I know about that discussion, but unfortunately is useless as it has info for the 06 Outlander which is a different vehicle. 07 owners aren't posting there.
And that's why we're inviting them to post there, plus that's the first place potential owners are going to look for mpg info, so let's encourage the new owners to start keeping track of their mpg.
My one and a half month old 2007 Outlander 4WD G-Type (top Japanese made model) with customized kit, JAOS foglamps and skid bar, rear spoiler and tailgate guard.
I am also having this front end knocking problem on my new 2007 Outlander. I actually noticed it as I was turning out of the dealership when I picked it up. I drove it right back. I was told "It's because it's cold outside and needs to break-in", which I obviously didn't buy - but, I had Christmas stuff to do and really didn't have time to argue. I brought it back in yesterday and they told me that they need to order parts. I now have to drive the 23 miles BACK to the dealership again for the work. Not happy. I'm going to put 100 miles on my new car just driving to the dealership. They tell me that it is the second LS that they have sold with this issue and that Mitsubishi is "Extremely concerned". It really does hurt my confidence in my new car, I'll tell you that. Isn't it funny that if you purchase a defective $50 blender, you can get another one. You purchase a defective $30,000 car and it's a complete hassle to fix. That's the way it is, I guess. I sure would feel better if I got a new one - but, that's not happening.
I suggest not accepting any weak excuses from the guys at the dealership. Insist that you want this problem fixed properly. Do not accept anything less. A new (same) part won't help unless it has been redesigned or modified. When I was in your situation I researched the problem and found that I wasn't alone. When I confronted the dealer with what I had learned, they were more than willing to do what was necessary. As I said in previous posts, they took my vehicle back to the factory to have it fixed correctly. I would have been more than willing to let the media know that Mitsu had sold me a new car with a known defect if Mitsu had not lived up to there end of the deal. With Mitsu's image still struggling to get out of the bottom of the barrel, that was something that they would not have preferred. Especially here in Japan.
Just do a test drive of the vehicle before you buy it. Do a hard right and left turns and you'll know if you have that problem.
I am still waiting if this is a real concern. I got 10 years in my warranty so I'm not worried a bit. I just don't want my new SUV taken apart, then put back in while waiting for parts. I have brought this issue to my dealer's attention, awaiting for news on Mitsu's reaction to this.
But even if had known about it, that wouldn't have changed my mind buying this SUV.
Try backing up and cutting the wheel at the same time. If you can find a spot on your test drive, I would say turn onto an incline. Mine has gotten a LOT worse and knocks on every turn, but at first it was only noticeable when reversing or turning from a flat road onto an incline (like into a driveway that is on a hill, etc.)
We have this knock on our AWD XLS. Im certain that Mitsu will handle this. Im a mechanic and Ive had similar problems with two Honda products with strut suspension. Im not positive that it's the same exact problem with the Outlander,but it behaves the same way as the others. What happens is the coil shifts,binds then pops back into place. The reason I believe that Mitsu will handle this is because it's not isolated. The one and only Outlander we tested did it,and our AWD does also. It could be a suspension or subframe bushing,or even the steering rack or maybe a balljoint,but it sure seems like it's the strut spring to me.
We are getting our hitch installed and I will have them look at the issue. I'll post up what I find. If it is the strut issue I think it is,it's absolutely safe and can do nothing but bother you. Having said all that Im still very happy with our car and Im glad that this knocking noise is the worst issue we've had in nearly 1000 miles.
Just to recap and follow-up. My 2007 Outlander had a front end knock. It would flare up when making turns either left or right, forwards or reverse. More prevalant when hard turning during parking and taking off. Went back to the dealer and after about three visits to the shop, they finally came up with the problem and solution.
Front end bearings were fine. The housing however had some microscopic roughness that was causing them to bind. Thus building tension and finally releasing with a thud. They replaced my bearings (at the manufacturing plant not the dealership) and fitted them with the refined housing. It's been three days and the sound has not come back. I suggest speaking to your dealer if you have this same problem.
For my troubles, the dealer scored me some Jaos fog lamps to go with my already attatched front skid bar. The idea of course came from me. It never hurts to ask.
