New Mitsubishi Outlander Owners Give us your report

jvaine

Poor mitsu design paint not the greatest either. Take a straitedge and lay it on the ground outside of front to rear tires.Now tell me where you think all the debris from front tires is going to start sand blasting your vehicle.
Ive been trying to get mitsu to do somthing since march with no help and I might say they have become quite rude.
So far I have paid $1500.to repair there damage.body shop says this will happen again because of design.mitsu says road hazard I say bull RCPAX will say sell or trade Iam not ready to lose $12000.yet.I built running boards for it hope
mitsu gets there head out of the sand and does the same.
all in all its not a bad vehicle,but mitsu hase a problem.GOOD LUCK.

carstalk

More bragging rights to Outlander owners. Consumer Report listed Mitsubishi Outlander as best small SUV choice for reliability. Honda tops Toyota, but no mention of Rav4, CR-V and Santa Fe.

Read article on http://www.mercurynews.com/drive/ci_7200769
then click on related story "Toyota slips behind rivals..."

Consumer Report rated Rav4 & CR-V higher than Outlander on initial reviews, but the truth to be told now.

GO Mitsubishi.

mucool

Awesome! carstalk thanks for posting . This is pretty neat. Cheers to all those folks who put their trust on Mitsu despite S&P ratings, previous track records, over the Hondas and Toyotas . Gotto admit, the neat features totally made me trip, and give up the RAV4 that I had decided to buy. One year down the line , it looks like a pretty good decision to me .

rcpax

What's your problem dude? can't get over it yet? I say live with it or trade it. It's a design flaw you say? Well bring it up to Mitsubishi then. Because I had this vehicle for almost a year now and I didn't have any sandblasting like your talking about. Please don't assume everyone else have or will have your problem. If it was a design flaw I'm sure it would not just be you whining about it on this board.

20vcq

Hmm - that was a helpful reply doood. One asks a question of others to find out their experience doood not to assume others have the same problem but to find out if they do - dooood. For you information - the paint is sub standard by measurement - as for design flaw - most would expect that section of the vehicle to have a rock gaurd coating - and it would appear the flair was designed with the 16 " rims in mind not the 18's with which the XLS comes. Am I going to fast for you dooood. Am I going to trade it for this reason - no - its cheap enough that I wont worry about it and compared to others in the price range it not bad. As for the value of this board - it will grow when responses are helpful and not argumentative d d d doood.

tidester

I say live with it or trade it.

Jvaine did predict you would say that!

In any case, let's move on and discuss the Outlander and not each other.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

20vcq

Last comment on this subject - seeing the 2008 Outlander and the added lower body trim I might conclude that even Mitsu saw the design flaw but wont admit it to complaining '07 owners - check out http://www.topspeed.com/cars/mitsubishi/mitsubishi-outlander-ar38147.html
As I cannot get anyone at the Mitsubishi Canada 800 number to return my calls I can not comment on whether they are ready to step up and give us all the benefit of a the redesign - and I'm not holding my breath. Nice "truckette" though.

biscuit_xls

The lower trim is not available in the US, only in UK and Japan markets.

I'd recommend either larger mud flaps or paint shield if you're driving in conditions that are damaging your paint.

jvaine

I believe the body side molding's will save the paint,but I don't think it's the complete cure.go to msg box at bottom of page and type in # 374 and you will see the damage below the doors on the plastic.Thanks for the peek at the new one's maybe there starting to get the idea.

piast

"seeing the 2008 Outlander and the added lower body trim I might conclude that even Mitsu saw the design flaw but wont admit it to complaining '07 owners"

This body trim is available in Europe and other markets for the long time, just not in the US. No real changes for 08' other than new engine choice, as far as I know. With so many Outlanders sold over the last year, this would be well known problem, if it is real.

chelentano

Sorry to hear about your problem, but I have no problem of this kind at all, and in fact I don't have any problems with my Outlander. It's the best car I've ever owned.

mcollis

Same issue here. 2007 black Outlander with 18" rims. Picked up mid-November and noted the "sand-blasting" type issue this past weekend...only about 6 weeks old. The dealer will look at it next week and report the issue to Mitsubishi. We have also called Mitsubishi ourselves, though at this point they said to contact the dealer. Love the car otherwise, but I would have to agree that this is definitely a design issue. I was out in slushy snow this afternoon, and the slush froze to my car in the exact same pattern as the "sand-blasted" area...definitely blowing debris back from the front tires to the flanged out area. Took a picture of the slush pattern with my cell phone camera to use as evidence as this puzzle is unraveled. Obviously more paint is only a band-aid to the root problem.

badnews1

Just got a 2006 outlander with this radio/cd player. The A M reception sucks! Anyone else have this problem and any possible fixes. I don't listen to A M much but I'd like it to be available when I want it. Otherwise great car so far. I drive about 65,000 mi/year, so it will get a work out.

batman47

I wonder if you could publish a photo of the paint damage in this column.

batman47

Mitsubishi Europe seems that has solved the problem/phenomena called in this forum “sand blasted” that discolor the area close to the front wheel arches. Side protection moulding is offered in the Outlander Accessories Catalogue and it seems to cost around $2000. In Europe you may order this protection when you order your car directly from the dealer. In Japan this protection plastic/paint has the code MZ575655. It comes in black or in the vehicle color. Equally the Japanese model has the mudguards with a odd design possible to protect against “sand blasted” phenomena. See photo.

