On April 20, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) logged a recall (No. 26V252) filed by Mitsubishi Motors North America covering 108,046 model-year 2014-2022 Outlander and 2018-2022 Outlander PHEV vehicles over a liftgate gas spring defect.
What we know: This is an expansion of an earlier recall (No. 25V507), which was originally limited to vehicles registered in states with heavy road-salt use, also known as the "Salt Belt."
Further investigation, though, found ruptures and corrosion in vehicles outside that region as well, so Mitsubishi widened the net.
The issue itself: Salt water can work its way into the liftgate gas spring over time, corroding the cylinder wall and causing the spring to lose pressure. If it gets bad enough, the liftgate can drop unexpectedly, or the spring cylinder can rupture.
Mitsubishi and MMNA say they're aware of four warranty claims and field reports tied to the issue between November 2025 and February 2026, with no accidents or injuries reported.
Per the NHTSA: Both left and right liftgate springs should be replaced with updated units featuring an anti-corrosion coating at no charge. Owners who already paid out of pocket for related repairs can submit their original receipts for reimbursement.
Dealer notifications go out June 3, owner letters follow June 17, and VINs become searchable June 3.
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