The 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander has 7 recalls, the most serious including a throttle that can stick at speed in extreme cold and a front control arm that can detach, either of which can cause sudden loss of vehicle control.
Recalls 1 and 4 describe the same throttle issue: ice builds up inside the throttle valve in very cold weather, causing the accelerator pedal to stick or refuse to return to idle. On vehicles fitted with a dealer-installed trailer hitch wiring harness, the control module can overheat and start a fire.
Water intrusion drives another cluster of concerns. Water can seep into the front floorboard through gaps in the side sill or upper dash area, pool under the seat, and corrode the wiring connectors there. That corrosion can disable the seatbelt pretensioners, prevent the side airbags from deploying in a crash, or cause the brake lights to stop working or flash on without reason.
There is also a documentation recall affecting Canadian-market vehicles: the owner's manual is missing instructions on how to properly route the child seat tether strap, which can leave a child restraint inadequately secured.