AI Damage2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. The maker issued 75 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 21
- involving a crash
- 4
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 75
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 33% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 29% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 24% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 6 Seats 5% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 5% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 5% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 7 complaints (33% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 16.
- Air bags: 6 complaints (29% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (24% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 14.
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (14% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (10% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 21 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 7 | 0 | 16 |
| Air bags | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 1 | 14 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Structure | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Lane departure | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 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 seatbelt force alone presented a serious safety risk to her and our unborn child. There were no airbag system warning lights prior to the collision, and the SRS appeared to be functioning normally.
The collision caused both door windows to shatter, and the doors are dented so bad they cannot be opened. The side airbags on the vehicle did not deploy even after taking a direct hit from the deer.
The contact stated that there was no warning lights before or after the failure occurred. However, the contact advised that the low tire pressure light illuminated on the instrumental panel before the failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to an unknown repair facility. A police report was not filed.
Center seat belt will not retract, causing the belt to be unusable and unsafe.
The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag light warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the air bag sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.
Despite this, the transmission warning light activates intermittently in stop-and-go traffic, and now the vehicle has started stalling on highways, creating a critical hazard by suddenly losing power.
I was parked in my family yard and my dash service symbols just came on 5 at once. I have not been involved in any collision or any trauma to the vehicle.Those lights are the FCM, LFW, AHB, and ASC service required lights. The FCM will come on go off and come back on.
My vehicle was at normal speed then suddenly Transmission light comes on then car felt forced and immediately dropped speed. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. Warning lamps of the problem came on a few minutes prior failure.
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 1,228 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 42% least complained about).
On average one model year of the Outlander Sport has 31 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 21, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
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 Smartphone Link Display Audio software…
This Technical Service Bulletin instructs the dealer to update the Smartphone Link Display Audio software to resolve several issues.
- 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 75 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
- Outlander Sport 2016253 sources
- Outlander Sport 2017141 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 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, powertrain. Total complaints: 21. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (24%), seat belts (14%), windows, sunroof (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
NHTSA lists 75 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 2018 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 2018 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.