Mitsubishi Outlander Life Expectancy : [ How Long They Last? – Answered ]

The Mitsubishi Outlander finds its name among the most practical Japanese SUVs where you can fold the third-row seats. Blending intelligent design, style, and performance, the manufacturer has integrated sci-fi bodywork and a flashy cabin in this car. Back in 2014, the Outlander bagged the best credit for its outstanding features like the best CVT and impressive fuel economy. With a new purchase, owners also get a warranty on its powertrain for ten years. It can comfortably accommodate seven people, thanks to its roomy interiors. Moreover, the audio system in the Outlander looks impressive.

Compared to other SUVs, you would notice that the Outlander costs are lower than average. However, as a potential buyer, you might be willing to know the average life expectancy of the Mitsubishi Outlander. In this article, we have discussed this lifeline, along with other relevant aspects for you.

How long does the Mitsubishi Outlander last?

You can expect this powerful crossover SUV to deliver around 200K to 250K miles of service. With proper servicing and repair, you can easily attain this mileage. Considering that you would be traveling around 15K miles a year with this car, it can serve you for 13 to 17 years before the repair expenses start hurting your pocket.

Even today, you might come across some of the first-generation Mitsubishi Outlanders plying the roads. Considering that they are around two decades old, their performance looks impressive. In the forums, many Outlander owners claim to enjoy a pretty long lifespan from these cars. Some of the units have even lasted more than 300K miles with the original transmission.

However, you should take the bracket between 200K and 250K to be the standard mileage for your Outlander. The PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Variant) of this car can seamlessly cruise along for more than 100K miles without any technical concern.

To enhance the longevity of your Outlander, make sure not to go off-roading with this car, as the manufacturer hasn’t designed the SUV for this purpose. Refrain from overworking the engine and aggressive braking or acceleration to make the parts last longer.

Mitsubishi Outlander high mileage

For a Mitsubishi Outlander, you should take 120K miles to be the high-mileage mark. In this context, it’s worth mentioning that the new models come with a powertrain warranty for the first 100K miles or 10 years. Besides, the transferable warranty on the car covers the first 60K miles or five years. So, when you purchase a used Outlander with the odometer reading close to the 120K mile mark, it won’t have any kind of warranty protecting your wallet. So, the owner needs to be careful about the manufacturing or functional glitches in this vehicle, if any.

However, you might consider going for a well-maintained Outlander with high mileage with proper service records. Interestingly, Mitsubishi cars undergo high depreciation, which can fetch you a lucrative bargain. Besides, the easy maintenance ensures that you need not drain your pockets over the years.

These guidelines can assist you to make an intelligent pick when you are shopping for a used Outlander.

• Maintenance record: Check the original documents for the car’s repair history and maintenance record. Responsible owners would retain proper evidence for their car’s maintenance record.
• Professional inspection: A professional inspection can help you detect potential glitches or hidden flaws that are apparently invisible to laymen.
• Check Carfax: Checking the Carfax will give you a transparent idea about the vehicle’s wear and tear. As an owner, you would like to settle with an Outlander with minimal damage. Also, check out issues that might have affected the transmission or engine.
• Previous owners: Well, it’s wise to go for a used car with a record of single ownership. With multiple owners, chances of damage or wear are greater.
• The car’s service span: For how long do you want to use the car? In case you want to keep it permanently, you might go for the used car. However, if you want it for a short span, consider whether it’s worth investing money in repairing the existing damages.

This way, you can make out whether it would be intelligible enough to purchase the second-hand Outlander.

How reliable is a Mitsubishi Outlander?

The Mitsubishi Outlander has proven to be an extremely reliable SUV. The models have been in the market for over twenty years. Every generation of the car has demonstrated their dependability and impressive performance. The reviews reveal that owners need not shell out excessively high to maintain the SUV. Besides, many owners claimed that they had to replace the fluids, oil, belts, brake pads, filters, and tires only after the car crossed 100K miles.

As per owner recommendations, you need to stay abreast with the schedule for the fuel changes in its CVT transmission. This ensures that these parts would last long enough to value your investment. The chances of an Outlander requiring unscheduled repairs is around 0.26 times annually. The chances of problems being severe are 11%. Annually, you need to shell out around $519 for the repair expenses. These statistics reveal the reliability of the Outlander to potential buyers.

As per RepairPal, the reliability rating of the Outlander is 4 out of 5. It finds its position in the 8^th place out of 26 vehicles in the compact SUV category. The consumer rating index in the Kelley Blue Book shows the reliability rating of the Outlander to be 4.6 out of 5. As per WhatCar, Mitsubishi emerged the runners-up in terms of reliability among all brands, while they chose the Outlander to be the most reliable car in the large SUV category.

In a survey involving 1,550 Outlanders, 3.22% of the cars had made their way past the 150K mile mark. This reveals the potential promise that Outlanders hold for their owners. In terms of reliability ratings, the Outlander fares better than some of its competitors such as the Chevrolet Captiva, Chevrolet Equinox, Nissan Murano, GMC Terrain, Subaru Forester, and the Volkswagen Tiguan.

Common problems in Mitsubishi Outlanders

Well, it makes sense to explore the common glitches that might affect your Outlander, thereby cutting its lifespan short. We have presented some of the most common problems that might affect these cars.

