Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2004 record →
WHEN DRIVING IN THE SNOW, THE CONSUMER LOST POWER STEERING, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, HOWEVER THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE WOULD DRIFT TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WITH LITTLE MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING WHEEL. *SC *JB
THE OUTLANDER HAS THE TENDENCY TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT. A QUICK CHECK ON THE WEBSITE REVEALED MANY CAR OWNERS FACED THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS IDENTIFIED TO THE ACTUATOR LATCH MECHANISM OF THE STEERING MECHANISM. THIS PROBLEM US WELL KNOWN TO JAPAN & ASIA. I AM EXTREMELY SURPRISED THAT IT IS NOT KNOWN TO US AT ALL. ALL THE TIME, I HAVE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT TO KEEP THE SUV STRAIGHT!!! *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander → · Every Outlander year → · How the figures are calculated →