See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

I think that there must be in the US a place where to implement this feature. A paint with rubber properties may do the trick, so there is not need to trade the Outlander if this phenomena is the main cause of worries. Does somebody have experience with implementing this feature to his/her Outlander?

The European model has wider side protection trim that the Japanese version. It almost covers the half of the doors from the bottom.

batman47

Other noticeable feature from the Japanese model is the 7-spoke alloy wheels. In Europe this type of wheel is sold as an accessory. I haven’t seen this in the US. It may be order from Japan and the code number is MZ556446 at a price of $450.

20vcq

Love to but the photos tag on the top of the page - if that is where I go to lload them - is a dead URL

20vcq

Figured it out - published under Mitsubishi Chipwagon- detail is not as good as original of course - so if you have any desire for the actual photos send me a message via my web site www.moneybc.ca

20vcq

Notice also in that photo the addition of the "wing" on the rear roof. Maybe that will help keep the rear window clear. It does work on the Subarus and is a needed add on for the Outlander (very minor annoyance though)

biscuit_xls

You should pressure the dealer to have Mitsubishi get you the plastic side garnish that comes on Outlanders in Japan and Europe, that would solve the problem.

batman47

Does someone here has managed to order a 2007/2008 XLS just with only the P2 Luxury package (Xenon, heated leather seats) in the US. Normally you cannot order P2 without order P5 (P5 Sun &Sound Package).

Can you do it in Canada or in Mexico?

jhaussler

I am new owner of 2008 outlander. Only 940 miles, same sandblasting problem.
Getting nowhere with the dealership. Looking for someone who may have installed running boards. where did you find them. Also, do running boards solve the problem. Also, are 16" wheels giving anyone this problem or only the 18's.
Frustrating. Sorry I bough the car now. Otherwise I was loving it.

20vcq

Yep I was running with the 18" and have had 16 " snows on for past month and I have the flaps on all 4 .
Dealer - "it's because I have oversized snow tires on " yeah and his IQ is over 16 too. Not! Its a waste of time when we all know this is a design error especially when the new plastic overlays have been shown in Japan and Europe. It's unlikely I'll keep this puppy longer than next fall. The AWD is a joke and this paint issue is going to cost me either $600 deductible for an isurance claim or $3200 if I pay myself. Which to choose..??

biscuit_xls

$250 for the matching color side garnishes from Zontarh, problem solved.

http://shop.zontarh.com/epages/es104761.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es104761_sho- p/Products/RT800156/SubProducts/RT800156

jvaine

Time will tell whether problem solved or not! But it won't solve mitsubishi's ATTITUDE PROBLEM.

batman47

I have read somewhere that 3M has a product that seems to be the solution to the problem of the Outlander rocker panel. The description of the product read:


Scotchgard Paint Protection Film
Paint Protection Film with pressure sensitive adhesive. This film is specially designed to preserve the beauty and integrity of exterior automotive finishes. It is ideal for protecting Class A surfaces in high-wear areas from stone chipping, abrasion, and most types of environmental damage. Best of all, it is virtually invisible. It is clear coated to help make.

DIY seems not to be an option and 3M recommends to use the services of a 3M certified skill person to do the job. The online Web site give instruction of how to get 3M certified people in your area, just by entering your zip code.

Before I read about this 3M product I was thinking to use an All Weather Repair Tape that I could buy from Wal-Mart and cover those areas that are more susceptible to be damaged. However I do not know if this could damage the paint permanently after one-year or can be easily removed from the door. I have used all weather tape (sell tape) to hold on place a plastic rear brake light lamp partially broke. So far I have using this tape for about 4 years and what I do is to change the tape on the lamp every year. The lamp is still working and no water come in it yet.

Does someone have some experience in doing something similar, i.e. using tape? Employing a 3M certified people to do the job; certainly it is assured quality and perfection but I think this will not cost less than $100.

weim

Biscuit, exactly which side garnish did you get? The ROAR?
How hard were they to install? What was the total cost to get them from New Zealand?

