There’s a new Mitsubishi Outlander on the block that’s a sub-$30k mild-hybrid, but if you’ve got one of the older Outlanders, in gas-only or plug-in hybrid form, you may have a weapon of mass concussion. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a recall for the crossover because the gas springs holding up the tailgate may lose pressure. Such a thing may cause the liftgate to fall slowly, but in some cases, the gas spring cylinder may rupture, causing the body panel to fall more aggressively, potentially hitting you on the head while you’re loading your weekly grocery shopping.
The Problem with the Mitsubishi Outlander
Mitsubishi
According to the NHTSA recall report on the Outlander, the issue stems from potential corrosion of the liftgate gas spring cylinder, which occurs due to saltwater penetration that accumulates under the dust cap. Because Mitsubishi Motors North America had originally not received any reports of problems in the U.S., it only intended to recall vehicles in states with high road salt usage, in the so-called “Salt Belt” region, but further investigation revealed that the problem was occurring outside this area, too. Obviously, this isn’t an issue that comes to light quickly, which explains why the recall names older variants of the SUV, specifically the 2014-2020 Outlander and the 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV. As these vehicles age and are exposed to the elements, it’s possible that significant corrosion could cause the wall thickness of the gas spring cylinder to be compromised, and if this happens, it could cause the high-pressure gas to rapidly escape the cylinder. It’s worth noting that this recall applies to both vehicles with manual liftgate systems and electric motors.
What Outlander Owners Need to Know
Wieck
Thus far, Mitsubishi is aware of four warranty claims and field reports related to the failing liftgate springs, but no accidents or injuries. Naturally, Mitsubishi will replace the potentially faulty left and right gas springs, which use a heat-shrink resin tube, with new components that have been treated with an anti-corrosion coating. Unfortunately, as simple as it sounds to fix this, it appears that producing the correct components for vehicles that are no longer in production will take some time, as dealers will only be notified on June 3 (the same date upon which VINs will be searchable), and owners can only expect remedy notification letters from June 17. If Mitsubishi starts building cars in North America again, something it stopped doing in 2015, perhaps basic fixes like this will be easier to implement using domestic suppliers. As always with a recall, customers won’t be charged for the upgrade.
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