Mitsubishi Recalls 67,146 Outlanders Because Rearview Camera Display May Fail
67,146 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander plug-in hybrid SUVs are being recalled because faulty software may prevent their rearview-camera images from appearing when drivers shift into reverse. The U.S. recall covers vehicles from the 2025 and 2026 model years, although the defect may not occur in every recalled SUV.
Mitsubishi Motors North America announced the recall on September 1. Dealers will install updated display-system software at no cost, and notification letters are scheduled to begin going out September 24. Owners can also use Mitsubishi’s vehicle identification number recall search to check an individual SUV and review available repair information.
What the software problem can do
The central safety issue is the possibility that the rearview image will not appear when the transmission is placed in reverse. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents attribute the problem to improper programming in Mitsubishi’s Alliance In-Vehicle Infotainment system and say the affected vehicles do not comply with a federal motor-vehicle safety standard.
The documented symptoms extend beyond a missing camera picture. The display system may fail to boot, freeze, restart unexpectedly, show a black screen or scroll without the driver intending it to. These possible behaviors point to a broader software-stability problem in the display environment, but the available information does not identify a specific supplier or describe the underlying programming failure in greater detail.
That distinction matters. The rearview camera captures the view behind the SUV, but the driver receives that information through the vehicle’s display system. If software controlling the display does not initialize or operate correctly, the required image can be interrupted even without a documented fault in the camera itself. The recall information therefore supports a software remedy, not a conclusion that the physical camera hardware must be replaced.
Why a display malfunction becomes a safety recall
A rearview image is intended to supplement a driver’s direct observations and mirrors by showing an area behind the vehicle during reversing. When that image freezes or does not appear, the driver can lose one of the visibility aids designed for a backing maneuver. Transport Canada’s corresponding Mitsubishi recall notice similarly says the software can cause the image to freeze or disappear and that an incorrectly displayed image could reduce rearward visibility.
The concern is specifically the loss or unreliability of the display, not evidence that a collision has already resulted. Mitsubishi reported that it was unaware of any crashes, injuries or deaths associated with the defect. The recall also does not establish that every one of the 67,146 SUVs has exhibited a malfunction; the figure represents the potentially affected U.S. population covered by the corrective action.
Software recalls can address a wide vehicle population without replacing mechanical parts, but the repair still requires configuration control. The prescribed remedy is updated infotainment-system software installed by a Mitsubishi dealer. That update is intended to replace the faulty programming with a corrected version while giving the automaker and dealer network a record that the recall work was completed for the specific vehicle.
What owners should do
The affected models are 2025 and 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander PHEV SUVs. Because detailed vehicle identification number ranges were not included in the announcement, model and year alone are not enough to determine conclusively whether a particular SUV is covered. Owners should check the 17-character identification number through Mitsubishi’s recall tool or contact a dealer.
Those who previously paid for a repair related to the issue can ask Mitsubishi about reimbursement guidance. Mitsubishi Motors North America customer service is available at 1-888-648-7820, and the company’s recall number is SR-26-002.
Until the software update is completed, owners should not assume the display will necessarily fail, nor should they treat a functioning image on one trip as proof that their vehicle is outside the recall. The decisive next step begins September 24, when Mitsubishi is scheduled to start mailing notices directing affected owners to the free dealer update.
| More aerospace and engineering stories, right in your MSN feed. Follow AMI on MSN |
By Thomas Caldwell — AMI’s senior editor for mechanical and mobility engineering, covering vehicle electronics, systems integration, electrification, chassis systems, propulsion, and safety policy.
