Is the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport a bad year?
185 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 118, 12× a quiet Outlander Sport year.
Consider selling
Half of all transmission complaints about the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport were filed between 18k and 89k miles. You're at 51,000 miles.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2015 Outlander Sport owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 51,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and drivetrainSTANDS OUT | 118 (64%) | 18k–89k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Engine | 37 (20%) | 13k–80k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Speed control | 25 (14%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Electrical system | 19 (10%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Fuel system | 14 (8%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Brakes | 12 (6%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Visibility and wipers | 9 (5%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Air bags | 7 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Suspension | 6 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 51,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 185 complaints: 2 mention a crash · 1 mentions a fire · 2 report an injury · 14 say the car was towed.
8 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Nov 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
Transmission hesitates while driving, then it jumps. When it jumps it surges. We thought it was the transmission.
While driving during acceleration after I have stopped or slowed down the vehicle loses power and jerks and jumps before I can accelerate again.
Vehicle has delay and/or hesitation when accelerating. I was driving on the highway at 60MPH trying to pass another vehicle, but the car would not accelerate after I changed lanes.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 51,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: 9
The front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure, such as from road salt use. A detached front control arm can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The front lower control arms may detach due to the front cross member corroding from salt water exposure such as from road salt use. A detached front control arm can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Water may enter between the hood and windshield and cause the front wiper link ball joint to corrode, possibly resulting in the wiper link separating and the wipers becoming inoperative. Loss of wiper function can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Water may enter the rear brake calipers causing the parking brake actuator shafts to corrode and possibly bind. If the parking brake actuator shaft binds, the parking brake may not engage or disengage fully. If the parking brake does not engage properly, the vehicle may move unexpectedly if it is parked on a slope, increasing the risk of a crash.
These vehicles may have defective relays that can result in an engine stall, reduced engine power or the engine overheating. If the engine stalls, there is an increased the risk of a crash.
In the affected vehicles, water may drop between the hood and the windshield and leak into the wiper motor breathing hole. The water may cause internal corrosion of the windshield wiper motor and the possible failure of the motor. Failure of the wiper motor can cause a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The affected vehicles are equipped with a constant velocity transmission (CVT) that, in certain driving conditions, may cause a delay in the vehicle accelerating. A hesitation during acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
During assembly, a clamp for a CVT hose may not have been properly secured, allowing the hose to detach and leak transmission fluid. If enough transmission fluid leaks out, the transmission may not function properly and the vehicle may become inoperable, increasing the risk of a crash.
In the affected vehicles, the front passenger seat belt lap end attachment fastener may not be torqued to specification, and the fastener may loosen with time. A loosened and weakened fastener may not be capable of withstanding the load forces associated with a vehicle crash, leaving the seat occupant insufficiently restrained and increasing the risk of injury.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Mitsubishi: 113
Repair instructions Mitsubishi sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
When replacing the Valve Cover Gasket due to a customer concern of oil leaking
This TSB instructs dealers a condition where the coolant temperature warning light illuminates and a coolant leak is found at the hose connection…
Some vehicles may exhibit a shudder condition at low speeds (10 40 mph), or a surge/flare of engine rpm at higher speeds
Some vehicles may exhibit a shudder or surge condition possibly caused by poor reaction of the hydraulic pressure circuit
Neighbouring years
2014 Outlander Sport: 41 complaints, keep it · 2016 Outlander Sport: 26 complaints, keep it.
Every Mitsubishi Outlander Sport year
2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · All Outlander Sport years side by side
Other Mitsubishi models: Mitsubishi Diamante · Mitsubishi Eclipse · Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder · Mitsubishi Endeavor · Mitsubishi Galant · Mitsubishi Lancer · Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution · Mitsubishi Mirage · Mitsubishi Montero · Mitsubishi Montero Sport · Mitsubishi Outlander. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport a bad year?
185 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 118, 12× a quiet Outlander Sport year. At 51,000 miles the tool says: Consider selling. Half of all transmission complaints about the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport were filed between 18k and 89k miles. You're at 51,000 miles.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: transmission and drivetrain (118), engine (37), speed control (25), electrical system (19), fuel system (14). Half of the transmission complaints were filed between 18k–89k miles.
How many recalls does the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport have?
9 recall campaigns list this model year: Suspension (NHTSA 21V-144), Suspension (NHTSA 20V-279), Visibility and wipers (NHTSA 18V-103), Parking brake (NHTSA 18V-070) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.