Mitsubishi Outlander Maintenance and Repair

comem47 · January 2010

I think Batman47 is referring to a lemon law which keeps new owners from being jerked around by dealers after a certain amount of repairs have been attempted without being resolved, A quick search for the the law here in NY yielded this:

What Are A Consumer's Rights If The Manufacturer Does Not Meet Its Duty To Repair?

If the problem is not repaired after a reasonable number of attempts, or the manufacturer or the dealer refuses to commence repairs within 20 days from the manufacturer's receipt of the "refusal to repair" notice from the consumer, and if the problem substantially impairs the value of the car to the consumer, the manufacturer, at the consumer's option, must either refund the full purchase or lease price, or offer a comparable replacement car.

Does The Law Specify The Number Of Required Repair Attempts?

It is presumed that there have been a reasonable number of attempts to repair a problem if, during the first 18,000 miles of operation or two years from the original delivery date, whichever comes first, either: (1) the same problem has been subject to repair four or more times and the problem continues to exist; or (2) the car is out of service by reason of repair of one or more problems for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days and the problem continues to exist.

cigarpro · January 2010

Hi, The dealer thinks its a bad injector and a new one is one order. I wanted to know if this was a common problem or not. The XLS in Canada is the GT in the US and so far its a great vechicle, other than this hick up I am happy. I wanted to see if this was a common problem or not, my guess is its not.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.
Cigarpro

cigarpro · January 2010

How do you like the remote starting kit? What did they charge you? Its 600 bucks here.

fushigi · January 2010

The one the dealer sold me was an Audiovox & not OEM MItsu. It's OK but includes a separate fob. There's only one button and you do a slow double-click to start it. The car will run for up to 20 minutes before automatically shutting down. Downside, though, is that the integration is not 100%. When I get in the car I have to start it again with the FAST key in the vehicle. Basically, press the brake and the engine stops (canceling the start initiated by the remote start), then turn the starter and restart it. It only takes a couple of seconds but is not my ideal.

It will do to warm up/cool down the car from a distance (up to 300 yards supposedly) but I would have preferred better integration, namely not having to restart and not having a second fob even if it is very small.

cigarpro · January 2010

Dealer installed a new injector on cylinder three today, fix the problems runs like a champ.

Cigarpro

fushigi · January 2010

Glad to hear it! Hopefully this doesn't sour your enjoyment of the car going forward. I've got just under 1300 miles on my GT as of yesterday.

I've been reading how some Toyota owners are wanting to ditch their vehicles and are swearing off the brand. That seems unreasonable or at least premature to me. As long as problems are found & fixed I'll try to give them the benefit of the doubt when something happens.

Cars have literally thousands of parts and IMO building a perfect car just isn't possible. It's how the dealer & maker react when a problem occurs that matters.

batman47 · January 2010

Perhaps few people know that each of the hundreds of parts (e.g. nuts, plugs, etc) in a vehicle must be torque to vehicle specifications. However for more than 10-years I havent seen anybody (garages, shops etc) using a torque wrench to torque, for example, the oil drain plug, the oil filter, and so on. Short cut service procedures seem to be the norm nowadays.

I took my car (due to the cold weather I didnt want to do it myself) for an oil change and it was done without the use of any torque wrench to adjust the parts. These technician mechanics can damage your car if they over tighten your aluminum oil container.

If it is not damaged the first time it is most probable that your car will be leaking oil in the next few years.

comem47 · January 2010

I dunno. Over the years I've never had trouble using a 3/8" drive short ratchet to tighten my oil drain plugs on a variety of vehicles. You can develop a good feel and it's hard to over tighten (25-30 ft lbs or so) . Likewise, with the spin-on filters you lube the O-ring with some new oil and spin 'em on hand tight (usually 1/2-3/4 of a turn past first contact).

