Reliable Auto DB

2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 21 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport over 9 years — 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Outlander Sport years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Adaptive cruise control and Electrical system, software.

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
Photo by Alex Neman, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

21

Per year

2

Recalls

2

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (7 of 21), then Air bags (6) and Powertrain (5). Those filings include 4 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Outlander Sport has 27 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2019 has 26 complaints, 2 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall forward collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control 2018-09-14 · NHTSA campaign 18V621000
Summary Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with a Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system and 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross vehicles and 2017-2018 Outlander vehicles equipped with an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system and/or an Electric Parking Brake (EPB) system. The software for the Hydraulic Unit Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may be incorrect, possibly preventing the intervention of a safety system such as automatic emergency braking, Anti-lock Braking (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), or the Brake Auto Hold (BAH) function when any of these systems are in use.
Remedy MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will update the Hydraulic Unit-ECU software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-008.
Recall electrical system, software 2018-09-14 · NHTSA campaign 18V620000
Summary Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Outlander Sport, 2018-2019 Eclipse Cross, and 2017-2018 Outlander vehicles equipped with a Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system that detects pedestrians. Due to incorrect software, the FCM-ECU (Electronic Control Unit) may apply braking for longer than needed, even after a pedestrian is no longer detected.
Remedy MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the FCM-ECU software with updated software, free of charge. The recall is began October 16, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-007.

Complaints by component (21 total)

Electrical system
7
Air bags
6
Powertrain
5
Seat belts
2
Service brakes
2
Air brakes
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Engine
1
Exterior lighting
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Lane departure
1
Seats
1
Speed control
1
Steering
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Visibility
1
Show 9 more Show less
Crash-flagged

4

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120181201952020120212202232023220244202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Air bags, Seat belts, Unknown or other · filed 2026-03-08
  • "Center seat belt will not retract, causing the belt to be unusable and unsafe."
    Seat belts · filed 2026-03-06
  • "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…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-08-08
  • "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…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-08-08
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag light warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer to…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-02-10

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SUV FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Specs and fitment

Outlander Sport (ASX), 2012–present
Body styles Crossover
Oil 0W-20 (2.0L; CVT models may use slightly higher capacity) , 4.5 qt capacity
Tire size 225/55R18

Known issues for this generation

Recall 18V-620 covers certain 2018 Outlander Sport vehicles (and Outlander, Outlander PHEV, and 2018-2019 Eclipse Cross) equipped with Forward Collision Mitigation: software may not correctly control the system. Dealers update software. Recall 18V-621 covers certain 2018 Outlander Sport with FCM (and related models) for a related forward-collision mitigation software concern as described in that campaign.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Next year 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport See every Mitsubishi Outlander Sport model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport reliable?

Owners have filed 21 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport over 9 years — 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Outlander Sport years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Adaptive cruise control and Electrical system, software.

What are common problems with a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (7 of 21), then Air bags (6) and Powertrain (5). Those filings include 4 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Outlander Sport has 27 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2019 has 26 complaints, 2 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport been recalled?

The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?

Owners have filed 21 complaints about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport with NHTSA.

What oil does a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport take?

US 2.0L models commonly use 0W-20 (about 4.5 qt with filter; CVT models may use a slightly higher capacity).

Does recall 18V-620 cover the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?

It covers certain 2018 Outlander Sport vehicles (with Outlander, Outlander PHEV, and 2018-2019 Eclipse Cross) with Forward Collision Mitigation: software may not correctly control braking; dealers update software.

What generation is the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?

GK generation for the US years this site tracks (2012 onward).