Temperature knob issues

Many Outlanders have a common issue with the temperature knob. As they harden, owners cannot easily turn them. The internal components wear away, leading to poor movement of the knob. Particularly, the air blend door gets jammed, and you need to get the blend replaced. Once you replace this part, you will be able to control the settings as per your requirements. The cost of the diagnosis is around $70, while you need to shell out about $400 to get the air blend replaced.

Failure of the automatic transmission

This issue had affected most of the models till 2016, and is likely to affect the newer ones as well. The automatic transmission failure issue largely caused the reliability ratings to dip. At times, the system might aggravate to an extent where you need to go for a complete overhaul, or get the entire transmission replaced. This might be expensive enough, and hurt your wallet with a whopping $3000 charge. It’s wise to stay prepared with the amount when you know that the issue might crop up sooner or later.

Blower motor issues

Sometimes, the AC’s blower motor would refuse to work in the proper way. Probably, the issue lies in the resistor, which has been affecting models that the manufacturer launched till 2015. However, people buying the recent models are yet to report this issue. However, this is a minor issue, and you need not shell out much to replace the part. However, if the blower motor turns out to be defective, the owners need to pay around $250.

Cooling issues in the AC

Certain Outlander owners have reported AC problems, as the interiors of their cars refuse to cool. In case the compressor is fine and the refrigerant level is full, a failed switch might be the culprit. You need to pay around $60 to diagnose the issue. Besides, replacing the switch won’t cost much.

Overheating of the engine

Many Outlanders have engine problems like overheating. In this case, a failed controller triggers the glitch in these cars, which is responsible for controlling cooling fans in the system. Once it stops controlling the fan, the engine starts accumulating heat. It would cost you around $70 to diagnose the issue. The problem might continue to haunt owners even after they replace the switch. This explains why many owners are selling off their Outlanders just after the expiry of the warranty.

Best and worst Mitsubishi Outlander models

Well, Mitsubishi Outlander has been around for more than two decades. Naturally, the models would have good and bad years.

2019 onwards, most of the Outlander models have turned out to be reliable. The number of complaints has also declined significantly in the more recent models. This way, you can go for the Mitsubishi Outlander 2022. The brand has focused on enhancing driving agility. Besides, this car comes with a revamped design in the exteriors. In general, the number of complaints increases at the outset of each new generation of the Outlander. As the manufacturers promptly address these issues, the number of complaints keeps diminishing. This reveals that the brand is dedicated to fine-tuning the models and ensuring quality for their customers.

The Mitsubishi Outlander 2018 happens to be the worst model year, as per Car Complaints. These cars had several issues, such as chipping out of paints, premature wearing away of the brakes, and low tire pressure. Moreover, the owners had to shell out lots of money for maintenance and repairs even at lower mileages. Even some of the interior accessories of these cars turned out to be problematic. In terms of number of complaints, the 2014 model turns out to be the worst. In this model, too, the key issues involved the interiors and electronics.

Maintenance and repair charges of Mitsubishi Outlander

Outlander owners need to shell out around $519 a year to maintain and repair their cars. This is almost the same as other compact SUVs, with the average price being $521. However, maintaining this compact crossover SUV would involve lower costs as compared to the average vehicle, which comes to $652. While this car has an 11% chance of running into severe problems, it performs better than other cars like the Jeep Cherokee and the Jeep Patriot (both 12%), Chevrolet Captiva (13%), Nissan Murano (14%), Jeep Wrangler (16%) and the Chevrolet Equinox (18%).

How long do Mitsubishi Outlander brakes last?

The stock brake pads of the Outlander can last up to 60K miles in case you mostly drive through highways. However, if you habitually drive through congested city roads, the lifespan of the brakes can drop to just 20K to 30K miles.

How long do Mitsubishi Outlander tires last?

You can expect the Outlander tires to serve you up to 50K miles, or five years. However, depending on the road conditions, climate, and your driving habits, they can wear out sooner.

How long do Mitsubishi Outlander engines last?

With proper maintenance, the Outlander’s engine can serve you for 13 to 17 years, or 200K to 250K miles. After this, be prepared to fork out additional costs for regular repairs.

How long does Mitsubishi Outlander spark plugs last?

The Outlander comes with spark plugs that have iridium tips, which makes them last around 105K miles. During routine maintenance, the mechanics would check the conditions of these spark plugs to detect premature wear.

What does the Mitsubishi Outlander insurance cost?

The Outlander is slightly more expensive to insure. Owners need to shell out an annual charge of $1,624 for insurance. On the other hand, the average insurance cost for other cars in the same category is around $1,523.

How to prolong the lifeline of your Mitsubishi Outlander?

• Drive smoothly and avoid rapid acceleration or abrupt braking.
• Closely adhere to the factory-recommended schedule for maintenance.
• Get quality fluids and parts for your car.
• Get potential damages fixed to prevent larger issues from cropping up.
• Prevent rusting by washing the undercarriage regularly.
• Top up the fluid levels, brake, coolant, and engine oil as required.
• To keep away elements, store your Outlander in a proper garage and cover it.

Conclusion

The Outlander can be a good choice, but there are better compact crossover SUVs out there in the market. Besides, this car depreciates to half its value in the first five years. So, it would be wise to settle with a used Outlander in good condition. The car offers an impressive lifeline, so you can yield long years of low-maintenance service out of the models with the right choice. However, owners with a fascination for the brand, and particularly the Outlander should go for the new models.