Please read through this thread carefully.
The problem that you and everyone else are having is the same problem that I had.
Hello Everyone, Does anyone know, when to expect the NHTSA ratings for the 2007 Outlander? I am looking at the NHTSA website, and there are no ratings even for the 2006 model. I am hoping that they will evaluate the new Outlander, so that I can brag about my new car even more to other RAV4, CR-V and CX-7 owners :shades: .
I had asked this question before and I wanted to know if anyone can add to it. I have on order a AWD XLS w/sun and sound and luxury pkg. I have a $1,000 GPS unit that I like very much and I dont need a factory installed one. I wanted to know with the exception of the nav and music storage capabilities what else am I missing?
What I was thinking about was for example: when you use bluetooth will it (without the nav unit)display call information at the radio info screen? You do have a maintance reminder with the car w/out nav as opposed to having many w/the nav. I know you get instant MPG w/the nav as opposed to having a miles to empty reminder w/out the nav. I just wanted to know if anybody knows of anything else.
I think, this could again be a matter of personal perception. But ken4ny is right, the nav system is really the heart of this car in IMHO. You can do pretty much most of the things/settings using the display panel (e.g. user settings for keyless entry, headlight settings, alarm, dome light auto off timings, sound system settings), it also provides the "environmental" display (altitude, air condition settings), using bluetooth , it will also display the incoming caller number/ dialed number on the screen. A portable nav system definitely has its advantage in terms of using in multiple cars, taking it w/ you when you travel etc. But the whole in dash nav system package on the Outlander is really a cool differentiating feature, making the car lot more fun to drive,IMO.
Without the nav, since my XLS does not have one, the telephone number appears in the message line of the stereo. The line is not long enough to show the name.
Without the nav and MPG - there is another screen which you switch to with the info button that gives you MPG. It can be reset while in motion or left to tally for the entire tank. It also has a bar indicator to show real time.
In vehicles with Navi, we just get the numbers displayed too, no caller ID displayed, just the number. And as I have mentioned before, the Car's phonebook is different from your phone's phonebook. When you issue voice commands to call a number, and you'd wan't to pick from a phonebook, you'd have to pick a contact from the car's PB since the vehicle can't use the phone's PB. But the neat feature is it's all voice guided so you don't need to take your eyes off the road. Safety has been the main priority in designing the features of this SUV.
Yup your absolutely right. The Navi is like the Center Console, the Command Center. It's where you get to set a whole lot of things (almost 90%) in the car. And yes, it plays DVD too :shades: and you can plug your PS/2 and play video games if you want via the RCA jack.
How much if you throw in the Navi package? I have suggested here before that this car is a great buy at or a few hundred bucks above MSRP, and that the best deal (IMO) can be had by getting all 3 factory options in and haggle for a price at/close to MSRP. Hopefully the haggling isn't that much of a pain.
Thanks. I had seen this earlier, and it was very helpful. I guess having the NHTSA ratings would compliment the IIHS ratings ( http://www.informedforlife.org/viewartcl.php?index=10 ). I am just a bit concerned on whether or not NHTSA will evaluate the Outlander 2007 at all (since the 2006 model was not evaluated). Not sure of all criteria that comes into play for them to decide which vehicle will be evaluated etc. But the IIHS ratings, the Japanese version ratings are all positive signs
I am expecting crash ratings to be good. Mitsu has been keen on improving the safety of their cars, and they know pretty well that reliability and safety are one of the sought after qualities of a vehicle if it is to sell well here in the US.
"No heated side view mirrors (in NY this is quite helpful)."
I totally agree with you. Didn't the '06 model offer heated side view mirrors? Call me crazy, but it makes no sense whatsoever to include so many new technological features in the '07 Outlander (even some things that the competition dosn't even offer yet, like hard drive-based Nav), yet do away with an older and useful feature such as heated mirrors. Hopefully the 08 re-iteration (I know the 07 just came out and already I'm thinking of next year's offering) will re-include such useful features.