20vcq

Nice piece - and would solve about 30% of the problem. The chipping goes much higher than that on both the doors and especially in front of rear wheel well. But thanks I will consider it after I get the sides repainted.

biscuit_xls

The side garnish sticks out further than the body so it's going to deflect most of the debri away from the paint if you consider the angle that the debri is coming from.

biscuit_xls

I haven't ordered or installed the side garnishes for my Outlander, I live in SoCal so I don't usually encounter conditions that kick up rocks and hurt the paint. From what I understand the stock side garnishes found in Japan and Europe have some mounting posts and the body therefore has some holes in it. In order to install them you would probably have to drill holes. You might be able to get away with using double sided mounting tape though.

You can check with Zontarh about the shipping cost to NZ, I think it calculates it on the web site.

dodo2

The ROAR side garnish does not come from NZ but from Japan. The cost is about $250 US shipped (US/Canada). The silver painted OEM garnish comes from England (Euro accessory). I have one color coded ROAR set on order.
Based on my observation from today's driving in snow and slush (we got a good snow storm in Toronto yesterday), after installing the mudguards last week, only the very bottom part of the doors is still affected by the debris and the side garnish would solve most of the problem (you cannot account for odd deflections to say 100%). The round part of the rear door is still affected, but up to a lower line. I will extend the clear film already on the car to the same level as the top of the back wheel to be on the safe side. Before installing the mudguards, the dirt would hit higher on that area of the door so the mudguards do help.

In regards to the ROAR side garnish installation, the instructions call to drill the doors, but from talking to Zontarh he said that all installations were done using tape. The side garnish comes with tape around the perimeter anyway; you only need some extra for strength at 3-4 mounting points, where the plastic clips for the "drill" installation would be.

stever

Check out Bug guards, protective bras & film too.

mcollis

How do you post photos to this forum? I have several good shots of the "sand blasting" issue on my Outlander on my computer and would like to upload one.

mcollis

Here's a link to photos of my sand-blasting issue:

http://www.carspace.com/mcollis/Albums/Mary%27s%202007%20Outlander/

I plan to write a letter describing the issue, include photos, include Mitsubishi's "Corporate Philosophy" statement (right from their website) and send the packets to all NA corporate offices as well as to the office in Japan.

My dealer will repaint but that is not going to correct the design issue.

mcollis

Never mind. I created a photo album and included photos of the paint damage to my 3-month old vehicle:

http://www.carspace.com/mcollis/Albums/Mary%27s%202007%20Outlander/

Car is freshly washed, so what you see is not road salt, but chipped paint. I live in central NY and drive suburban and rural roads to work (8 miles each way). It's winter and there is grit/salt on the roads, but NO other car I've had has shown this damage despite having been driven on the SAME roads. Why have 4-wheel drive if you can only drive on pristine roads (i.e., no sand, etc.)?

In the scheme of life, there are obviously more serious issues, but this has put me off of Mitsubishi (and I took a leap moving from Volkswagen to Mitsubishi). AND, I cannot, in good conscience recommend the vehicle (though I LOVE it otherwise). In fact, I passed along a "heads up" to some folks at a local car show who were strongly interested in the Outlander.

I plan to send letters and photos to all corporate Mitsubishi offices in the US and in Japan. Their "Corporate Philosophy" statement says: "We are committed to providing the utmost driving pleasure and safety for our valued customers and our community. On these commitments we will never compromise. This is the Mitsubishi Motors way." Let's see if that's indeed true.

mcollis

See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

Here's a photo from my photo album. Note that the plastic piece is now all "fuzzy" (i.e., not smooth) in the sand-blasted area.

crp2099

i was wondering if anyone could tell me if the ring around the 12v power outlet located right under heat controls is supossed to be lite up. i had to have dealer replace something on dash and they took it apart. wanted to make sure everything was put back right, thanks

toomanyfumes

Not on my LS.

cooljw

Wow, I'm considering buying an Outlander and want to make sure I understand how the paint chipping happens.

The chipping is on the front of the rear wheel wells and occurs as a result of debris thrown from the front wheels correct? Do mudguards on the front wheels remedy the problem?

jvaine

Also on the bottom of the door's front and rear,mudguards do not help. My advice for what it's worth, stay clear of the outlander. Unhappy outlander owner

mcollis

The paint chipping issue is very frustrating, and though I love the vehicle otherwise, I can't recommend it because of this. I recently sent off photos and letters to Mitsubishi Head Offices in North America and Japan. Their Corporate Philosophy statement pledges to make sure that customers are worthy of their trust. Guess we'll see if it's true or words only.

