Mitsubishi Motors North America has issued a new recall affecting over 108,000 older Outlander and Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid) SUVs in the U.S. due to a defect that could potentially pose quite a risk to users’ noggins and necks.
This new campaign is actually an expansion of an earlier recall issued to fix the same problem.
There’s no word yet on how many vehicles in Canada are affected, but we expect we’ll be hearing from Transport Canada shortly. The agency’s ID number for the earlier recall was #2025-405, issued in August of 2025. It stated that “On certain vehicles, water could enter the tailgate struts and cause them to corrode. If this happens, the struts could fail, and the tailgate could drop suddenly.”
The recall targets older generations of the crossover, which have had more time to be exposed to the elements. Specifically, the following models are affected:
- • 2014–2020 Mitsubishi Outlander (gas-only)
- • 2018–2022 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
While Mitsubishi is aware of four warranty claims and field reports related to the failing springs between late 2025 and early 2026, there have thankfully been no reported accidents or injuries to date. Both manual and power liftgate systems are included in the campaign.
The problem
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the gas springs supporting the rear liftgate can fail or even rupture, potentially causing the heavy tailgate to fall unexpectedly on an owner’s head.
More specifically, the defect stems from saltwater penetrating the liftgate’s gas spring cylinder and accumulating under the dust cap. Over time, this causes significant corrosion that thins the cylinder walls. In a worst-case scenario, the high-pressure gas escapes rapidly, causing the cylinder to rupture and the liftgate to fall aggressively.
Why an expanded recall
The issue was initially thought to be a regional problem. Mitsubishi originally intended to limit the recall to vehicles in the so-called “Salt Belt”, or states and provinces that use heavy amounts of road salt during winter. However, further investigation revealed that corrosion and ruptures were occurring in vehicles outside those regions, prompting the automaker to expand the recall to cover a much wider population.
The solution
While the remedy is relatively simple and involves replacing the left and right gas springs with new components treated with an anti-corrosion coating, owners will have to wait. Because the vehicles being recalled are no longer in production, sourcing and manufacturing the correct replacement parts will take time.
In the U.S., dealer notifications are scheduled for June 3, 2026; owners can expect to receive official notification letters by mail starting June 17. Mitsubishi Canada will likely follow the same schedule.
As with all safety recalls, the repair will be performed free of charge. In the meantime, Outlander owners are advised to be cautious when using their tailgates. Mitsubishi says to look out for the tailgate dropping more slowly than usual, which could be a warning sign of an imminent failure.