2006 Mitsubishi Outlander

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS WERE VERY DIM AND WOULD TURN ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,000.

REAR SIDE MARKER LIGHTS HAVE CORROSION ISSUES AT THE CONNECTION FROM THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE BULB ASSEMBLY. NORMALLY ONLY BULB REPLACEMENT WOULD BE REQUIRED, BUT THE BULB WAS GOOD, THE WIRING HARNESS IS WHAT CORRODED. DEFINITELY A RISK OF SHORTING EXISTS. THIS OCCURRED WITHIN A YEAR ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE AND WERE REPLACED BY NEW FACTORY ASSEMBLIES WHICH HAVE A DIFFERENT DESIGN THAN WHAT WAS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE AT THE FACTORY. THESE ASSEMBLIES OF NEW DESIGN DO NOT HAVE REPLACEABLE BULBS. DUE TO THE CORROSION AT THE HARNESS, PROPER REPAIR REQUIRES SOLDERING AND SEALING THE NEW ASSEMBLY TO THE OLD WIRES, AS THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT SOCKET FOR THESE WIRES. WHEN COUPLED WITH POTENTIAL FUEL FILLER NECK LEAKS AS REPORTED IN OTHER COMPLAINT, THIS DEFECTIVE DESIGN WITH POTENTIAL FOR SHORTING (AND NO PROPER METHOD OF REPAIR SHORT OF SPLICING) COULD POSE A RATHER SERIOUS SAFETY RISK.

AS REPORTED BY SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF THE 2006 MODEL OUTLANDER, WHICH WAS THE ONLY MODEL YEAR TO USE THIS SPECIFIC HEADLIGHT UNIT, THE LOW BEAM BULBS HAVE SERIOUS AND SIGNIFICANT LONGEVITY ISSUES. STARTING SOMEWHAT PRIOR TO 2012, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO KEEP A LOW BEAM BULB (H1 KIND) FUNCTIONAL FOR LONGER THAN 6-7 MONTHS PRIOR TO IT BURNING OUT. I HAVE PURCHASED EVERY BRAND OF BULB, MANUFACTURED IN 6 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, OF EVERY PRICE RANGE AND THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME AVERAGE 6 MONTH LIFESPAN. I HAVE HAD BOTH BULBS BURN OUT WITHIN DAYS OF EACH OTHER AND THEREFORE KEEP TWO SPARES IN THE VEHICLE AT ALL TIMES FOR PROMPT REPLACEMENT. SEEING THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS HERE, I NEEDED TO ADD MINE TO THE MIX TO ENCOURAGE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE. I AM QUITE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT BULBS AND PROPER HANDLING OF BULBS TO PREVENT FINGER OILS FROM CAUSING WEAK SPOTS ON GLASS. THE BULBS, WHEN BURNED OUT, APPEAR TO NOT BE DAMAGED VIA MOISTURE. THE INTERNAL FOCUSING LENS IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS ALSO CRACKED. THERE IS YELLOWING AND HAZING OF THE PLEXIGLASS FRONT OF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY. THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE MOISTURE IN THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY.

THE HEADLIGHT BULBS KEEP BURNING OUT. FIRST ONE SIDE GOES. I REPLACE THE BULB AND THE OTHER SIDE BURNS OUT. THEN BOTH BULBS ON THE ONE SIDE BURNS OUT. I REPLACE THEM AND THE 2 BULBS ON THE OTHER SIDE BURN OUT. DEC 21, 2015 ALL OF THE HEADLIGHT BULBS BURNED OUT . NOT ONLY IS THIS COSTING A LOT OF MONEY IN MECHANIC FEES BUT I ALSO GOT A TICKET FOR A BURNED OUT HEADLIGHT SET OF BULB ON ONE SIDE I WASN'T EVEN AWARE HAD BURNED OUT. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND WHEN I REALIZE THE LIGHT IS BURNED OUT I HAVE TO RIDE WITH MY HIGHBEAMS ON WHICH IS SAFETY HAZARD FOR ONCOMING CARS. I HAVE CALLED MITSUBISHI AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THIS YEAR AND MODEL OF MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER. I HAVE HAD THIS REPAIR DONE 6 TO 8 TIMES THIS YEAR ALONE. SOMETIMES THE CAR IS RUNNING LIKE LAST NIGHT AND SOMETIMES IT IS PARKED AND WHEN I GET READY TO USE IT IT HAS ALREADY BURNED OUT. CAN SOMEONE AT SAFER CAR LOOK INTO THIS. I HAVE HAD THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM LOOKED AT AND IT IS NOT THE WIRING.

HORRIBLE DESIGN ON PRIMARY LOWER BEAMS H1 BULBS HEADLIGHTS. SOCKET BECOMES LOOSE AND/OR FUSING TIGHT AND BURNS OUT QUICKLY. SAME DESIGN AS SOME JAPAN MODELS LIKE HONDA ELEMENT USE OF H1 BULB AND STANLEY SOCKET IS SO DYSFUNCTIONAL. I INSTALLED SECONDARY FOGLIGHT SYSTEM RUNNING ON OTHER LINES - SINCE LIGHTS GO OUT A LOT EASY IN SNOW AND RAIN. ITS BEEN HAPPENING FOR YRS, I BOUGHT CAR USED.

THE HEADLIGHTS, BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE, KEEP BURNING OUT. EVEN A BRAND NEW BULB WILL BURN OUT MAKING NIGHT DRIVING DANGEROUS EVEN WITH THE GLOVE BOX STOCKED FULL OF NEW BULBS. IT APPEARS THERE MAY BE A LEAK IN THE SEALS (AND MOISTURE GETS ON THE HALOGEN BULBS). THE LIGHTS ARE ALSO QUITE DIFFICULT TO CHANGE ( EVEN THOUGH I HAVE CHANGED THEM ABOUT 20 TIMES). THIS IS A DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACING THE HEADLIGHT UNITS PER MY MECHANIC. *TR