Wish I had known about this prior to my purchase. Consider yourself lucky.

psychogun

I must empathize with jvaine and mcollis, and any other owners experiencing this issue. It does detract from the joy of ownership.
However, at this point in time, the issue appears to be isolated to relatively few individuals.
Either way, regardless of what vehicle you end up buying, there is always the the possibility of having a car with a problem.
Just look at other threads in this or any other forum.

mcollis

I have a feeling that the reported incidences of this will rise as the weather clears and folks are able to wash their vehicles better and/or more frequently, as some may think that what they're seeing is salt and/or grime from winter driving (and not realize that the "sand-blasting" is actually occurring). My husband is a car-washing fanatic, in any season, which is why this became apparent to us so quickly. It will be interesting to follow. I'm also anxious to see how/if Mitsubishi responds.

itsteve888

mcollis... I am a car-washing fanatic myself.. and I am literally hours away from making a purchase of a 2008 outlander.... but, there is no way I can buy it now... I had no idea this was happening. Even if you get it re-painted, sounds like the design is what is making this happen, and it will simply happen again. Does anyone have a theory that it is poor paint product vs. the design?

mcollis

If possible, please pass the info to your dealer (and feel free to pass along a link to my posted photos) as the more Mitsubishi hears about this, the more they'll be pressured to remedy the issue.

At this point, I have no way to judge if it's design + bad paint, or just bad design. I suspect it's mostly a design issue as the plastic piece that runs along the bottom of the SUV and the clear protective piece are as badly damaged as the unprotected paint. It seems as though debris is "fired back" to the flared out area by the front tires. That's what frozen slush patterns on the vehicle indicate. I really think that flaring out that part of the body exacerbates the issue.

If you are driving on clean roads, you'll probably be fine. But we have winter and the associated slop and grit and that's doing a number on my NEW vehicle.

Post a follow-up (re: dealer's reaction), if you can. Thanks.

psychogun

Part of the reason for my initial post was that the car has been on sale since October of 2007. As such, a good number of these (about 3 months worth sold and driven in winter) have seen winter conditions.
I just feel that more owners would have stepped forward and that the issue would be more prevalent in other forums as well (like the Lancer's pulling to the left issue).
Paint is a problem, since any manufacturer can easily claim that it's how and where the owner drives. A real pain to prove.
I live in Phoenix, the weather here is hard on paint, we had a dark-green '95 Nissan 240 SX SE. The paint faded on the parts of the hood, trunk-lid, and on the roof within 2 years. Nissan said it was "normal". They repainted it while it was under warranty. That was it.

comem47

I'll be monitoring this over time. So far no problems on my 07 LS with 6K miles. (being LS it has the narrower 16 inch wheels) I''m not too worried as the car is black and I'd just spray the area myself . I'm in NY state and have had plenty of snow/slush in my travels so far. My car was built in March (in case they changed things along the way).

If people do repaint the lower area you should look into something durable like Dupont Imron base and/ or clear coat. (a polyurethane paint and do it once and forget it)

Here's one example link I found explaining:

http://www.mikeandjerrys.com/dImron.asp

20vcq

They are even worse now after this last trip - if you want to see the old photos type 20vcq into the search and my file will pop up. The chips are all along the lower red panel and in front of the rear wheel well and yes I do have mud flaps front and rear - so now I'm looking at a total repaint of both sides of the car as the chips have "worked" ther way up the doors not to mention the hood and front fenders - tender little paint job this .. the only remedy it appears is either rinning boards at $400+ or a plastic overlay at $250+/- .. after the new paint job. Nice designing Mitsu - learnet that at Dakar did you??

biscuit_xls

At this point, I have no way to judge if it's design + bad paint, or just bad design.

EPA regulations have forced all car manufacturers to use paint that is not as strong as it once was. So part of it is the paint.

The mistake Mitsubishi USA made is they deleted the side door garnish that is found on Outlanders in Japan and Europe. I'm guessing they thought it was just a cosmetic trim piece. But it's not. It actually is the first line of defense for the paint, it deflects most debris away from the side of the car.

If you drive in harsh conditions and really want to protect the paint you should get the side door garnishes ($250) and some mud flaps. Mitsubishi offers a few different kinds, from the small black plastic ones to the large red ones.

My personal Outlander XLS has 12,000 miles on it and the paint looks great. But I drive in SoCal and have only made one trip to the snow this year, which is not nearly as tough on the vehicle as daily driving on salty roads with rocks and ice kicking up.

stever

EPA regulations have forced all car manufacturers to use paint that is not as strong as it once was.

I'm not sure that explains it - there's more air quality regs but modern paint is pretty tough and the formulations offer some advantages over the old lacquer stuff. This particular Mitsu paint and/or process may be flawed but other manufacturers (with a few exceptions) don't have all that many owners complaining about "weak" paint.

If anything, with the clearcoat process that's been around since the 70's, paint may be better than its ever been, and changing over to water thinned urethanes doesn't seem to have made paints worse. Here's a repair thread about paint brands that may be of interest:

Mr_Shiftright, "Paint and Body Maintenance & Repair" #803, 16 Jun 2007 7:48 am

Just going by the photos, I think you're right that the missing garnish accounts for the debris damage.