Mitsubishi is in trouble as it has just launched a massive recall campaign in the United States affecting more than 91,000 units of the Outlander and Outlander PHEV. 27 out of 40 states affected!! The problem lies in the gas struts of the rear liftgate, which can fail due to corrosion and make the door drop suddenly. Yes, you could literally be the victim of an improvised guillotine…
Which models are involved?
They are two variants of Mitsubishi’s best-selling SUV in our country:
- Outlander (2014–2020): 85,600 units
- Outlander PHEV (2018–2022): 6,077 units
In total, we are talking about 91,700 vehicles included in this recall. And the reason we already told you, the inside of the gas struts of the liftgate corrodes, loses pressure, and the rear door may stop holding itself up… and cause sudden drops.
Why does this happen?
Because of a design flaw, as the manufacturers did not think much about the Salt Belt states, and in those areas, salty water seeps in through the dust caps of the struts. Over time, the salt weakens the metal and, when the struts lose pressure, the liftgate no longer holds itself up and drops suddenly. If no one is nearby, fine, but it could be fatal if you are putting bags or loading something in the trunk.
What is the Salt Belt?
The situation is more serious in the states where salt is used on the roads during winter. That is why the recall only applies to the 27 states most exposed to this type of corrosion:
Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota and Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
All of them have in common the intensive use of salt during winter, which speeds up the deterioration of metal parts!
The problem was first made public in 2023, and ended up being filed with the NHTSA under notice no. 25V507.
What should owners do?
Starting October 6, owners will receive the official notification. From there, they must go to a Mitsubishi dealership to have the struts replaced with new ones with greater anti-corrosion protection. It is a free repair.
The notice has been published by the NHTSA and notifications to owners will begin to be sent on October 6, 2025.
And if you already replaced them on your own before the notice arrived, Mitsubishi commits to reimbursing you for the expenses. To know if your car is affected, just enter the VIN (the 17-digit code found on the car papers or at the base of the windshield) on Mitsubishi’s official website and follow the steps.
The process will be simple, they will remove the affected parts and replace them with others made of more resistant materials, so it will be easy and you will not have to pay anything.
What does this mean for Mitsubishi?
It is not the first major recall we have seen this year, other brands have also had to pull cars for similar or even worse failures, but this directly hits Mitsubishi’s image, do they not have enough quality? And the Outlander is practically their best-selling model in the country. And of course, no manufacturer likes to know that their vehicles are not what they sell, because it directly attacks their reputation.
Even more now, as SUVs compete continuously, recalling 91,000 units for such a risk of injury is quite tough.
The failure may seem silly, but it is not. A rear liftgate that collapses without warning can cause serious blows, and it has already happened before, we do not want it to happen again. Mitsubishi has acted, but now it is up to the drivers to move.