Where I absolutely use a torque wrench and want the shop to use one is tightening wheel lug nuts so they don't warp the rotors . I've seen too many use the impact wrench (and I'm not talking with a real low limit set just to spin 'em on quick followed by a torque wrench to finish) I personally have never had problems with my filters or oil plugs in over 30 yrs doing it myself. I do use the torque wrench on all other engine bolts, it's just I feel I've got a good feel on that one, but yes, when it doubt use the torque wrench. I would rather I do the work myself whenever possible than trust the quick lube tech does what they are supposed to, but sometimes you have no choice. The one time I did see a problem on an oil filter is when I didn't install it and my stepdaughter had previously used a quick lube place and I found lots of oil over the engine around the filter (too loose) I got there in time to change it (spun off pretty easy) and told her to always get in the habit to look in the driveway for obvious leaks in the future. Sometimes I swear those techs that get paid min wage are preoccupied waiting for the next cigarette break. ("now where was I'?, Yeah, I think I tightened it before break.".. :sick:

sampson10 · February 2010

We are buying a used 2003 Outlander. When does the timing belt need to be replaced and is this motor the type that will receive horrible damage if the timing belt breaks while running?
Thanks!

fushigi · February 2010

More than likely it's 60K, which matches my former '99 Galant. It also matches what many automakers require (Example: my wife's Elantra). Unless you're in California; there it's warranted for 90 or 100K due to state law. Don't ask me for specifics on that, though, as I've only read about it and am not a CA resident.

I'm not sure if Mitsu engines are interference designs or not, but either way I would say do the maintenance & replace things on schedule. Keeping a vehicle in top operating condition will net you the best fuel economy and fewest headaches in the long run.

stever · February 2010

The Edmunds Maintenance Guide says it should be replaced at 60,000 miles.

Gates says the engine is an interference one, so things go boom when the timing belt breaks.

fushigi · February 2010

Steve - FYI the Edmunds maintenance schedule doesn't have info for the 2010 Outlander. Does Edmunds input the data or are submissions from owners like me accepted?

stever · February 2010

The new models take a while to get implemented. You could use the Contact Us link and someone in the home office may be able to give you an ETA.

comem47 · February 2010

I might be remembering wrong but I thought my 2007 manual said something like 105K for the V6. I'll have to search again when I get a chance. (if so, this works out well in to be in sync with the powertrain warranty i.e; if it snaps at 95K it's on their dime to fix it all)

danvo · February 2010

Anyone need this? Mitsubishi Outlander Workshop Manual (1st Generation 2003-2006)

danvo · February 2010

Hi all, I just change my 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander cabin air filter. And made a short video clip would like to share with you

How To Replace 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006 Mitsubishi Outlander Cabin Air Filter

costello1 · March 2010

Has anyone had this work done by a Mitis dealer ?? What is the cost and what do they do?? Not sure if I can get it done cheaper by a local shop. Thanks

toomanyfumes · March 2010

I'm curious myself. My '07 is at about 29K

fushigi · March 2010

Most dealers will have their own service schedule that exceeds what the manufacturer specifies. The extra services rarely hurt but aren't needed (at least not at that time/mileage) and as such make the service more profitable for the service department.

I don't know if the non-dealer shops (Merlin's, Meineke, Midas, Car-X, etc.) do the same thing or not.

You can always simply say you want only what the manufacturer recommends. You have the manual; it has a maintenance section so you can look up for yourself what Mitsu requires.

Price-wise, I've not found the price differences to be all that great. Dealer labor rates are higher, but you're talking by maybe $25 an hour or so. I don't have a problem paying a little more for mechanics/"technicians" who were factory trained. They're far more likely to know the idiosyncrasies of your particular vehicle v. a mechanic who works on everything from Audis to Volvos.

I've also had good luck at my dealer; I brought my car there for everything (oil changes, etc.) and they would sometimes just give me 10% off the bill. I never asked for it; they just extended the offer. Oil chances were maybe a buck or two more than the 10 minute places but I don't trust those joints at all. And the dealer is always willing to shuttle me somewhere (loaners for overnight) if I can't stay for the duration.

stever · March 2010

The Edmunds Maintenance Guide will tell you what Mitsu says should be done and will estimate what it should cost for your zip code.

