CSR
Check a VIN

Look up

About

Mitsubishi · NHTSA safety record

2020 Mitsubishi Outlander

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 31 safety complaints about the 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander with the US government. Of those, 5 describe a crash, 7 people were injured and no death is recorded. 3 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the body structure and the seat belts.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 11 complaints, 35% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 53,000 miles, the median across the 9 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers June 2020 to July 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

31 complaints on file

31

Complaints

5

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

7

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints rose 29% year on year: 9 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 7 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11 · 35%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 · 26%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6 · 19%
AIR BAGS 4 · 13%
ENGINE 2 · 6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 6%
LANE DEPARTURE 2 · 6%
SEATS 2 · 6%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 6%
STRUCTURE 2 · 6%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 · 3%
POWER TRAIN 1 · 3%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 31.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 7.

8 6 4 2
20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2020 Mitsubishi OUTLANDER, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 16.4% 18.5%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

3 on file

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT

26V252000 · April 20, 2026

The defect
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV and 2014-2020 Outlander vehicles. The liftgate gas spring cylinders may corrode and lose pressure, which can result in a gas spring cylinder rupture or the liftgate falling unexpectedly.
The risk
A gas spring cylinder rupture or a liftgate falling unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
MMNA will replace the left and right liftgate gas springs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2026. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-26-001. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov June 3, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V507.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. · up to 108,046 vehicles across all model years covered

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT

25V507000 · August 7, 2025

The defect
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV and 2014-2020 Outlander vehicles sold and/or currently registered in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The liftgate gas spring cylinders may corrode and lose pressure, which can result in a gas spring cylinder rupture or the liftgate falling unexpectedly.
The risk
A gas spring cylinder rupture or a liftgate falling unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
MMNA will replace the left and right liftgate gas springs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 6, 2025. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-25-002

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. · up to 121,529 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

20V280000 · May 18, 2020

The defect
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Outlander and 2019 Outlander PHEV vehicles. The seat belt for the right side second-row seat may have been assembled incorrectly.
The risk
An incorrectly assembled seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy
MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the right side second-row seat belt and replace it as necessary, free of charge. This recall began June 17, 2020. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-20-002.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. · up to 3,241 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

4 injured · crash · towed

2020 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER WAS STRUCK IN THE REAR END AND SLAMMED AGAINST A SOLID FOUNDATION IN THE FRONT THAT CAUSE THE DASHBOARD TO BREAK AND ALL THE SEATS TO BREAK FROM THE FLOOR OF THE CAR. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SEVERE INJURIES RESULTED. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY ON THE HIGHWAY IN ROUTE TO TURN WHEN STRUCK. *TR

NHTSA complaint 11328690. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 6 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ANOTHER DRIVER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH, THE DRIVER EXPERIENCED A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE OCCUPANT IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURIES AND MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS PROVIDED. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT WERE AT THE SCENE. THERE WAS NO REPORT OF A FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT LOT. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA complaint 11391077. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 35,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while crossing an intersection at 35 MPH; another vehicle ran a red light and crashed into the contact's front driver-side door. The contact was knocked across the two-lane road and hit a telephone pole on the passenger side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The authorities arrived on the scene and assisted the contact out of the vehicle through the passenger side of the vehicle. The contact was treated at the scene and was later taken to the emergency room for treatment. The contact was given an X-ray ,CT scan and an MRI. The contact was treated for pain and stiffness to the left side of the back,

NHTSA complaint 11565755, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · crash

I was at a 24 hr storage unit. It was dim & I needed to unload from the rear hatch door so I backed to the open storage unit door in its upright position as high as I could get it & stopped at a safe distance from the doorway so the car door would not catch the storage unit door. I put the vehicle in PARK to have some lighting & double checked before I got out- gear shift securely in PARK. I opened the car's rear door & started unloading without overly disturbing the vehicle or causing any unnecessary movement. I had just turned my back to the car door to put down some boxes in the unit. As I turned back to the car to retrieve another item, I noticed movement. There was a rapid simultaneous

NHTSA complaint 11430374, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

105,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low beam headlights were significantly dim and progressively worsened and became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer several times, where unknown repairs were performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA complaint 11754050. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

95,730 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving on the interstate at an undisclosed speed, there was wind underneath the hood, and the hood was vibrating. The contact was concerned about the hood becoming ajar. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was associated with TSB: 21-42A-001. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was test-driven, and the dealer was able to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 95,730.

NHTSA complaint 11749592. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

79,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at 25 MPH, a "be careful due to icy roads" message appeared, but it was the middle of May and there was no ice or cold weather in sight. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA complaint 11740553. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Multiple times I have been driving at a safe speed with no other vehicles or people around and the dashboard will beep and light up brake! Brake!

NHTSA complaint 11726071. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The radio system failed two years ago Many drivers with the same car have similar problem.

NHTSA complaint 11718689. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V507000 (Structure) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA complaint 11709853. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mitsubishi Outlander

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 15 1 —
2024 26 1 —
2023 47 2 —
2022 216 7 —
2019 29 5 —
2018 57 6 —
2017 51 6 —
2016 145 8 —
2015 53 5 —
2014 45 4 —
2013 26 5 —
2012 22 6 —
2011 58 8 —
2010 60 10 —

Other 2020 Mitsubishi models

Outlander Sport 26

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Mitsubishi on this site — 46 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst