2008 Mitsubishi Outlander Problems, Recalls & Reliability
80 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander, alongside 12 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 24/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 89,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2008 sits among all Outlander years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 56 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 94,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 42,000 and 147,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (12)
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2008-2010 Lancer, 2009-2010 Lancer Sportback, 2008-2013 Outlander, and 2011-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of…
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross…
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Lancer, 2008-2012 Outlander, 2010-2012 Lancer Sportback, and 2011-2012 Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with either a 4B11 or 4B12 engine. The drive belt automatic tensioner flange…
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the belt tensioner with one that has an improved shape, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 27, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA…
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Outlander, 2008-2010 Lancer, 2009-2010 Lancer Evolution, and 2010 Lancer Sportback vehicles equipped with sunroofs. The sunroof glass may detach from the sunroof assembly, becoming a…
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sunroof glass assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820.…
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2007-2013 Outlander vehicles. In the affected vehicles, water may drop between the hood and the windshield and leak into the wiper motor breathing hole. The water may cause internal corrosion…
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper motor, free of charge. The recall began July 28, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for…
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2007-2013 Outlander vehicles manufactured September 8, 2006, to March 29, 2013. In the affected vehicles, water may enter between the hood and windshield and cause the front wiper…
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rubber boot on the ball joint to prevent water intrusion. Additionally, they will inspect the wiper motor crank arm for excessive play,…
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 Lancer, 2004 Lancer Wagon, 2003-2006 Lancer Evolution, 2003-2006 Outlander and 2007-2013 Outlander V-6 vehicles originally sold in, or ever registered in, Connecticut,…
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front cross members. Depending on the level of existing corrosion, either a sealing/anti-corrosion agent will be applied or the front cross…
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Outlander vehicles manufactured December 15, 2006, to October 31, 2007, and April 16, 2008, to August 22, 2009. In the affected vehicles, the brake light switch may…
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch with a new one, free of charge. The recall began in mid-October 2014. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service…
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Lancer, Lancer Evolution, and Outlander; 2009-2011 Lancer Sportback, Lancer Rilliart, and Lancer Sportback Ralliart; and 2011 Outlander Sport vehicles. The affected…
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the drive belt with a rubber belt. Drive pulleys that are excessively worn will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.…
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2013 Outlander vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Additionally, Mitusbishi is recalling certain 2007-2012 Outlander vehicles that received replacement…
Fix: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering pressure tube and return tube, free of charge. The recall began in August 2014. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer…
MITSUBISHI IS RECALLING 39,711 MY 2008-2009 OUTLANDER AND LACER VEHICLES. INCORRECT MATERIAL COMPOSITION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVE MAY CAUSE THE CHECK VALVE TO STICK CLOSED WHEN THE ENGINE IS SHUT OFF. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RE-STARTED AND PUT INTO…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MITSUBISHI AT 1-800-222-0037.
MITSUBISHI IS RECALLING 21,493 MY 2007-2008 OUTLANDER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH LED TYPE STOP LAMPS AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE UNITED STATES AND PUERTO RICO. THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION AND CAUSE THE STOP LAMPS TO NOT ILLUMINATE DURING BRAKE APPLICATION.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING FEBRUARY 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MITSUBISHI AT 1-800-222-0037.
MITSUBISHI IS RECALLING 5,400 MY 2007-2008 OUTLANDER PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW…
Fix: DEALERS WILL RELOCATE THE FLOOR HARNESS FROM BENEATH BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SEATS TO ABOVE THE CARPET AND AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FLOORBOARD TO PREVENT CONTACT WITH ANY FUTURE MELT…
Technical service bulletins
104 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 Outlander TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander reliable?
The 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander drew 80 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 24/100, scored against the model's worst year (2022).
What are the most common 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander are electrical (15 complaints), suspension (10), and visibility & wipers (9).
At what mileage do 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander problems around 94,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 42,000 and 147,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander have recalls?
12 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.