And yeah, the dealer will try to get you do more stuff - most service writers work on commission.

solowalker · March 2010

I have an 07 Outtie V6...I stopped into my dealership yesterday for have a code pulled....After that was taken care of the service mgr. said that i needed to come back to have my brake light switch replaced...He said there was a recall...I was never notified about this by mail. :mad: I will take it back to be done next week...he said it would take 45 mins...
Has anyone with an 07 Outtie had this new switch installed? How were you notified? thanx

toomanyfumes · March 2010

Thanks for the link Steve, I didn't know Edmunds had that. I'm surprised the spark plugs are only good for 30k. And only $5.00 or so for a valve inspection? But I remember seeing somewhere that they only check the clearances if they're making noise.

comem47 · March 2010

I was notified by US mail of my '07 LS V6 brake light switch needing replacement.

comem47 · March 2010

In my maintenance and warranty manual for my ' 07 LS V6 I find 3 different spark plug change intervals mentioned. (3 manuals came with the car and this is a small supplementary one)

Every 15K for standard plugs
60K for platinum plugs
and 105K for iridium plugs.

As soon as it's warm I'll pull a plug and see which I got (bet it's iridium as briefly mentioned in the owners manual, but we'll see). I got a NYS PZEV version BTW.
You know it makes sense to replace with iridium if not originally installed considering the difficulty getting to the rear plugs

solowalker · March 2010

My 07 LS V6 4WD has the Iridium plugs.. You should have the same plugs...Service manager said in order to get to the plugs you have to take off the whole plenum assembly...He told me don't even try..He said the plugs should be changed after 100K...That'll be trade in time for me.

gene_v · March 2010

The Edmunds Maintendance Guide does not indicate when Transmisssion Fluid should be changed. Have I missed reading it?
My dealer says 30,000. He says that Mitsu turned down repairs when the 30,000 mile service wasn't done. My maintenace manual does not indicate at 30,000 but at 60,000. Is dealer trying to build a bill? Confused in Missouri.

stever · March 2010

I'd go by your owner's manual.

I finally got around to doing a partial drain and fill on my minivan around 120,000 miles. Transmission fluid isn't like motor oil and doesn't "wear out" like motor oil.

And, unlike motor oil that's supposed to get dark and "dirty" almost as soon as you pour it in, you can discover problems with transmission fluid by looking at it and smelling it and doing a blot test. That's what an inspection is supposed to cover.

I think the dealer may be trying to pad the bill. You could send the dealer a letter saying that your understanding is that the dealer thinks the factory fluid change recommendation is wrong and ask him to verify what they told you in writing. And cc Mitsubishi. I'd be curious to see if you get a response. :shades:

comem47 · March 2010

Here's one for you. I just received the second letter within about a month in the mail from my local Mitsu dealer on how I might want to purchase an extended warranty on my '07 Outlander. In this form letter they imply that my current warranty may have expired or be expiring soon! (oh really!!!) and that I might be able to purchase up to 60 months or 100k miles.

So is this this just blind incompetence on their part, or an outright scam hoping I'm ignorant of the existing factory warranty and they hope to sell me something that me and all new Mitsu owners get automatically for free?!!

Not once in the letter do they point out that the standard US factory warranty is 10 yrs/100K miles power train and 5 yrs/ 60K bumper to bumper with free roadside assistance, so I really can't believe they are selling something that covers an additional 100K miles, etc. on top of that :confuse:

And of course to use their words "due to the urgent nature of this program we can make this offer available for a limited time only"

walk_the_walk2 · April 2010

I do not own an Outlander, but do own an Isuzu Axiom - a similar style SUV. I learned the hard way that it is critical to change the tranny fluid more often than the owner's manual states. In fact, the Isuzu owner's manual has different info on this topic that the Technical Service Manual does (I purchased the later a while back and learned a lot about servicing my SUV). In fact, the Technical Service Manual recommends changing the tranny fluid every 20,000 miles if you do harsh driving or pull a trailer. If you read the Isuzu owner's manual, it appears to say that you do this at the 100K mark. Big difference. Plus, there is no dipstick on my SUV either, so you have no way to check to see if the OEM tranny fluid level is correct.

For all of the above reasons, it is a smart idea to change the tranny fluid at the 30K mile threshold, and have it done at a pro shop where you can get SYNTHETIC TRANNY FLUID added instead of regular grade. It costs a little more, but in the long run, if you plan to keep your vehicle, when the warranty runs out, your tranny won't be ready to fail on you...

Too many Isuzu owners only read the owner's manual, never changed their fluid and had premature tranny failures, some of which were not covered under the warranty.

