2006 Mitsubishi Outlander: common problems

Owners of the 2006 Mitsubishi Outlander filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 21
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Exterior lighting 33% of all complaints
2 Suspension 29% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 19% of all complaints
4 Fuel/propulsion system 10% of all complaints
5 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
6 Structure 10% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
8 Visibility 5% of all complaints

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

Exterior lighting: 7 complaints (33% of all).
Suspension: 6 complaints (29% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 4 complaints (19% of all).
Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (10% of all).
Service brakes: 2 complaints (10% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 21 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights6 · 29%
rust, corrosion4 · 19%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 5%
stalls while driving1 · 5%
vibration1 · 5%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Exterior lighting	7	0
Suspension	6	2
Electrical system	4	0
Fuel/propulsion system	2	0
Service brakes	2	0
Structure	2	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0
Visibility	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.

Control arm became unattached losing ability to steer and cracking the subframe on the front driver side.
Suspension · crash · 2026-03-18 · NHTSA complaint #11725304
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 mitsubishi outlander. While driving 50-60 mph, the vehicle swerved uncontrollably without warning. The contact was concerned that the front suspension experienced a failure. The contact stated that the vehicle crossed three oncoming lanes and crashed into a cement barrier.
Suspension · crash · 2016-08-23 · NHTSA complaint #10897962
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mitsubishi outlander. While driving 65 mph, the driver's side control arm snapped in half without warning. The control arm collapsed on both front tires, which caused the vehicle to immediately halt.
Suspension · 2019-10-24 · NHTSA complaint #11270850
9, 2017 ;the vehicle was called in to be inspected for corrosion of front cross member. Misubishi applied anti rust agents to the cross members in question. This is a secondary issue that I am concerned about the cost I paid for the fuel tank issue and the corrosion isse of the cross members.
Fuel/propulsion system · 2017-08-30 · NHTSA complaint #11020647
The contact pulled the vehicle off the road, inspected underneath the vehicle, and noticed that the front driver side tire was up against the wheel well and that part of the tire link was rusted and separated. The front driver side tire link was damaged, but was not fractured.
Service brakes · 2017-01-20 · NHTSA complaint #10946716
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that the recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 16v458000 (structure: body) was received in august.
Structure · 2017-01-13 · NHTSA complaint #10945006
While driving 25 mph, the headlights and tail lights malfunctioned. The contact stated that the headlights and tail lights were very dim and would turn on and off intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 142,000.
Exterior lighting · 2016-09-15 · NHTSA complaint #10906956
As reported by several other owners of the 2006 model outlander, which was the only model year to use this specific headlight unit, the low beam bulbs have serious and significant longevity issues.
Exterior lighting · 2016-06-20 · NHTSA complaint #10875375

When owners complained

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

20061
20071
20132
20142
20152
20167
20173
20181
20191
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 8,077 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Outlander has 53 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 21, below average.

What to check before buying

Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mitsubishi Outlander?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, suspension, electrical system. Total complaints: 21. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (29%), rust, corrosion (19%), knocking, grinding or other noise (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Mitsubishi Outlander?

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 2006 Mitsubishi Outlander 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 2006 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.