2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: common problems

Owners of the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport filed 42 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 42
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Air bags 26% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 26% of all complaints
3 Structure 12% of all complaints
4 Engine 10% of all complaints
5 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
6 Suspension 10% of all complaints
7 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
8 Powertrain 7% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 11 complaints (26% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 11 complaints (26% of all).
Structure: 5 complaints (12% of all).
Engine: 4 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 4 complaints (10% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 42 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion9 · 21%
airbag warning light5 · 12%
overheating, coolant loss3 · 7%
warning lights, check engine3 · 7%
battery drain2 · 5%
infotainment or screen glitches2 · 5%
seat belts2 · 5%
airbags did not deploy1 · 2%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 2%
jerking, harsh shifts1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	11	2
Electrical system	11	0
Structure	5	0
Engine	4	1
Service brakes	4	0
Suspension	4	1
Fuel/propulsion system	3	0
Powertrain	3	0
Steering	3	1
Electronic stability control	2	0
Visibility	2	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Wheels	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

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 wifeâs 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.
Engine · crash · 2024-03-29 · NHTSA complaint #11580181
As a result, the contact crashed into the rear passenger's side of the vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The driver and front passenger sustained minor bruises that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard but was not diagnosed or repaired.
Air bags · crash · 2016-11-07 · NHTSA complaint #10924628
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.
Structure · 2025-06-23 · NHTSA complaint #11668660
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 carâs computer was not modulating voltage properly.
Electrical system · 2023-11-15 · NHTSA complaint #11555268
Upon inspection, it was discovered that the front driverâs 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.
Suspension · 2023-02-07 · NHTSA complaint #11505970
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.
Electrical system · 2022-08-24 · NHTSA complaint #11481041
The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the transmission started overheating. There was a message displayed on the instrument panel to Slow Down. The vehicle then started to decelerate independently. The contact was able to park the vehicle and waited 10-15 minutes before restarting the vehicle.
Powertrain · 2022-06-09 · NHTSA complaint #11468377
The mouth part where u put the fuel nozzle into ur vehicle is rusting very bad and I try to clean it out often but I'm still concerned that there are rusted pieces of metal still getting down into my actual gas tank. What can be done about this?
Fuel/propulsion system · 2022-02-10 · NHTSA complaint #11451407

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20152
20166
20175
20185
20196
20204
20212
20225
20233
20242
20252

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,819 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Outlander Sport has 28 complaints (17 years in the data). This year has 42, above average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, structure. Total complaints: 42. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (21%), airbag warning light (12%), overheating, coolant loss (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2013 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.