Some things that I'd like to see changed in next year's 08 model (looking ahead):
1) Include the option for heated mirrors 2) Offer some kind of back-up safety system like the one offered overseas (preferably one utilizing a camera in conjunction with the Nav screen) 3) Offer more interior color options, as well as more exterior color options 4) Further improve the MPG (hey, if Toyota could do it, why not Mitsu?) 5) Give all interior switches (power windows, door locks, etc) a backlight glow to make them visible at night 6) Give the passenger side a cupholder that's mounted directly in front of the air duct, like the one that is on the driver's side (correct me if I'm wrong, but it is only the driver's side that is like this, right?)
I know, it's a pretty tall order... but enough to keep me from buying one just now. I think I will end up leasing one for maybe 2 years, by which time at least some of the above things should be available standard, or as options.
I'm now shooting for May or June to begin leasing a new vehicle... and the Outlander is still 1st on my list, with the Santa Fe coming in 2nd place.
I purchased a 2007 Outlander XLS 4WD on 12/26/06. I am a little disappointed with this purchase so far, especially based on the positive reviews it has received. First of all, I am 6'2", and I dont think there is enough leg room for tall drivers. The front seat does not go back far enough, and as a result my knees are often hitting the steering column. The Outlander could use another couple of inches of legroom to be truly comfortable for tall drivers. I also do not like the harsh ride over bumpy roads. I know the Mitsu has a tight suspension for handling characterisitics, but if you drive over the slightest bump, the car really jolts and gets noisey. The sun visors are a joke for a car that cost $25,000. They are similar to the ones (if not worse) that were in my 1985 Nissan Sentra. Heck, they aren't even illuminated; the glove compartment is not either. Other nits I have: The car seems to want to turn to the right upon breaking; The cloth/suede meterial used on the seats is a major collector of lint; The interior door panels are all plastic and uncomfortable to rest an elbow on long trips; Paddle shifters are a gimmick in my opinion.
All that being said, the car does look great, handles and rides well when cruising, and is pretty versatile.
check the air pressure in the Goodyear Eagles....Mine had 49 psi and the ride was harsh....I dropped the psi down to 35 and now the ride is beautiful...
I only have 500 miles on my XLS so far....I will give a full report after 1000 miles...
Well usually when you spend 25k on a car you test drive it before hand. The disapointements your mentioning you should have known about from the test drive.
I totally agree, jdwksu. My wife and I extensively test drove an XLS last Saturday. We found the interior to be rather cheap and chinzy looking for a $30K car. Cheap, unlit visors, too much hard plastic. The center console armrest seemed to be situated too far rearward for her to rest her elbow. I'm 6' and I felt cramped and not able to adjust the seat for any relief. We felt the ride was a bit choppy, but that may soften after breakin. I didn't like the inability to transfer MP3s from a disc or Ipod to the hard drive of the Nav unit. I really wanted to like this vehicle as it looked so good on paper. Although we weren't particularily impressed, I'm sure it will fit the bill for lots of folks. Not for us though, We've decided to go with a Mazda CX-9 in a couple of months. Regards, Ace :shades:
Not for me. I find it very useful. Have you been driving automatic all this time? It's really fun driving this suv when you do it manual. That's the reason it's there. Sometimes you just want to to do a more aggressive drive when speed limits allow, and the paddle shifters let me do that.
Agreed. In one case already, we've test driven the same make and model three times, just to ensure that we get a complete opinion. For example, any vehicles on our short list need to have a brief test drive at night, to ensure that we know how well the interior and exterior lighting system actually works.
Have you tried to adjust the height settings in the seat? I am 6'5" with a 35" inseam. It is true if you leave the height of the seat at the heighest setting, your legs will hit the steering wheel.
I played with the height adjustment until I could see out to the front of the hood as well as move my legs around within the drivers compartment. I tested many of the mini SUVs. This was by far the best fit.
I looked into doing this and was told it is not a good idea. It can be potentially dangerous. It also reduces fuel economy and can cause tire blowouts.
It is a good idea to check and keep it at manufacturer recommended level, just look at the label on your car door frame. Solowalker suggested doing just that, if your tires are over inflated by the dealer.
