2016 Mitsubishi Outlander: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
169 NHTSA owner complaints · 8 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2015, 2016 and 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander, which have 234, 169 and 212 complaints and scores of 38, 34 and 34. Buy a 2011 to 2014 car, which score 79 to 88 on between 36 and 88 complaints, or a 2017 to 2020 car, which score 76 to 85 on between 29 and 55. Read the full note on the model page. 2016 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 169 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Sport: the years to avoid, including 2016 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 169 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 16.9
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle unintendedly decreased speed. No warning lights illuminated. A dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that an unknown recall had been completed and cl…
The car itself should not be sold considering the number of complaints about the transmission issues. I’ve only had the car a month and Its started to stall and jerks when in acceleration. The gears started to not shift properly and the car would not go over 20 miles without jerking. I took the car back to the lot to get it fixed and then it stopped, was driving back smoothly. The car shop said they changed the trans…
The contact owns a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that upon manually activating the parking brake, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle was taken to Jack's Independent Service Inc, where it was diagnosed and determined that the parking brake operating shafts were corroded. The dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V741000 (Parking Brake); however, the VIN was not incl…
Recalls: 8 campaigns (4 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V233000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch | Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2016 Outlander and Outlander Sport vehicles. |
| 25V507000 | Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate:Support Device/Strut | 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,… |
| 20V403000 | Seat Belts: Rear/Other:Buckle Assembly | Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Outlander and 2018-2019 Outlander PHEV vehicles. |
| 26V252000 | Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate:Support Device/Strut | Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV and 2014-2020 Outlander vehicles. |
| 18V070000 | Parking Brake | Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Outlander and 2013-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles. |
| 16V563000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) | Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles and 2016 Outlander and Lancer vehicles. |
| 17V609000 | Electrical System:Starter Assembly:Relay | Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Outlander, 2015-2016 Lancer and Outlander Sport, and 2015 Lancer Evolution vehicles. |
| 20V741000 | Parking Brake | Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2016 Outlander and Outlander Sport vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 27 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,300
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train70 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine28 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes20 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other19 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System17 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Vehicle Speed Control14 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
Other Mitsubishi Outlander years
Mitsubishi Outlander years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (70 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 34/100, computed from 169 NHTSA complaints and 8 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander's most common problem?
70 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander cost to run per year?
About $4,690 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,452 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 8 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 06/04/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 169 complaints, 8 recalls on record
- 169 NHTSA complaints on record (16.9/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (6.4/yr)
- 8 recall campaigns, 4 touching safety-critical systems