Most common 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander problems
Share of the 57 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mitsubishi Outlander complaints by model year
Best Outlander years: 2012, 2013, 2019. Years to avoid: 2022, 2016, 2023, 2024, 2025. Compare all years →
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander recalls (6)
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Support device/strut
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV and 2014-2020 Outlander vehicles. The liftgate gas spring cylinders may corrode and lose pressure, which can result in a gas spring cylinder rupture or the liftgate falling unexpectedly.
Remedy: MMNA will replace the left and right liftgate gas springs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2026. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820.
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Support device/strut
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV and 2014-2020 Outlander vehicles sold and/or currently registered in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North…
Remedy: MMNA will replace the left and right liftgate gas springs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 6, 2025. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820.
Seat belts › Rear/other › Buckle assembly
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Outlander and 2018-2019 Outlander PHEV vehicles. The second-row center seat belt buckle may interfere with the right-side seat belt buckle when the seat backs are folded down.
Remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will modify the second-row center seat belt buckle cover, install a new warning label to the second-row seat support base, and provide a new warning label insert for the owner's…
Forward collision avoidance › Software › Pedestrian/cyclist/object/obstacle/ recognition
Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Outlander Sport, 2018-2019 Eclipse Cross, and 2017-2018 Outlander vehicles equipped with a Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system that detects pedestrians.
Remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the FCM-ECU software with updated software, free of charge. The recall is began October 16, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820.
Forward collision avoidance › Adaptive cruise control
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with a Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system and 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross vehicles and 2017-2018 Outlander vehicles equipped with an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system and/or an…
Remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will update the Hydraulic Unit-ECU software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Mitsubishi Outlander vehicles equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels. The Certification Label lists an incorrect rear wheel rim size.
Remedy: MMNA will notify owners and send them a corrected certification label, free of charge. Owners can also choose to have the label replaced by a dealer, free of charge. The recall began September 26, 2018.
What 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander owners say
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up right away. After waiting for a while, the vehicle started as needed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several warning lights were flickering while starting the vehicle. The contact called and notified the local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V609000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that the lower engine heat shield had cracked at the bolt inserts causing the shield to become unsecure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the heat shield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 28,000.
Air bags
I was in a head on collision on 12/13/2022, and the air bag failed to deploy. The failure of the air bag deployment cause my chest to slam into the steering wheel along with my knees on the steering column. I went to the hospital for observation and any unknown injuries. My chest hurts and knees along with consistent visions of my life flashing in my mind due to the trauma of this incident. The police, nurses, family, and friends said that I'm lucky to not have serious injuries from the failure of the air bag deployment. I have pictures, police report, and other supporting documents. My 2018 Outlander air bag deployment failure is a serious issue, and it needs to be looked into due to safety, lives, and failure from the air bag. Police report number is on drivers involved. All other vehicles involved air bags deployed, but my Outlander's air bag failed to deploy. …
The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH over a pothole, the driver's side and passenger side curtain airbags erroneously deployed. The contact stated that no collision had occurred prior to the air bags deployment. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failures. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 215,000.
Electrical system
1. On hot/warm days when I start my vehicle it will run then die and give me the code for Mass air sensor which I replaced but it keeps doing it; the check engine will stay on for a while then turn off until it does it again. 2. When driving and I go over a speed bump the suspension grinds or does a hard squeaking noise. 3. The USB in the center console stops working at times or when move the charging cord it disconnects for a few seconds. 4. Internal lights work when they want to, I thought the bulbs where burnt out and replaced them but they still come on when they want to not everytime a door is opened.
Car will drive on interstate then will be unable to accelerate on interstate warning, "Propulsion power reduced" light turns on and vehicle speed decreases and car does not accelerates and loses speed. I had to stop vehicle multiple times to reset the car per advice on the internet but car continues with drastic decrease in speed on the interstate and message "Propulsion Power Reduced." Car is serviced as per car dealership recommendations but now car is not safe to drive on the interstate.
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | CVT | FWD | 25 / 30 / 27 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | CVT | FWD | 24 / 30 / 27 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | CVT | 4WD | 24 / 29 / 26 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | CVT | 4WD | 23 / 29 / 26 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 23 / 29 / 25 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid | Single-speed | AWD | 25 / 26 / 25 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 20 / 27 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander a good car?
Based on 57 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 Outlander rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Outlander at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander?
The engine & cooling — 12 complaints, 21% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the air bags (10) and electrical system (9).
How many recalls does the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander, the most recent from April 20, 2026 (support device/strut). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mitsubishi Outlander?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2013 and 2019. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2022, 2016, 2023, 2024 and 2025. See the full Mitsubishi Outlander years comparison.
At what mileage do 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 28,000 miles; 63% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.