2003 Mitsubishi Outlander recalls and problems

The 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander has 6 safety recalls and 116 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Mitsubishi dealer.

Recalls

Complaints

116

Crashes / fires

10 / 2

Injuries / deaths

8 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2003 Mitsubishi Outlander recalls

Recall 16V-458: Suspension

Reported Jun 23, 2016 · 194,674 vehicles affected · Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.

Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 Lancer, 2004 Lancer Wagon, 2003-2006 Lancer Evolution, 2003-2006 Outlander and 2007-2013 Outlander V-6 vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.

Risk: A detached front control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross member will be replaced with a new one that has a sealing/anti-corrosion agent applied to it. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-003.

Recall 04V-428: Equipment

Reported Sep 1, 2004 · 100,432 vehicles affected · MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN

Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the bilingual english/spanish removable air bag warning labels affixed to the dash and to the sunvisor do not meet the size requirements of the standard.

Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.

Fix: Mitsubishi caribbean will mail a customer notification letter containing a written description and a graphic of the bi-lingual dashboard air bag warning label. In addition, all current 2000-2004 nativa owners will also receive replacement air bag alert labels for the sun visors. This recall is expected to begin during march or april 2005. The notification to the nativa owners is expected to begin during april or may 2005. Owners should contact mitsubishi caribbean at 1-787-251-8715.

Recall 04V-197: Trailer Hitches

Reported Apr 26, 2004 · 2,175 vehicles affected · MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles may have been equipped with dealer-installed trailer hitch wiring harness and control module. The electronic control module can overheat.

Risk: Overheating of the trailer hitch wiring harness module could result in a fire.

Fix: Owners are being requested to stop using the harness until a newly designed replacement is provided and can be installed by the dealer. The recall began on may 28, 2004. Owners should contact mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820.

Recall 04V-067: Equipment

Reported Feb 11, 2004 · 134,000 vehicles affected · MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Problem: Certain sport utility and passenger vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the owner's manual does not contain a step-by-step description for headrest adjustment when installing a child restraint system (Crs) tether strap.

Risk: If the tether strap is improperly installed to the tether anchor, the child safety seat may not be sufficient restrained. In the event of a crash, the child could be injured.

Fix: A letter outlining the problem will be sent to owners along with a sticker containing the correct instructions as well as instructions on where to affix the sticker in the owner's manual. The recall began on march 29, 2004. Owners should contact mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820.

Recall 03V-194: Electrical System

Reported May 20, 2003 · 43,649 vehicles affected · MITSUBISHI AMERICA

Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, water could enter the front floorboard area from openings in the side sill or upper dash area. This water could collect under the seat and cause electrical corrosion to occur in the harness connectors that contain the wiring for the seat belt pre-tensioner, side air bag impact sensor, and stop lamps.

Risk: Electrical corrosion of the harness could cause the seat belt pre-tensioner to malfunction, the side air bag not to deploy and/or the brake lamps not to illuminate or to falsely illuminate.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the side sills and dash panel for openings that may allow water leakage into the vehicle cabin. In addition to sealing any openings that may be found, the wiring connectors will be inspected for signs of electrical corrosion. The floor harness will be replaced if it has any signs of water damage or electrical corrosion. Owner notification began june 23, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact mitsubishi america at 1-800-222-0037 or mitsubishi caribbean at 1-787-251-8715.

Recall 03V-028: Vehicle Speed Control

Reported Jan 30, 2003 · 31,000 vehicles affected · MITSUBISHI AMERICA

Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, during extremely low temperature conditions, ice can build up inside the engine throttle valve. This ice build-up could cause the accelerator pedal to stick or not to return to idle after accelerating.

Risk: Failure to return to idle could result in a vehicle crash without warning.

Fix: Dealers will reprogram the engine control computer to eliminate this condition. Owner notification began on january 29, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.

2003 Mitsubishi Outlander problems reported by owners

Problem area	Reports
Suspension	29
Exterior Lighting	19
Steering	14
Engine and Engine Cooling	13
Electrical System	9
Air Bags	8
Power Train	6
Visibility	6
Seat Belts	6
Unknown or Other	5
Visibility/Wiper	5
Structure	5

Most reported parts

Suspension › Rear — 5
Exterior Lighting › Headlights — 4
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System — 4
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine — 3
Air Bags › Frontal — 3
Suspension › Front — 3
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System — 3
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch — 2

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 69,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Suspension · at 188,000 miles · reported Aug 27, 2024

The contact owns a 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle came to an immediate stop and did not return to normal operation. The contact noticed that the front control arm had detached. No warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V458000 (Suspension). The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to the residence. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was included in the recall but already had…

Suspension · at 120,000 miles · reported Dec 4, 2019

Rear control arms are rusted through, there was a recall for the front and had the repairs done. The front control arm recall was due to poor rust proofing during manufacturing. The rear has the same problem. Cannot realign rear wheels and rear sway bar bracket broke free entirely. Vehicle is now stationary as it cannot be driven.

Air Bags · at 340,000 miles · reported Jun 24, 2019

The contact owned a 2003 mitsubishi outlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed while attempting to avoid colliding with a deer. During the crash, the vehicle had rolled over and the driver was knocked unconscious. The driver sustained head and neck injuries, a fractured left shoulder and an injured torso and was transported to the hospital. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. A police report was taken at the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not…

Visibility/Wiper · at 15,000 miles · reported Apr 1, 2019

The issue began in 2004 when my vehicle was 1 year old. The temperature control knob became frozen and you could not turn it from heat to air conditioning or the other way. I spent $23,000 on this car and you could not turn from air conditioning to heat at will only a mechanic can manually turn it underneath the vehicle and then only put it on hot or cold. One time I was driving 600 miles for an emergency with the knob stuck on air conditioning and I was not able to turn it to heat. It was below freezing temperatures and the window fogged up because I was not able to put the defroster on. I…

Visibility/Wiper · at 10,000 miles · reported Apr 1, 2019

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 mitsubishi many times and sent letters of complaints but they will not do anything about it but leave the vehicles owner in what can be a dangerous situations. I've had to drive in emergency situations before and the knob was stuck on air conditioning it was freezing temperatures where…

Other Mitsubishi Outlander years

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Compare all Mitsubishi Outlander years · All Mitsubishi models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander: 16V-458 (suspension), 04V-428 (equipment), 04V-197 (trailer hitches), 04V-067 (equipment), 03V-194 (electrical system) and more. Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander?

Owners report suspension problems most often (29 reports), followed by exterior lighting (19). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 69,000 miles.

Are Mitsubishi recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Mitsubishi dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.