2007 Outlander rolling backwards on inclines while in drive?
 

Hi folks,

I have a 2007 Outlander XLS that's in pretty good overall health for a seven-year-old car (it only has 44,715 miles on it, so it hasn't been ridden too hard). For most of its vehicular life, it's been driven on flats and rolling hills. Now I live in Ithaca, NY, which has a lot of steeply sloping streets, and I've noticed that, when driving and having to stop on an incline, my car begins to roll (not rock) backwards while in drive (almost like a vehicle with a clutch). This results in me having to do some quick footwork to get the vehicle moving forward, and as a result, I tend to burn a little rubber. Last I checked, vehicles with automatic transmissions weren't supposed to roll freely like that when in drive and going uphill.

Do all Outlanders of this era with automatic transmissions do this, or might I have a more serious issue, like a transmission problem? Has anyone had this problem before and repaired it? What was the issue and how was it solved? And if you did have this problem, did you take it to a Mitsubishi dealer or to a transmission specialist? (The closest Mitsubishi dealer to me is in Syracuse, a good hour away.)

Thanks for your help and input,

Nils

EDIT: I ought to add that I/my family have been the sole owners of this vehicle; did not buy it used but have had it since 2007.

If the incline is too steep, yes it will roll back slightly.