2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

The defect

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with continuously variable transmissions and mechanical key ignition systems. A software error in the transmission control unit (CVT-ECU) may incorrectly reduce the transmission gear ratio at high speeds, which can result in an engine stall.

The risk

An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

The remedy

Dealers will update the CVT-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-22-004.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. · up to 76,508 vehicles across all model years covered

crash · towed

5/14/2021 Vehicle parked on a hill 45 minutes before it began to roll and flipped over. Car was in park and emergency break was engaged during the time of the incident. This is a hazard and could cause great bodily harm or death. I have children and they could have been in the car at the time of the malfunction . The vehicle was inspected by a police officer who confirmed the vehicle emergency break malfunctioned releasing the car down the hill. The car would jump when you breaking, but no warning lights were on before the incident

NHTSA complaint 11431041. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

towed · 81,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle deaccelerated unintendedly and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into a gas station. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the spark plug was fractured, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 81,000.

NHTSA complaint 11514046. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

65,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted, but the failure persisted after driving for more than an hour. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle received a tune-up, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V563000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to …

NHTSA complaint 11721643, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

The vehicle has exhibited recurring ignition-system and powertrain malfunctions involving repeated ignition-coil failures, engine misfires, and catalyst-system efficiency faults. These issues cause intermittent loss of power, hesitation during acceleration, and unstable engine performance. The malfunction has occurred multiple times since the date of purchase and has been confirmed through diagnostic trouble codes related to misfire events and catalyst-system operation. A certified Mitsubishi dealership confirmed that the failure pattern aligns with an active manufacturer recall and corresponding Technical Service Bulletin affecting the same model year, engine type (4B11), and vehicle …

NHTSA complaint 11701428, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

The touchscreen for the main infotainment system is becoming unresponsive. It’s impossible to use the most basic functions while driving without being distracted. It’s caused me to swerve & almost lose control of the vehicle on multiple occasions— as it distracted me from driving because initially the screen had spotty functionality (without any sort of warning, so it seemed like user error). There is currently a service notice from Mitsubishi sent out to all owners of Outlander and Outlander Sports (MY 2020 thru 2022) to replace these units under warranty because of a manufacturing defect. My vehicle is eligible for this, and I’m on the wait list, but that’s the where the bigger problem …

NHTSA complaint 11699963, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

So my push to start has to be pushed twice in order to crank the vehicle and when I first got the car about 9 months ago it didn’t do that and about since January the computer system failed twice and it showed a message about the computer system don’t remember exactly what it said and took a 1/2 to a hour to get it to come back one

NHTSA complaint 11619031. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

72,551 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle almost stalled. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted to schedule an appointment for a recall repair; however, the contact was unable to take the vehicle to a dealer to have the vehicle diagnosed. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V563000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,551.

NHTSA complaint 11618447. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

45,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly hesitated before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine a cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.

NHTSA complaint 11594010. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.