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Mitsubishi Outlander 2003–2006
1st generation · CU (Mitsubishi GS platform / 'Project Global')
NHTSA data through 12 August 2026271 complaints, 198 with mileageMethod
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 24,084 and 113,000 miles.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 6 complaints (3.0%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 1,500
- 25%
- 24,084
- Median
- 70,200
- 75%
- 113,000
- 90%
- 160,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 38 | 19.2% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 26 | 13.1% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 17 | 8.6% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 23 | 11.6% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 24 | 12.1% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 21 | 10.6% |
| 120,000–140,000 | 9 | 4.5% |
| 140,000–160,000 | 19 | 9.6% |
| 160,000–180,000 | 9 | 4.5% |
| 180,000–200,000 | 6 | 3.0% |
| 200,000+ | 6 | 3.0% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 271 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003–2006 Mitsubishi Outlander, and 198 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 24,084 and 113,000 miles. The median is 70,200 miles.
The most-reported areas are the suspension (23.2% of complaints, typically around 96,000 miles), the exterior lighting (12.2% of complaints, typically around 60,000 miles), the steering (7.4% of complaints, typically around 8,000 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Suspension96,000median 96,484 miles, middle half 30,000 to 148,000
- Exterior lighting60,000median 60,000 miles, middle half 35,000 to 82,000
- Steering8,000median 8,000 miles, middle half 1,500 to 100,000
- Engine and its cooling system53,000median 53,150 miles, middle half 24,000 to 80,000
- Body structure104,000median 104,000 miles, middle half 80,000 to 161,000
- Electrical system70,000median 70,200 miles, middle half 30,000 to 102,000
- Airbag system60,000median 60,000 miles, middle half 39,000 to 160,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 63 | 23.2% | 96,000 | 30,000–148,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 33 | 12.2% | 60,000 | 35,000–82,000 |
| Steering | 20 | 7.4% | 8,000 | 1,500–100,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 20 | 7.4% | 53,000 | 24,000–80,000 |
| Body structure | 18 | 6.6% | 104,000 | 80,000–161,000 |
| Electrical system | 17 | 6.3% | 70,000 | 30,000–102,000 |
| Airbag system | 16 | 5.9% | 60,000 | 39,000–160,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 12 | 4.4% | 60,000 | 34,000–100,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 9 | 3.3% | — | — |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 8 | 3.0% | — | — |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 70,200 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The suspension accounts for 23.2% of complaints (63 reports, 43 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 96,484 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 30,000 and 148,000 miles.
The exterior lighting accounts for 12.2% of complaints (33 reports, 23 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 60,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,000 and 82,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 7.4% of complaints (20 reports, 13 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 8,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,500 and 100,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 7.4% of complaints (20 reports, 16 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 53,150 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 24,084 and 80,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 6.6% of complaints (18 reports, 13 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 104,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 80,000 and 161,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 6.3% of complaints (17 reports, 13 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,200 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 30,000 and 101,800 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2003 model year drew the most — 149 complaints — while 2005 drew the fewest at 24. The median year sits at 49.
That makes 2003 an outlier: roughly 3.0 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 271 complaints filed against this generation, 32 reported a crash; 6 reported a fire; 22 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 11.8% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 24,084 and 113,000 miles, with a median of 70,200. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the suspension and the exterior lighting are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The exterior lighting in particular shows a median failure mileage of 60,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 149 | 105 |
| 2004 | 73 | 52 |
| 2005 | 24 | 24 |
| 2006 | 25 | 17 |
Recalls (1)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 16V458000 | 2016-09-14 | Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm |
What owners reported
Have had a constant squeal and pulling and drifting in Outlander for the last 4 months. Have had it checked out 3 times before. Today it was louder and car did not feel right. Got off the highway and car power was lost. Manuervered car to right hand side. Turned everything off. Turned car back on and it was "fine".…
2003 · 5 miles · Problems owners could not categorise
Since the purchase of our 2003 Outlander, it has veered badly to the right. I notified the dealer of the problem from the date of purchase. I have had it in the dealership to correct the problem 3 times and the problem still exists. If you are traveling at a low speed it is not as obvious, but when traveling at…
2003 · 150 miles · Suspension
Since the second year since i've owned this car the temperature control knob has been frozen. The only way you can turn the knob is to have a mechanic manually turn the knob underneath the vehicle. Mitsubishi motors admitted this was a design flaw in 2002 to 2007 Mitsubishi lancers and outlanders. I have called…
2003 · 10,000 miles · Visibility/wiper
Dt*: the contact stated when the vehicle was started, the cooling fan did not engage completely. The vehicle was taken to a private repair shop, where it was determined that the fan was a defective part. The vehicle was then taken to a service dealer, where the dealer informed the contact that because the vehicle…
2003 · 12,000 miles · Engine and its cooling system
Built from 198 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page