YearToAvoid

2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Avoid The 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander carries a complaint index of 79 and ranks 5th worst out of 20 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. Owners most often reported electrical system problems, especially touchscreen failures, along with airbag non-deployment in crashes and forward-collision-warning false alerts.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
79/100
#5 of 20 Outlander years
Verdict
Avoid
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
31
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
3
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
5
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
7
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2012
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
25.5
24.5 city / 28 hwy
Injuries / deaths
7 / 0

Top 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System13 (42%)
  2. Other8 (26%)
  3. Collision Avoidance & Cameras6 (19%)
  4. Structure & Body5 (16%)
  5. Airbags4 (13%)
  6. Brakes2 (6%)
  7. Engine2 (6%)
  8. Lane Departure2 (6%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (6%)
  10. Steering1 (3%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Touchscreen infotainment displays stop responding to touch, sometimes going dead entirely and requiring dealer replacement outside the warranty window.
  • Airbags failed to deploy in multiple crashes, including rear-end and intersection collisions, with occupants sustaining injuries.
  • Forward collision warning systems triggered false alerts and applied automatic braking with no vehicle in front, matching a known recall issue.
  • A dashboard warning combination reading 'EV system required stop safely' and 'RBS service required' appeared at highway speed along with a loss of acceleration above 20 mph.
  • The transmission knocked and bucked at highway speed with the service transmission light on, occurring on a vehicle with low mileage.
  • A second-row seat was reported to rock loosely in its mounting.
2020 Mitsubishi Outlander complaints: complaints filed per month2Jun 2020Apr 2021Mar 2023Jul 2024Jan 2025Oct 2025Mar 2026
31 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jun 2020 to Jul 2026; peak Jan 2024 (2).

2020 Mitsubishi Outlander recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 26V252000Apr 20, 2026Structure & Body108,046 vehicles

    Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:support device/strut

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  2. NHTSA 25V507000Aug 7, 2025Structure & Body121,529 vehicles

    Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:support device/strut

    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.

    Remedy: 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

  3. NHTSA 20V280000May 18, 2020Seat Belts3,241 vehicles

    Seat belts:rear/other

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

2020 Mitsubishi Outlander fuel economy and fuel cost

City
24.5 MPG
Highway
28 MPG
Combined
25.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,550
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2020 compared with other Outlander years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2018Caution7457625.5
2019Good4729525.5
2020Avoid7931325.5
2022Avoid100215726
2023Avoid8947226

All Mitsubishi Outlander years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2020 Outlander ranks 5th worst among 20 model years with a complaint index of 79 and carries an Avoid verdict relative to other Outlander years.
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Outlander?
Electrical system issues make up 42% of complaints, largely touchscreen failures, followed by collision avoidance and camera system complaints at 19% and structure/body issues at 16%.
Does the 2020 Outlander have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2020 Outlander, covering liftgate gas spring corrosion and an incorrectly assembled right-side second-row seat belt.
Did the 2020 Outlander have airbag problems?
NHTSA complaints include 4 airbag-related reports, 3 involving crashes, with owners describing airbags that failed to deploy during collisions.
How does the 2020 Outlander compare to other years?
Its complaint index of 79 is higher than most other Outlander years; only 2016 (95), 2022 (100), 2023 (89), and 2024 (84) score worse.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.