2020 Mitsubishi Outlander
Plug-in hybrid Gas Compact SUV
The 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid and gas compact SUV with 8 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Outlander 2WD, is EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 57 complaints, most often about electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outlander PHEV | Plug-in hybrid | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl + 60 kW DCPM | 25 | 26 | 25 (38 MPGe blended) | 22 mi electric | 45 | 3.5 h | $2,500 |
| Outlander 2WD | Gas | FWD | 2.4L 4-cyl | 25 | 30 | 27 | — | — | — | $2,300 |
| Outlander Sport 2WD | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 24 | 30 | 27 | — | — | — | $2,300 |
| Outlander 4WD | Gas | 4WD | 2.4L 4-cyl | 24 | 29 | 26 | — | — | — | $2,400 |
| Outlander Sport 4WD | Gas | 4WD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 23 | 29 | 26 | — | — | — | $2,400 |
| Outlander Sport 2WD | Gas | FWD | 2.4L 4-cyl | 23 | 29 | 25 | — | — | — | $2,500 |
| Outlander Sport 4WD | Gas | 4WD | 2.4L 4-cyl | 23 | 28 | 25 | — | — | — | $2,500 |
| Outlander 4WD | Gas | 4WD | 3.0L 6-cyl | 20 | 27 | 22 | — | — | — | $3,500 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (4)
Structure
highProblem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV and 2014-2020 Outlander vehicles. The liftgate gas spring cylinders may corrode and lose pressure, which can result in a gas spring cylinder rupture or the liftgate falling unexpectedly.
Risk: A gas spring cylinder rupture or a liftgate falling unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: MMNA will replace the left and right liftgate gas springs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2026. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-26-001. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov June 3, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V507.
Structure
highProblem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV and 2014-2020 Outlander vehicles sold and/or currently registered in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The liftgate gas spring cylinders may corrode and lose pressure, which can result in a gas spring cylinder rupture or the liftgate falling unexpectedly.
Risk: A gas spring cylinder rupture or a liftgate falling unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: MMNA will replace the left and right liftgate gas springs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 6, 2025. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-25-002
Power Train
minorProblem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with continuously variable transmissions and mechanical key ignition systems. A software error in the transmission control unit (CVT-ECU) may incorrectly reduce the transmission gear ratio at high speeds, which can result in an engine stall.
Risk: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the CVT-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-22-004.
Seat Belts
highProblem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Outlander and 2019 Outlander PHEV vehicles. The seat belt for the right side second-row seat may have been assembled incorrectly.
Risk: An incorrectly assembled seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the right side second-row seat belt and replace it as necessary, free of charge. This recall began June 17, 2020. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-20-002.
NHTSA investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds (closed)
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Owner complaints
57 complaints filed
6 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 8 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2020: 4 · 2021: 10 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2024: 15 · 2025: 9 · 2026: 8
Most-cited components
- Electrical System — 16
- Unknown Or Other — 15
- Engine — 10
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 7
- Power Train — 6
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 14% |
| SUV AWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 18% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 19% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Other Outlander model years
2027 Outlander
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2026 Outlander
1 recalls · 5 complaints
A2025 Outlander
2 recalls · 17 complaints
A2024 Outlander
1 recalls · 27 complaints
A2023 Outlander
2 recalls · 55 complaints
F2022 Outlander
10 recalls · 225 complaints
B2021 Outlander
3 recalls · 17 complaints
F2019 Outlander
6 recalls · 56 complaints
F2018 Outlander
6 recalls · 91 complaints
F2017 Outlander
6 recalls · 78 complaints
F2016 Outlander
11 recalls · 170 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 42110, 41478, 41756, 41484, 41768, 42040, 42048, 42047). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.