Better safe than sorry is my opinion.

solowalker · April 2010

I have a 2007 Outtie with 47K on the clock....The battery indicator next to the terminal has gone from blue to white...The manual says that this could mean that the battery is nearing it's useful life...The battery still works fine but I sometimes go into remote areas for hiking and don't want to get stuck with a dead battery

.....I am wondering if anyone with a 2007 outtie has had to replace the original equipment battery as yet...how long did it last.

fushigi · April 2010

Batteries can fail at virtually any time. I knew a guy back in the early 90s who only got a year out of the battery that came in his Civic. My Galant, which was my ride prior to buying an Outlander this past December, went about 4 years on the OEM battery. The replacement was still going strong 6 years later when I sold the car.

I would suggest replacing the battery before it fails. Not only will you be safeguarding against failure in a remote area, you'll simply feel more confident & comfortable about your car's reliability & ability to get you where you want to go. The psychological effect shouldn't be dismissed; until you replace the battery there will continue to be a subtle stress point.

toomanyfumes · April 2010

Can also buy one of those carry-along portable battery jumpers. They've gotten pretty cheap, like fushigi said, even a newer battery can fail.

batman47 · May 2010

Batteries should be replaced every 4-years or every 40,000 miles.

piast · May 2010

Shh, my wife's car 6 year old battery might hear that. I wouldn't push for another winter though.

toomanyfumes · May 2010

Anyone get the trans fluid changed and how much? I got a free oil change coupon from the dealer, have a loose exhaust heat shield I'm gonna have them fix (looks like it's covered under warranty, didn't see any exclusion for exhaust), And I'm thinking of having them change the tranny fluid while I'm there. Manual says to change it at 30K and I've got about 33K on my '07. Kinda surprised it needs it already, seems most cars have lifetime fluid.

solowalker · May 2010

do you tow with the outtie? do you live in a harsh weather area? If not, I would not change the tranny fluid till 100,000 miles are on the clock..

toomanyfumes · May 2010

No towing, we treat the car pretty good, I think I might hold off...

comem47 · May 2010

Fumes, I'll be curious how you make out with the heat shield.. I had 2 separate shield locations break their flimsy weld at different times and assuming that exhaust wasn't covered (usually isn't but who knows with Mitsu) I just bent off the offending pieces by hand (didn't take any effort) and removed them (not really protecting anything). The rattling/buzzing around idle was a real bummer quality wise. This is also on an '07 (LS). I only have about 22k . I'm also noting the outer layer wrapping around the muffler is starting to lift. Overall, while I like the vehicle otherwise, I'm really underwhelmed with Mitsu's lack of quality on exhaust systems.

toomanyfumes · May 2010

I made the appointment and talked to the service manager today. He agreed the exhaust is covered under the 5year\60K warranty. I've noticed the black around the muffler peeling on mine and on one that lives about a block from me.

fushigi · May 2010

If the manual says you should change it at 30K and you don't do it reasonably close to that mileage, Mitsu would be within their rights to deny warranty coverage if your car were to suffer a trans failure . You have to maintain the car to maintain the warranty.

Also, I would trust the advice/requirements of the manufacturer over anyone who posts on an internet forum (including myself). They designed the vehicle and designed the maintenance intervals to keep the vehicle running in top condition. BTW I'd also trust the advice of the manufacturer over that of the dealer or other service department; those who provide service have a profit motive that lies in contradiction to the consumer's wallet. So tell the dealer or other service place to do only what Mitsu recommends. They'll still tell you if anything else needs servicing but should omit the add-on service items that are profitable to them but don't really do much towards your car's maintenance.

If you do decide to get the trans fluid changed, feel free to call around; by law you don't have to have service performed at a dealer to maintain warranty coverage.

averee2moon · May 2010

I have a rattling noise coming from under my car. My husband says its the heat shield however he doesn't know to much about cars. Does anyone know if its worth having Mitsubishi fix it? and how much they will charge? or can you just cut it off?

solowalker · May 2010

If I were you, I would slide under the outtie and look to see what is loose. You may just have some road debris caught up under there...If the car is still under warranty, only then would I have it looked at by a shop..Otherwise, you are setting yourself up to be fleeced! :mad:

toomanyfumes · May 2010

If it's an '07 it should be covered under the 5/60 bumper to bumper warranty.
They're fixing mine Wednesday.