"I did try doing that, but it made me feel too low, which sort of defeats the purpose of the high driving position I was seeing in an SUV." Do you really prefer to sit high but uncomfortable? It felt good to me. That’s way height adjustment is there, otherwise shorter drivers would complain they don't see at all.
since we can't do a remote start...here's what would be nice. if you went to start the car with the transmitter in the passenger compartment, it would at least kill the car if someone got in and the transmitter was no longer in the compartment when they tried to shift out of park. it does ding at you to confirm key location when you exit the vehicle with the transmitter, but if someone got in and took off with the car....nothing to stop them. looks like that would have been an easy electronic addition with all the other gadgetry on this car. did no one think of that at mitsu?
still i really can't complain and i love the car...just would have been a nice safety feature
Some people had previously commented on a click in the front end while turning and a rattle in the left door panel. Nobody has post in quit a while as to what is the status with these issues.
I had a remote start installed back in November. My shop had to only use one of the emergency keys included in the transmitter, and not the entire transmitter. Apparently there's a security chip in the key, that enables the vehicle to start. The doors remain locked, and only unlock when I grasp the handle with a transmitter in my pocket (as is usual with the keyless entry). The steering wheel and gearshift remain locked. When I touch the brake pedal, the engine turns off (similar to my other remote starters). The only catch is that you need to depress the brake, turning the car off, and then restart it. I was told this is since there is no key to insert.
I had a remote start installed back in November. My shop had to only use one of the emergency keys included in the transmitter, and not the entire transmitter. Apparently there's a security chip in the key, that enables the vehicle to start. The doors remain locked, and only unlock when I grasp the handle with a transmitter in my pocket (as is usual with the keyless entry). The steering wheel and gearshift remain locked. When I touch the brake pedal, the engine turns off (similar to my other remote starters).
Is this a factory (Mitsubishi) installed option or did the the shop installed a 3rd party product?
Comments
Mitsubishi Outlander: MPG-Real World Numbers
Pics as requested.
My one and a half month old 2007 Outlander 4WD G-Type (top Japanese made model) with customized kit, JAOS foglamps and skid bar, rear spoiler and tailgate guard.
L
Here's the link:
2007 Mitsubishi Outlander - Owner's Pics
Other than that, I love it :-)
I suggest not accepting any weak excuses from the guys at the dealership. Insist that you want this problem fixed properly. Do not accept anything less. A new (same) part won't help unless it has been redesigned or modified. When I was in your situation I researched the problem and found that I wasn't alone. When I confronted the dealer with what I had learned, they were more than willing to do what was necessary. As I said in previous posts, they took my vehicle back to the factory to have it fixed correctly.
I would have been more than willing to let the media know that Mitsu had sold me a new car with a known defect if Mitsu had not lived up to there end of the deal. With Mitsu's image still struggling to get out of the bottom of the barrel, that was something that they would not have preferred. Especially here in Japan.
One more thing, check your contract.
S
Before I sign on the dotted line: what exactly reproduces this front end knock so I may check it out at the time of delivery. thanks.
I am still waiting if this is a real concern. I got 10 years in my warranty so I'm not worried a bit. I just don't want my new SUV taken apart, then put back in while waiting for parts. I have brought this issue to my dealer's attention, awaiting for news on Mitsu's reaction to this.
But even if had known about it, that wouldn't have changed my mind buying this SUV.
We are getting our hitch installed and I will have them look at the issue. I'll post up what I find. If it is the strut issue I think it is,it's absolutely safe and can do nothing but bother you. Having said all that Im still very happy with our car and Im glad that this knocking noise is the worst issue we've had in nearly 1000 miles.
Front end bearings were fine. The housing however had some microscopic roughness that was causing them to bind. Thus building tension and finally releasing with a thud. They replaced my bearings (at the manufacturing plant not the dealership) and fitted them with the refined housing. It's been three days and the sound has not come back. I suggest speaking to your dealer if you have this same problem.
For my troubles, the dealer scored me some Jaos fog lamps to go with my already attatched front skid bar. The idea of course came from me. It never hurts to ask.
Please read through this thread carefully.
The problem that you and everyone else are having is the same problem that I had.
