Mitsubishi Outlander Sport vs Hyundai Kona: which is more reliable?
The Hyundai Kona is ahead of the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport on the federal record, 83/100 against 76/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
- 15 model years scored
- 872 owner complaints on record
- about 6 complaints per year on the road
- 55 recall campaigns, 14 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (93/100) · worst 2015 (34/100)
Hyundai Kona
- 8 model years scored
- 769 owner complaints on record
- about 23 complaints per year on the road
- 10 recall campaigns, 4 safety-critical
- best year 2018 (93/100) · worst 2024 (74/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Outlander Sport against Kona
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
- Power Train — 290 complaints
- Engine — 144 complaints
- Electrical System — 119 complaints
Hyundai Kona
- Engine — 396 complaints
- Electrical System — 135 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 133 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Outlander Sport's complaints concentrate in Power Train, the Kona's in Engine. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport — avoid: 2015, 2016.
Hyundai Kona: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023….
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Mitsubishi Outlander Sport prices at about $30,500 and a Hyundai Kona at about $30,500 — they price within $1 of each other, which at this level is the same money, and they return 26.0 against 27.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport or the Hyundai Kona more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Hyundai Kona scores 83/100 against the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport's 76/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and Hyundai Kona years should I avoid?
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: 2015, 2016. Hyundai Kona: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and the Hyundai Kona?
The largest complaint group on the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is Power Train (290 complaints); on the Hyundai Kona it is Engine (396).
Is the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport or the Hyundai Kona cheaper to own?
A recent used Mitsubishi Outlander Sport prices at about $30,500 and a Hyundai Kona at about $30,500, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.