comem47 · May 2010

I've had 2 sections of heat shield break their spot welds and rattle. I broke the remaining attachment welds easily by hand and removed them . Noise is now gone.
I noticed my muffler outer shell is now delaminating. As toomanyfumes pointed out you could get this fixed under warranty. (I may eventually do this for my muffler before the 5yr/60K bumper to bumper warranty expires, but I'm not in a hurry though as while I'm hoping the replaced part is better in quality, in case it is not I'd like it to last as long as possible after they fix it)

batman47 · June 2010

The ATF of the Outlander must be changed when the fresh lightly pink color of the transmission fluid becomes dark or foaming or soaping or bubbling. The ATF stick is to the right of the oil stick and it is firmly attached and needs a bit of force to take off the ATF stick.

You may check the ATF every 6-months. If any of the symptoms mentioned above are observed, then replace the ATF. This situation may exist before the 30K miles or much after (i.e. 100K miles). For example the Mitsubishi dealer changed the ATF in my XLS after returning from my adventure to Alaska (Less than 20K miles). I was very surprised by this action because the ATF seemed to be OK. The technician drained all the ATF by removing the ATF drain plug under the car. The technician overflowed the ATF container producing undesirable effects (i.e. the auto transmission felt heavy and hesitating). I took the car to a private garage that corroborated my suspicious of too much ATF and subsequently he sucked about ½ Quart of Dia Queen ATF J2 from the ATF reservoir using an extractor connected to the ATF stick tube.

You may do this service yourself by buying (e.g. Wall-Mart) a graduated funnel and from an auto shop an oil extractor ($40) and use the same procedure mentioned above. The oil extractor container is usually graduated in fractions of Quarts. Drop the same quantity of fresh ATF extracted from the ATF vehicle reservoir through the ATF stick pipe. In other words, you take out a quantity of old ATF and add the same quantity of new ATF to the ATF reservoir.

jonox · July 2010

Just purchased 2010 Outlander AWD ES and would value comments/advice on the following:

Location is Southern Ontario, Canada, about an hour from Niagara Falls.
Less than 4000 miles driven per year.
Retired owner, usually avoids rush hour traffic.
Hauling mainly golf clubs.
No towing.

Quote from the Warranty and Maintenance Manual states "The Severe Maintenance Schedule best describes operating conditions in Canada and is the recommended maintenance schedule."

Canada's a big place and this seems like a big generalization so I'm looking for advice on how much lee-way an owner has in choosing a Severe or Regular maintenance schedule without running the risk of warranty issues?

piast · July 2010

Go with regular maintenance schedule. Nothing they can do, if you would keep the receipts and the record of services performed. With any warranty issue, they have to proof, that problem is a result of neglecting of required services. With your low millage, I would change oil one a year, and took it for longer trips in cold weather to fully warm up and dry all power train and exhaust systems.

jonox · August 2010

The 2010 Outlander maintenance schedule requires timing belt replacement at 105k miles. Intriguingly an exception is made for the 4B1 engine - i.e the 4 cylinder MIVEC 4B12 engine fitted on the Outlander ES.

Why is it not necessary to change the timing belt on the ES?

According to the following references:
Mitsubishi 4B1 engine on Wikipedia and
Miisubishi Motors Technology Review 2006 N0 18 by Masato TOJO and Akihito KUBO. The MIVEC 4B12 uses a "silent chain" to drive the double overhead camshafts which provide continuously variable timing on the inlet and exhaust valves.

My 2010 Outlander ES just got a whole lot more interesting!!
jonox

gus8092 · October 2010

I had the same problem until a few weeks ago when the knob for temp control actually snapped off! Now I'm stuck on cold air. Called a mechanic and apparently Mitsubishi knows about the problem because they actually sell a repair kit for this exact thing! $822 to fix it because there is a cable that runs to the heater box that is bound up and needs to be replaced. Why isn't there a recall on this if Mitsubishi knows about the problem?

toomanyfumes · December 2010

Got a belt squeaking on my '07 Outlander. 40K. Looks like there's a serpentine belt and then a regular belt running to the Alternator. It squeals pretty good when I start the car then eventually quiets down.

Gotta check if it's covered under the bumper to bumper warranty otherwise either I'll try tightening it myself or have my mechanic do it.

Mitsubishi Outlander Maintenance and Repair

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles