Hey all,

I think I posted somethin about this a while back too. First thing in the morning after rain or snow whenever I tried to apply the brakes, right before you are about to stop, the whole car shudders and MAJOR creaking from the front end brakes...It is just insane the amount of shudder and noise.

So now I get in the habit of braking alot when I first starrt driving the car until that goes away (which it does after a bit)....However, no other car I ever had did this.

Also, no matter how warmed up the car (or rotors are), If I have the brake applied say at a stop light and I let off the brake pedal, I always get noise (like a mini creak) from the front end brakes - it is never silent.....

I agree with the other poster that it isn't normal - I have had my fair share of cars and none of them did this.

 

Brake noise usually falls into 1 of 3 categories:

-Dirt, or a rock or something jammed in there.
-Worn out brake pads
-Some other, more extensive (read: "expensive") failure

With only the most basic skills and a socket set and big c-clamp, it's pretty easy to swing the caliper away and inspect/clean the pads.

Buy any shop manual, or pay a buddy who's handy with a case of beer and spend the afternoon taking the wheels off and having a look around. If everything looks ok after the cleaning, but the noises remain, then take it to a trusted shop.

 

Dear Blitzkried79,

did you fix this problem?. I have a 2005 model and have the same problem.(grinding noice from front left wheel. It is happening only when the pedal is half depressed and on slow speed breaking, it is like gringing only a portion of the disk in every rotation). I took two times to the mitsubishi service center - first they cleaned evrything and worked for one week, next they changed the pads also worked for one more week. Then I took it to two outside garages. They also couldnt detect anything abnormal, the pads are as new srtill. I am in utter confusion now, running with this noise for the last one year.

If anybody has solved the problem permanently, please help..
I am from the middle east and it happens whether the climate is hot or cold..

 

I have the same problem as all of you. I have a 2010 Outlande XLS that, for the first few months, I loved.

At 14,000km, I heard a knocking/creaking at the rear right brake. I took the car in to the dealership on two separate occasions. Both times the service manager said there was rust on the rotors and all the vehicle needed was a brake service. Within days of both brake services the noise came back. I brought the car in for a 3rd visit, during which a mechanic realized that the rotors at the rear were warped, and they were replaced under warranty.

The car performed well for the next little while. However, at 37,000km, the sound came back worse than ever. I took the vehicle in to the dealership again and took the shop manager for a road test. He heard the sound and acknowledged that it was definitely not normal. I pleaded with him not to tell me that the problem was rust, reminding him that a brake service did nothing the last time this happened.

Sure enough, I received a call the next day saying that the problem was caused by rust and that I would have to get a brake service done ($160 for the rear, $160 for the front).

I went in to speak with the service manager because, in my experience, having to get brakes serviced to keep noise away, twice in under 40,000km, is unacceptable. The service manager reiterated that the problem was rust and that it would not be covered under warranty.

I asked him if all the rotors were rusted, and he said yes. I asked him to explain to me why only the rear right was making noise; he couldn't. I asked if this was a common problem with Mitsubishi's, and he said no. Despite this, he said that no work to fix the noise would be covered under warranty.

NEXT, I called Mistubishi Canada. They were very unhelpful - all they did was call the dealer, ask for the service manager's opinion, and reiterate this to me. The customer service rep told me this was all she could do in the way of "investigating" the problem.

In 38,000km I have had the following problems:

- Brake problems (above)
- Bluetooth module stopped working (replaced under warranty)
- Creaky driver's seat (fixed 3 times, problem doesn't go away)
- Paint chipping all over the front hood (never had a problem with this with any other vehicle I have owned).

I am extremely dissatisfied with Mitsubishi's customer service and quality.

 

I'm glad you and others have been having this problem (not glad, but you get what I mean!) - it means it is not a unit problem, but a systemic problem. I will be contacting various consumer rights/support groups this week and will update on my progress.

Ultimately, I too have learned my lesson: a long warranty is useless if the things that break are not covered.

As an aside, does anyone know if the regular maintenance must be done at Mitsubishi dealerships?

 

As to talk to his supervisor, and that you don't appreciate being treated in such a way as a customer.

Lately? At least 1-2 a day, and I am only 4 km from work. Way more regular Outlanders, though.
Go to a different dealer, over here only 1/3 nearby ones is decent.
Noises at sub zero? Google Lexus/BMW cold creaking/squeaking noises. Virtually all cars have these issues except old ones that use different plastic blends.

Sounds like the large amount of driving you do (600 km a week) combined with construction debris is the cause. Have you tried hosing down the brakes after the car cools down?
Usually, it is the opposite...after a rainfall rust forms more rapidly on the brakes.

Highly doubtful they will pull out of Canada with the steady increase in sales. Combined with their plans for a full electric lineup, they will only have Nissan to compete with.

I personally don't have this issue with my 08 Outlander...only when I don't drive for a week or two does it have brake noises for the first few applications.

 

Hello, everybody!

I am from Taiwan and own a Outlander 4WD.
In Taiwan, we mostly found the most brake problem is happened is the performance is no good. (Original is FF class bake pad)

The loud creaking sounds just like come from conflicting between metal to metal.

we are guessing it may be because brake pad have too much metal contents inside.
After pad getting hot, there is little rust produced on the surface.
Therefore, the brake system is working,the rust on pad and rotor starting make the creaking sounds.

In taiwan, we are used to change to the pad to ceramic one (still contents some metal inside but the % is lower than original from Mitsubishi)
Also we change the 330mm slotted rotor dick to help the dust come off.

After changed so, the creaking sound is getting better.
However, sometimes, in find day, really slow speed,still can hear a little but acceptable creaking sounds.

 

I am in the process of looking for a 2011 or 2012 vehicle to buy in early 2012, and really like (liked?) the Outlander based upon what I have read, generally. The car we have now is a 2004 with 80,000 miles on it, and has been great -- pretty much just change the oil, and put gas in it (and I know, filters too). It has the original brakes, which I am lead to believe will last to 85,000 miles front, and over 100,000 miles rear. I have no plans to change them around at the moment since everything is fine there.

But this thread seems to spell out "Outlander deal killer."

The brakes are not any good after two to three years? This costs money to fix??? You have to be kidding me. The pertinent part of the brake system is rusted? One post indicated that the paint chips off the front end! And the rear end (drive train) is bullocks too in under 40,000 miles? The driver's seat is noisy and cannot be fixed?

Wow. Maybe I read all of this incorrectly.

Tell me more, please, so that I can make a more informed decision, instead of my "general" reading on the internet wherein sunshine is blown up my skirt. We need something that just works, not an expensive headache.

Thanks.

Don

 

First off, I'll give you an update on my situation:

I took the vehicle to a non-mitsubishi garage regarding the brake noise issue. Sure enough, the mechanic found that the rear left rotor was warped. More than that, he told me that the rotor showed few signs of wear, and that he was surprised at the warpage given the lack of wear.

I called Mitsubishi back and, after pushing the subject, was told that the rotors would be replaced under warranty as long as the problem was not caused by rust or driving habits. Well, if I have to pay for rotors to be replaced every 24,000k, it will be goodbye Outlander. I had a Honda Civic previously for which I didn't have to do anything to the brakes in 84,000km.

@ Don: I have 2 friends with Outlanders. One has a 2007 and, apart from bushings that seized up, he has had few problems and loves his vehicle - so much so that he wants to buy a 2011 model. Another friend, however, had a 2008 which was plagued with similar problems to mine. He just traded it in for a Honda CRV.

Ultimately, this vehicle has been to the shop so many times, and has had so many recurring issues (including paint chips and recurring creaky driver's seat) that I would not have bought it had I known

Hope this helps.

 

Again, my 2008 is fine. The only thing that I had to replace was the radio due to a weak FM signal, which they fixed with no problems. They dealer, while trying to rip me off all the time, actually replaced stuff under warranty without second guessing me.

Keep in mind people generally don't post how wonderful their cars are online, but they always post about problems.

If you just want something that is essentially a reliable appliance, get a CR-V and you won't regret it. However, for good performance and handling, you will always give up some reliability.