There are 14 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlanderin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE IN AUGUST 2016. AS OF THIS DATE THE PART TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE IS NOT AVAILABLE. HAVE CALL MITSUBISHI SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY KEEP SAYING THE PART IS BEING PROCESSED. CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER THE PARTS ARE SENT TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR OR IF THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE INSPECTED FIRST AND THEN THE PART IS ORDERED BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE INSPECTED FIRST THEN THE PART IS ORDERED IF NECESSARY. MITSUBISHI STATES THAT THEY WILL DETERMINE HOW MANY PARTS TO SEND TO WHAT DEALERS. CONFUSION. NEAREST DEALER TO ME IS 3 TO 4 HOURS ONE WAY TRIP. IF THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE INSPECTED FIRST BEFORE THE PART IS ORDERED THEN IF WILL HAVE TO MAKE TWO 6 TO 8 HOUR ROUND TRIPS. HOW THE DEALER KNOWS HOW MANY PARTS TO SEND TO WHAT DEALERS DOES'T MAKE SENSE. THIS PART IS NEEDED TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE'S STEERING FROM FAILING. THE PART IS THE LOWER CONTROL ARM. PLEASE CLEAR THIS UP FOR ME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL SOUND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT IT NEEDED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND THE TIE ROD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V458000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER,THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,432.
THE CAR STEERS TO THE RIGHT ON HIGHWAY., UNABLE TO REPAIR.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, SMALL STONES FELL OFF OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND STRUCK THE SUNROOF OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, DEBRIS AND GLASS SHATTERED INSIDE OF HER VEHICLE. TWO PASSENGERS WERE MODERATELY INJURED. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER WITHOUT AN IMPACT OR CRASH OCCURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,000. UPDATED 6/18/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE SUN ROOF WAS NOT TEMPERED. UPDATED 06/22/09. *JB
11/08/07 MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING OUR FAMILY TO MY SONS FOOTBALL PRACTICE WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL WAS SHIFTING LEFT TO RIGHT IN THE DASH BOARD. 11/09/07 MY HUSBAND LOOKED AT THE STEERING WHEEL AND IT WAS LITERALLY FLOPPING AROUND IN THE DASH BOARD, WHEN HE REMOVED THE DASH THE STEERING COLUMN FELL IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN BROKE FREE FROM WERE IT IS BOLTED TO THE CAR. *TR
ON SEPT 3 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2003 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER WHEN IT VEERED TO THE RIGHT SO SHARPLY THAT IT ALMOST PULLED THE STEERING WHEEL FROM HER GRASP. THE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE OCCURRENCE,WE DECIDED WE WOULD GET IT CHECKED OUT NEXT WEEK. BEFORE WE COULD GET THE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT,DUE TO HURRICANE KATRINA,ON SEPT.9 MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER WAS JUST LEAVING SCHOOL, HAD ONLY GONE A FEW HUNDRED YARDS WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT,CAUSING HER TO GO OFF THE ROAD AND FLIP THE CAR. A WITNESS SAID SHE SAW SOMETHING FLY OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR JUST BEFORE THE CRASH. WITH THE CAR UPSIDE DOWN WE ALL SAW THE CV JOINT BROKEN. I LOOKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DOWN FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE AND FOUND A PART THAT MAY BE THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH,I AM CHECKING THIS OUT,BUT HAVE ALSO FOUND OUT THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE AN INVESTIGATION IS DONE CONCERNING THIS SERIOUS FLAW IN CONSTRUCTION.
VEHICLE IN FOR SECOND REPAIR OF STEERING RACK. FIRST TIME THE RACK WAS REPLACED. REQUESTED REPLACEMENT AGAIN. VERY RARE FAILURE, YET TWICE WITHIN 30 K MILES? THERE IS A VARIABLE PULSING AND UNEQUAL PRESSURE WITHIN THE STEERING RACK HYDRAULICS. FIRST INSTANCE 16000, SECOND 31K MILES. ADDITIONALLY FAILED TIE ROD IN THIS SECOND INSTANCE. BEING REPAIRED AT UNIVERSITY MIT. IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA, AS IN THE FIRST INSTANCE. CALLED MIT. CUST SVC AND REQUESTED NEW RACK AND REPAIR OF TIE ROD AS WELL AS ALIGNMENT. THEY STATE THIS TO BE AN ISOLATED, TWICE STRUCK, DEFECT ISSUE AND NOT A CROSS PLATFORM/VEHICLE MODEL PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WANDERED OFF ON ITS OWN. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THE PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *JB
VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT FROM THE DAY I RECEIVED IT, RETURNED FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES, STILL PULLS TO THE RIGHT. FRONT TIRES ARE WORN AFTER 29,000 MILES. LAST VISIT TIRES WERE ROTATED AND NOW THE VEHICLE PULLS VERY HARD TO THE LEFT. NOW I AM BRINGING IT BACK TO ROTATE THE TIRES BACK SO NOW IT WILL CONTINUE TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AGAIN I'M SURE. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE.*AK
DRIFTS TO RIGHT-BEEN BACK 4 TIMES FOR THIS- NOW LAST TIME THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG AND IT NO LONGER DRIFTS-AS I DROVE OUT OF DEALER I LET GO OF WHEEL AND OFF IT GOES TO THE RIGHT...AGAIN..*AK
STEERING/SUSPENSION OUTLANDER XLS CAR PULLS AND DRIFTS TO THE RIGHT, CAR HAS BEEN TO AUTO SERVICE 3 TIMES AND PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *AK
AFTER REPAIR, THE AUTOMOBILE (MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER 2003 XLS) CONTINUES TO VEER AND DRIFT.*AK
OUTLAND CONTINUES TO PULL VERY HARD TO THE RIGHT. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED THREE TIMES AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM AND THE PULLING IS NORMAL. *JB
VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER SAYS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS VEHICLE DOING SAME AND THE REPAIRS THE FACTORY SUGGESTED TO THE DEALER ARE NOT WORKING. *NLM
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026