2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport vehicles were involved in 23 fatal crashes with 7 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 7 | 33% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 29% |
| Power Train | 5 | 24% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 14% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 10% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 10% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 5% |
| Engine | 1 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Air bag symbol is lit on dash. Technicians unable to find issue, nor were they able to reset light. I feel the importance of said system functioning properly needs addressed. Not just we e can't find what is wrong.Nothing else we can do. No, that's b s”
Unknown OR Other · filed Mar 8, 2026
“This is a follow-up and correction to a complaint previously submitted for VIN [XXX] regarding airbag non-deployment during a passenger-side T-bone collision on [XXX]. A [XXX] child was properly restrained in a rear-facing car seat in the rear passenger-side seat. The vehicle was struck directly on the passenger side…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 8, 2025
“On 05AUG25, my wife was involved in a frontal collision while driving our 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The vehicle struck another vehicle at an estimated speed of over 30 mph, resulting in significant damage to the front passenger side, including deformation of the hood and front quarter panel. Despite the…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 8, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
103 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The 10 most recent:
Tech Talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers. It covers various topics and reviews the previous months publications.
TECH TALK 289 · Other · issued Nov 21, 2025
Tech Talk is a service newsletter that was sent out to dealers. It covers various topics and reviews the previous months publications.
TECH TALK 281 · Other · issued Aug 7, 2024
This Technical Service Bulletin instructs the dealer to update the Smartphone Link Display Audio software to resolve several issues.
TSB-19-54-013REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 23, 2024
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.
TSB-24-23-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2024
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.
TSB-20-23-001RV4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 25, 2024
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.
TSB-20-23-001REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 4, 2024
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.
TSB-24-23-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 14, 2024
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…
TIN21-37-001REV3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 29, 2024
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin provides service manual corrections to the CVT maintenance procedure.
TSB-23-23-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.