ([phone]) to be diagnosed, but the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure…
Body and structure
5 complaints · 12%Parts named most often: body.
Tailgate is rusting near the lift gate handle and also both sides of the upper part near the glass where the tailgate meets the spoiler. I have been in contact with Mitsubishi they will not honor any rust issues unless I am able to poke a hole through the affected areas. Meanwhile the car is clearly rusting and the…
The contact owns a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that the rear top liftgate was rusted and the license plate was bubbled and corroded. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who repaired the top liftgate however, the failure recurred. The contact was informed that it was a corrosion…
Engine
4 complaints · 10%When I started the car in park, and especially when I pushed the gas pedal, there was a noise in the engine that keep up while driving and when in park while the engine was running. The sound was like when a car has low oil in the steering wheel but I asked a neighbor and he says these cars don't use oil for the…
-electric lock button did not respond. -unlock button on key did not respond. -on pushing start button, console cycled through every warning available, in this order: 'close fuel cap lid', 'electrical system service required', 'brake system service required' , 'acc service required', 'rbs service required', 'close…
Other or unspecified
4 complaints · 10%Car would randomly shudder and rpms fluctuate while idling. Then would just die when attempting to go from idle. Eventually asc service required warning came on with service engine light. Transmission tunnler was replaced. Car ran fine for a few weeks and problem has started again. Pulling into gas station, car…
Transmission is over heating after driving a short distance and fails to shift gears. Taken to a two seperate independent mechanics and was verified the transmission is the problem. I researched recalls and found the same issues with 2015-2016 outlander tansmissions.
Brakes
4 complaints · 10%The contact owns a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, there was a loud clanking noise coming from the front drivers side brakes. The vehicle was taken several times to the dealer but the failure was undetermined. The manufacturer was…
Suspension
4 complaints · 10%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 driverâs side suspension lower control arm had fractured due to subframe rust and…
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…
Fuel system
3 complaints · 7%The contact owns a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. After filling up the vehicle with fuel, the fuel gauge read "360 miles until empty ". During the next fill up, the fuel gauge read "400 miles until empty". There were no warning indicators illuminated. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure.…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport recalls
Body and structure: frame and members
Risk: A detached front control arm can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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, free of charge. Owners may contact mmna customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mmna's number for this recall is sr-21-001. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20v-279. Owners not previously notified under 20v-279 were notified on march 22, 2021.
Full defect summary
Mitsubishi motors north america, inc. (mmna) is recalling certain 2013-2015 outlander sport vehicles originally sold, 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.
Body and structure: frame and members
Risk: A detached front control arm can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Visibility and wipers: linkages
Risk: Loss of wiper function can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mmna will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rod of the wiper link and the wiper motor crank arm, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin april 10, 2018. Owners may contact mmna customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mmna's number for this recall is sr-18-004.
Full defect summary
Mitsubishi motors north america, inc. (mmna) is recalling certain 2011-2016 outlander sport 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.
Brakes: parking brake
Risk: If the parking brake actuator shaft binds, the parking brake may not engage or disengage fully. If the parking brake does not engage properly, the vehicle may move unexpectedly if it is parked on a slope, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mmna will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear brake calipers and replace the parking brake boot and lever or the brake caliper body, as necessary. Dealers will also replace the piston assembly of the rear brake caliper. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall is expected to begin march 27, 2018. Owners may contact mmna customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mmna's number for this recall is sr-18-002.
Full defect summary
Mitsubishi motors north america, inc. (mmna) is recalling certain 2014-2016 outlander and 2013-2016 outlander sport vehicles. Water may enter the rear brake calipers causing the parking brake actuator shafts to corrode and possibly bind.
Visibility and wipers: motor
Risk: Failure of the wiper motor can cause a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mmna will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper motor, free of charge. The manufacturer has begun the recall, but parts are not yet available; a second notice will be sent when parts are available. Owners may contact mmna customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mmna's number for this recall is sr-16-010.
Full defect summary
Mitsubishi motors north america, inc. (mmna) is recalling certain model year 2011-2015 outlander sport vehicles manufactured august 26, 2010, to january 5, 2015. 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.
Seat belts
Risk: A loosened and weakened fastener may not be capable of withstanding the load forces associated with a vehicle crash, leaving the seat occupant insufficiently restrained and increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt lap end attachment fastener, free of charge. The recall began on december 1, 2014. Owners may contact mitsubishi customer service at 1-714-372-6000. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is sr-14-011.
Full defect summary
Mitsubishi motors north america, inc. (mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 outlander sport vehicles manufactured july 20, 2012, to july 23, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the front passenger seat belt lap end attachment fastener may not be torqued to specification, and the fastener may loosen with time.
Air bags
Risk: If the wiring is routed incorrectly, using the seat height adjustment may damage the wiring resulting in illumination of the air bag warning light. Subsequently, in the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the driver side seat mounted air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners and dealers will inspect the wiring of the driver side seat mounted air bag and re-route the wire if necessary, free of charge. If the wire is damaged, the seat mounted airbag will be replaced, free of chagre. The recall began on february 28, 2014. Owners may contact mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is sr-14-001.
Full defect summary
Mitsubishi motors north america, inc. (mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2013 outlander sport vehicles manufactured july 20, 2012, through may 29, 2013 and equipped with leather seats. In the affected vehicles, the driver side seat mounted air bag wiring may have been improperly routed during the leather seat cover installation process.
Suspension: front
Risk: If the stabilizer link bracket damages the tire and/or brake line, the driver may have more difficulty controlling the steering of the vehicle, or the vehicle may require a longer stopping distance to come to a complete and controlled stop. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mmna will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the front left strut assembly free of charge. The recall began on july 30, 2013. Owners may contact mmna at 1-888-648-7820. Mmna's recall number is sr-13-008.
Full defect summary
Mitsubishi motors north america, inc. (mmna) is recalling certain model year 2013 outlander sport vehicles manufactured january 17, 2013, through january 25, 2013. The stabilizer link bracket on the left front strut was improperly welded. As a result, the link may detach and cause damage to the tire and/or brake hose.
Electrical: electrical system
Risk: The vehicle operator may believe they have fuel when the tank is actually empty. This could cause the engine to stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will install the proper fuel sending harness, free of charge. The recall began on april 18, 2013. Owners may contact mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's campaign recall number is sr-13-005.
Full defect summary
Mitsubishi motors north america, inc. (mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2013 outlander sport AWD vehicles manufactured june 11, 2012, through december 11, 2012. These vehicles may have been built without a fuel sending unit harness for the sub-sending unit. This may result in a false fuel tank level reading.
Lights: switch
Risk: If the brake lamps do not illuminate properly other vehicles may not know when the vehicle is stopping. This could increase the risk of a crash. If the shift lever is moved from park without using the brake, the vehicle may roll causing personal injury.
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will correct the installation of the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The recall began on april 18, 2013. Owners may contact mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's campaign recall number is sr-13-004.
Full defect summary
Mitsubishi motors north america, inc. (mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2013 outlander sport vehicles manufactured june 11, 2012, through september 11, 2012. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment," and fmvss number 114, "theft protection." the brake stop lamps may illuminate continuously or intermittently. The shift lever could also be moved out of park without depressing the brake pedal.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
- What are the most common problems with the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (11 complaints, typically around 70,000 miles); air bags (11 complaints, typically around 81,000 miles); body and structure (5 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport have?
- 10 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from March 5, 2021 (body and structure). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2013 a bad year for the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about Outlander Sport model year since 2000, with 42 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.