AI Damage2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: common problems
Owners of the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport filed 163 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine. The maker issued 89 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 163
- involving a crash
- 9
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 89
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 40% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 17% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 65 complaints (40% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 14.
- Engine: 27 complaints (17% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Service brakes: 19 complaints (12% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Electrical system: 16 complaints (10% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 18.
- Structure: 14 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 21.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 163 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 65 | 1 | 14 |
| Engine | 27 | 2 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 19 | 3 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 16 | 2 | 18 |
| Structure | 14 | 1 | 21 |
| Exterior lighting | 13 | 0 | 3 |
| Vehicle speed control | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 9 | 6 | 2 |
| Steering | 8 | 2 | 9 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The car rolled back then slammed into my car again going just as fast. The airbags did not deploy and the seatbelts did not lock. The impact actually broke the seats the passenger and I were sitting in. There were extensive injuries that happened because of this.
The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact stated she was seen in the emergency room for a ct scan and soft tissue injury. A police report was taken. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and the insurance company deemed the vehicle totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of this issue.
The contact stated no warning lights illuminated before the failure. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact did not sustained any injuries or seek medical attention. The vehicle was towed to independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet.
The air bags did not deploy. There were no warning indicators illuminated. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 139,000.
While driving 35 mph, the check engine, abs, and temperature warning indicators illuminated. While depressing the brake pedal to slow the down, the vehicle failed to stop and crashed into a cement barrier. The contact sustained back and neck injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed.
While driving 5 mph and making a turn, the steering wheel jerked and the vehicle crashed into a pole. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver sustained injuries to the face and ribs. Medical attention was provided at the hospital. A police report was filed.
The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. On another occasion, while driving, the engine locked up and the brakes failed to respond. As a result, the vehicle rolled backwards into a telephone pole. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed.
After repairs, we ended up switching cars and the outlander became my car and I noticed that it seemed very heavy like it was surging forward and resisted stopping. Two months later I changed the oil on the other car, so I asked her to take the outlander just for the day.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 395 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Outlander Sport has 31 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 163, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Tech Talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers
It covers various topics and reviews the previous months publications.
- This Technical Service Bulletin instructs the dealer to update the Hands Free Module software to improve…
This Technical Service Bulletin instructs the dealer to update the Hands Free Module software to improve the Bluetooth connection when certain devices are connected to Wi‐Fi.
- Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin provides corrections to the description of…
Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin provides corrections to the description of special tools used to install the oil seal within the Automatic Transaxle sections of the applicable Service Manuals.
- Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin instructs dealers to diagnose and test drive…
Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin instructs dealers to diagnose and test drive vehicles exhibiting a shudder or surge condition possibly caused by poor reaction of the hydraulic pressure circuit.
- Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin provides the procedure for diagnostic trouble…
Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin provides the procedure for diagnostic trouble code and on-vehicle service for belt & pulley assembly on certain CVT models.
- This Revised Technical Information Notice provides dealers with the requirements needed to be entered into…
This Revised Technical Information Notice provides dealers with the requirements needed to be entered into the Photo Required Condition & Pre-Approval Center (PRC) for a vehicle pulling/drifting and/or with steering…
- This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd…
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
- This Technical Service Bulletin provides service manual corrections to the CVT maintenance procedure
- This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of…
This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of rap-film adhesive residue.
- This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load…
This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load carrying capacity be affixed to vehicles when the total net weight of accessories is more than 1.5 percent of…
- This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd…
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
- This Technical Service Bulletin instructs dealers to replace the seat adjuster assembly and power seat…
This Technical Service Bulletin instructs dealers to replace the seat adjuster assembly and power seat harness in affected vehicles with improved countermeasure parts.
NHTSA lists 89 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
- P0401 EGR Valve Repair and $Save Hundreds. 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.4 AWDamount per author: 500 UNSPECIFIED_DOLLAR
Other years of this model
- Outlander Sport 2017141 sources
- Outlander Sport 201896 sources
- Outlander Sport 2019110 sources
- Outlander Sport 202085 sources
- Outlander Sport 202166 sources
- Outlander Sport 202255 sources
- Outlander Sport 202330 sources
- Outlander Sport 202416 sources
- Outlander Sport 20257 sources
- Outlander Sport 20269 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine, service brakes. Total complaints: 163. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (19%), hesitation when accelerating (16%), jerking, harsh shifts (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
NHTSA lists 89 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 2016 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 2016 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 2026-11-04.