2007 Mitsubishi Outlander: common problems

Owners of the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander filed 125 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 125
involving a crash: 6

What fails most often

1 Suspension 46% of all complaints
2 Visibility 18% of all complaints
3 Structure 13% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
5 Steering 9% of all complaints
6 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
7 Air bags 6% of all complaints
8 Powertrain 6% of all complaints

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

Suspension: 58 complaints (46% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Visibility: 22 complaints (18% of all).
Structure: 16 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 13 complaints (10% of all).
Steering: 11 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

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

3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 6-speed

Drive: FWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 125 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion22 · 18%
knocking, grinding or other noise12 · 10%
headlights and tail lights8 · 6%
windows, sunroof7 · 6%
infotainment or screen glitches6 · 5%
jerking, harsh shifts5 · 4%
seat belts5 · 4%
A/C or heater3 · 2%
airbags did not deploy2 · 2%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Suspension	58	2
Visibility	22	0
Structure	16	1
Electrical system	13	0
Steering	11	1
Exterior lighting	9	0
Air bags	8	2
Powertrain	8	0
Service brakes	7	3
Seat belts	5	1
Engine and cooling	2	0
Wheels	2	0
Electronic stability control	1	0
Engine	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.

Upon towing the vehicle, the contact noticed that the entire subframe was severally corroded. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where the subframe was replaced. However, the dealer did not replace other corroded components.
Suspension · crash · 2023-02-16 · NHTSA complaint #11507708
On 2/2/11 the brakes failed when my daughter's 2007 mitsubishi outlander was moved one car length forward in the dive way. The outlander struck the rear of our 2002 ford windstar. There have been 3 other incidents with this vehicle failing to stop when the brakes were applied, 2 of them resulted in accidents.
Service brakes · crash · 2011-02-04 · NHTSA complaint #10380758
Mitsubishi 2007 outlander ls suv anti-skid anti-lock system fail on 440n hwy in nj and my suv collided in to other car and it was not big damage but outlander burst in to flames and caught fire within one minute I was able to get out otherwise I will be a dead man need to push mitsubishi to start investigation on suv…
Service brakes · crash · 2008-04-03 · NHTSA complaint #10223297
The contact stated that his seat belt failed to restrain him and he struck the steering wheel and sun visor. The air bags failed to deploy. The front end of the vehicle was damaged. A police report was filed. He was able to drive the vehicle to his residence. The current and failure mileages were 2,300.
Air bags · crash · 2007-11-01 · NHTSA complaint #10207692
The problem is that I was 9 months pregnant and the air bags failed to deploy. The body shop stated that they should have and that the crossbeam that holds the airbag sensor was what busted the radiator as well as the block. I could have been killed as well as my unborn child.
Air bags · crash · 2007-07-24 · NHTSA complaint #10197364
I was coming to a stop from 40 mph and CLUNK!!! The cross member on my suspension is rusted so severely that the wheel and steering column are in danger of being ripped apart. The car has 104,927 miles on it and is well cared for.
Suspension · 2026-02-12 · NHTSA complaint #11717603
The car has had recall-related services completed: 2 windshield wiper recalls and a corrosion-related recall. I was told by [dealer] Asheville, NC that the recall on the wipers did not cover the faulty ETACS, "which is a common repair on 06-11 Mitsubishis." He was more than happy to give me a quote for more than…
Suspension · 2026-02-01 · NHTSA complaint #11714835
On approximately the 12th of May 2023 i was driving home, and while i was driving the TieRod from the passenger side came loose and caused me to lose control and this was due to the crossmember being rusty as per the recall, description.
Structure · 2025-04-21 · NHTSA complaint #11655734

When owners complained

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

200714
20085
20094
20103
20113
20122
20134
20147
20158
201620
201722
20185
201911
20201
20211
20224
20233
20241
20255
20262

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 3,035 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Outlander has 53 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 125, above average.

What to check before buying

Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, visibility, structure. Total complaints: 125. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (18%), knocking, grinding or other noise (10%), headlights and tail lights (6%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 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 2007 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 2007 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.