Mitsubishi Outlander Engine Problems

It doesn’t take much to throw a modern engine off its game when it comes to fuel consumption. Modern electronics control just about every function of today’s engines and a single sensor that is giving the on-board computer incorrect information can throw the tune way out of whack without affecting the way the vehicle feels to drive.

The best advice is to have the car scanned by a workshop with the appropriate equipment to see if the car’s computer has detected any faults or glitches (which it will have logged). This is a vastly better approach than simply replacing parts at random and hoping that the problem will go away.

I agree that 14.5 litres per 100km is too much fuel for this car, so something is definitely wrong, especially if the consumption has suddenly increased without any change in your driving habits.

While the Mitsubishi Outlander is spacious, reliable and easy to drive, our experience testing it against rival medium SUVs have found it to be noisy and a little too firm riding to be truly comfortable and relaxing. At your price point, there are better alternatives out there. 

Have you considered a Mazda CX-5? In petrol or diesel, we have found it to be a superior and more economical proposition, and is definitely quieter and more refined. Plus, the Mazda's all-wheel-drive system is more sophisticated and better at dealing with loose surfaces like sand.

A late-model (post 2014) S5-series Subaru Forester 2.5i petrol is far more economical than the earlier iterations, since it switched to a more efficient CVT continuously variable transmission. And there's also the 2.0D turbo-diesel which is economical. This, too, is a fine SUV on-road or for light off-road driving.

Finally, the Nissan X-Trail diesel is a roomy and capable choice, especially from 2017, when it received a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel to replace the older 1.6L unit.

There’s not much between them, but the Honda is regarded as being a little better than the Nissan overall. It’s well-equipped, good value, and practical. Another to consider is the Mazda CX-5.

It appears to be an intermittent problem, and one that is very difficult to diagnose from a distance. If it went into limp-home mode then it is likely to be an electronic issue, and there could be any number of causes. Your best course of action is to persist with the dealer and trust that they will ultimately isolate the cause.

I can understand the dealer needing to experience the problem simply to know where to start checking. That said, from what you describe it seems as though the car is going into limp home mode. The fact that you can fix it by turning the ignition off and on again tends to confirm that.

By doing that you are rebooting the computer. It’s possibly got an intermittent failure of an engine sensor or a connection or something similar. Describe what happens with your car to your dealer and insist he investigate and find the problem. That is, after all, what the warranty is all about.

That all sounds like dealer speak for "I haven't got a clue what's wrong." There shouldn't be an undue delay in starting, the engine should crank immediately the key is turned of the starter pressed, and the engine should start within a couple of seconds. If it doesn't there is something wrong. The power steering shouldn't drop out, if it does as you say there is again something wrong. Take it back to your dealer and ask then to investigate the problems and fix them.

Without listening to the engine and hearing the noise I couldn't speculate on what it might be, but any mechanic worth his sale should be able to give you an accurate guide as to where the noise is coming from and what might be causing it. What you appear to have been told by your dealer sounds like complete rubbish to me, a "noisy charcoal canister", really. Take it back to the dealer and demand their proper attention to the problem.

The Rondo is way better than the Outlander and gets The Tick from me.

We haven't heard of anyone else having this problem, and it would seem the dealer hasn't either, as he is apparently probing around in the dark in the hope of finding the cause. At this stage I would suggest it's better to work with the dealer in trying to find the cause of the problem and fix it than it is to dig your heels in and probably achieve except get frustrated.

If it still isn't fixed, and you feel the dealer can't or won't fix it, then take it to VCAT as you have been advised. It's best if you can sort it out with the dealer, but there are no short cuts if that doesn't work out.