L
Does anyone know, when to expect the NHTSA ratings for the 2007 Outlander? I am looking at the NHTSA website, and there are no ratings even for the 2006 model. I am hoping that they will evaluate the new Outlander, so that I can brag about my new car even more to other RAV4, CR-V and CX-7 owners :shades: .
I had asked this question before and I wanted to know if anyone can add to it. I have on order a AWD XLS w/sun and sound and luxury pkg. I have a $1,000 GPS unit that I like very much and I dont need a factory installed one. I wanted to know with the exception of the nav and music storage capabilities what else am I missing?
Without the nav and MPG - there is another screen which you switch to with the info button that gives you MPG. It can be reset while in motion or left to tally for the entire tank. It also has a bar indicator to show real time.
In vehicles with Navi, we just get the numbers displayed too, no caller ID displayed, just the number. And as I have mentioned before, the Car's phonebook is different from your phone's phonebook. When you issue voice commands to call a number, and you'd wan't to pick from a phonebook, you'd have to pick a contact from the car's PB since the vehicle can't use the phone's PB. But the neat feature is it's all voice guided so you don't need to take your eyes off the road. Safety has been the main priority in designing the features of this SUV.
I totally agree with you. Didn't the '06 model offer heated side view mirrors? Call me crazy, but it makes no sense whatsoever to include so many new technological features in the '07 Outlander (even some things that the competition dosn't even offer yet, like hard drive-based Nav), yet do away with an older and useful feature such as heated mirrors. Hopefully the 08 re-iteration (I know the 07 just came out and already I'm thinking of next year's offering) will re-include such useful features.
Some things that I'd like to see changed in next year's 08 model (looking ahead):
1) Include the option for heated mirrors
2) Offer some kind of back-up safety system like the one offered overseas (preferably one utilizing a camera in conjunction with the Nav screen)
3) Offer more interior color options, as well as more exterior color options
4) Further improve the MPG (hey, if Toyota could do it, why not Mitsu?)
5) Give all interior switches (power windows, door locks, etc) a backlight glow to make them visible at night
6) Give the passenger side a cupholder that's mounted directly in front of the air duct, like the one that is on the driver's side (correct me if I'm wrong, but it is only the driver's side that is like this, right?)
I know, it's a pretty tall order... but enough to keep me from buying one just now. I think I will end up leasing one for maybe 2 years, by which time at least some of the above things should be available standard, or as options.
I'm now shooting for May or June to begin leasing a new vehicle... and the Outlander is still 1st on my list, with the Santa Fe coming in 2nd place.
I am a little disappointed with this purchase so far, especially based on the positive reviews it has received. First of all, I am 6'2", and I dont think there is enough leg room for tall drivers. The front seat does not go back far enough, and as a result my knees are often hitting the steering column. The Outlander could use another couple of inches of legroom to be truly comfortable for tall drivers. I also do not like the harsh ride over bumpy roads. I know the Mitsu has a tight suspension for handling characterisitics, but if you drive over the slightest bump, the car really jolts and gets noisey.
The sun visors are a joke for a car that cost $25,000. They are similar to the ones (if not worse) that were in my 1985 Nissan Sentra. Heck, they aren't even illuminated; the glove compartment is not either. Other nits I have: The car seems to want to turn to the right upon breaking; The cloth/suede meterial used on the seats is a major collector of lint; The interior door panels are all plastic and uncomfortable to rest an elbow on long trips; Paddle shifters are a gimmick in my opinion.
All that being said, the car does look great, handles and rides well when cruising, and is pretty versatile.
I only have 500 miles on my XLS so far....I will give a full report after 1000 miles...
So far, no buyers remorse...
Not for me. I find it very useful. Have you been driving automatic all this time? It's really fun driving this suv when you do it manual.
I played with the height adjustment until I could see out to the front of the hood as well as move my legs around within the drivers compartment. I tested many of the mini SUVs. This was by far the best fit.
Do you really prefer to sit high but uncomfortable? It felt good to me. That’s way height adjustment is there, otherwise shorter drivers would complain they don't see at all.
still i really can't complain and i love the car...just would have been a nice safety feature
Is this a factory (Mitsubishi) installed option or did the the shop installed a 3rd party product?
tidester, host