2014-2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Brake Caliper Problems and Replacement

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

The most common caliper problem on the 2014-2020 Mitsubishi Outlander is at the rear: water gets past the parking brake lever boot on the rear caliper, the parking brake operating shaft corrodes and sticks, and the rear brake drags or the parking brake stops holding. Mitsubishi recalled 2014-2016 Outlanders for exactly this (NHTSA 18V-070) and a second batch of 2016 builds later (20V-741), so the first step with any rear caliper complaint is a free recall check by VIN. Outside the recall, a sticking caliper is fixed by replacing the caliper and, usually, the pads and rotor it has been dragging on.

How the Outlander Caliper Setup Works

The Outlander uses disc brakes at all four corners. Each caliper holds a hydraulic piston; when you press the pedal, brake fluid pushes the piston out and clamps the pads against the rotor. When you release the pedal, pressure drops and the piston pulls back slightly so the pads stop rubbing. Cardone describes a caliper in a four-wheel disc system producing up to 1,500 PSI of clamping force at each wheel, which is why a caliper that fails to release can overheat a pad and rotor quickly.

The rear calipers on this generation do a second job. According to Mitsubishi's own recall filing, the Outlander adopted a rear brake caliper with built-in parking brake starting with the 2014 model year. Instead of a separate drum-in-hat parking brake, a lever on the back of the caliper turns an operating shaft that mechanically pushes the piston out. A rubber boot covers that lever and shaft, and inside the caliper an automatic adjuster takes up pad clearance as the pads wear so the parking brake keeps the same lever travel. That boot, shaft and adjuster are exactly where the known problems live.

The Two Rear Caliper Recalls

Both recalls were filed by Mitsubishi Motors North America and name Akebono Brake Industry as the caliper supplier. The details below come straight from the Part 573 reports on file with NHTSA.

The 18V-070 filing covered 170,354 vehicles across the Outlander and Outlander Sport; 20V-741 covered 21,758. Mitsubishi's chronology says the first field report of a stuck rear brake on an Outlander came from the UK in October 2014, rust prevention was added to the shaft in production in January 2016, and the caliper boot shape was changed in May 2016 to keep water out. Both reports list the same safety risk: if the parking brake does not work properly, the vehicle can roll away.

What this means for an owner: a 2014-2016 Outlander with rear caliper trouble may still qualify for a free caliper repair if the recall was never done. Enter the 17-character VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup or call Mitsubishi customer relations at 1-888-648-7820 before you buy parts. The 2017-2020 model years are not named in either recall, so on those vehicles a sticking rear caliper is ordinary wear and corrosion, handled as a normal repair.

Symptoms of a Bad Caliper on the Outlander

A caliper fails in one of two directions: it sticks applied, or it stops applying properly. On the Outlander the rear parking brake mechanism adds a few symptoms of its own.

• Dragging rear brake: one wheel noticeably hotter than the others after a drive, a hot-brake smell, reduced fuel economy, or the SUV feeling like it is coasting uphill. The recall reports name brake dragging as the result of a stuck operating shaft.
• Parking brake does not hold on a slope, or the parking brake control travels farther than it used to before it firms up. This matches the recalled adjuster defect, where extra lever travel grows as the pads wear until the parking brake no longer works even at full application.
• Parking brake does not fully release, so the rear drags right after you set and release it.
• Uneven pad wear: one rear pad worn far thinner than the other side, or the inner pad worn much more than the outer pad on the same caliper, often points to a sticking piston or seized slide pins.
• Pull under braking toward one side, most often from a front caliper whose piston or slide pins are seized.
• Brake fluid seeping at the piston boot or the hose fitting, a dropping reservoir level, or a soft pedal.

Quick checks before you buy anything

After a normal drive, carefully compare wheel temperatures by holding your hand near (not on) each wheel. A single hot corner is a strong sign of a dragging caliper. With the wheel off, look at the lever boot on the back of each rear caliper for splits or a poor seal, check the slide pins for free movement, and compare pad thickness side to side. If the parking brake lever on the caliper does not return fully by itself when released, the shaft is sticking.

What Causes Outlander Calipers to Fail

The recalls describe the factory-level cause on early rear calipers, but the same forces keep working on every caliper as the vehicle ages:

• Water and road salt getting past a boot and rusting the parking brake shaft, piston or bore. The rear lever boot is the weak point on this design.
• Dry or rusted slide pins that stop the caliper from floating, which makes one pad do most of the work.
• Old brake fluid that has absorbed moisture, which corrodes pistons and bores from the inside.
• Heat from a caliper that is already dragging, which cooks the piston seal and speeds up the next failure.

The Fix: Replacing an Outlander Brake Caliper

If the recall is open, let the dealer handle it for free. If not, a sticking caliper is a direct replacement. Shop replacement brake calipers and confirm the part matches your model year and axle, since the rear calipers with the built-in parking brake are not interchangeable with the front units.

1. Replace calipers in axle pairs when the other side is the same age and condition, so both sides clamp evenly.
2. Clean the bracket and service the pins. Power Stop's installation guidance is to clean the bracket with brake parts cleaner and a brass wire brush, lubricate the guide pins with high-temperature caliper grease, and grease the abutment clips where the pad backing plates slide, fitting new clips if the old ones are worn.
3. Use new crush washers at the brake hose connection when the application calls for them so the joint seals without leaking.
4. Retract the rear piston the right way. On many calipers with a built-in mechanical parking brake the piston must be turned back in rather than pushed straight in. Follow the procedure in the factory service manual for your Outlander instead of forcing it with a clamp.
5. Torque every bolt to the factory specification, including guide pins and caliper bracket bolts, and use thread locker where the service manual calls for it.
6. Bleed the system per the service manual, with the bleeder screw at the top so trapped air can escape, and refill with the fluid grade printed on the reservoir cap and in your owner's manual.
7. Reconnect and check the parking brake. Confirm the rear caliper levers return fully and that the parking brake holds the vehicle before the job is finished.
8. Bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops so they transfer an even layer onto the rotors.

What to Replace at the Same Time

A caliper that has been dragging almost always takes the pads with it, and often the rotor. Pads that have been overheated can glaze and crumble at the edges, and a rotor that ran hot may show blue spots or a lip. Plan on:

• Pads on that axle. For the front, our 2014-2020 Mitsubishi Outlander front ceramic brake pads are a direct fit; browse all brake pads for the rear axle.
• Rotors if they are below minimum thickness, heat-checked or scored. See brake rotors.
• Hardware: new abutment clips and pin boots from a brake hardware kit.
• Brake hoses if they are cracked, swollen or rusted at the fittings, since you are opening the system anyway. See brake hoses.
• Fresh brake fluid for the whole system, not just a top-off at the caliper you replaced.

How Hard Is the Job?

A front caliper swap on the Outlander is a moderate driveway job for someone who has done pads before: the caliper bolts, a hose fitting and a bleed. The rear is a step harder because of the parking brake. You have to disconnect and reconnect the parking brake linkage at the caliper lever, retract the piston the correct way and verify the parking brake adjusts and holds afterward. If you are not comfortable bleeding brakes or confirming the parking brake works before the vehicle leaves the driveway, this is a job to hand to a shop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my 2014-2016 Outlander still covered by the rear caliper recall?

If the dealer never performed recall 18V-070 (or 20V-741 on qualifying 2016 builds), it may still be open on your VIN. Check your VIN on NHTSA's recall site or with a Mitsubishi dealer before paying for the repair yourself.

Are 2017-2020 Outlanders part of the caliper recall?

No. The two NHTSA reports cover 2014-2016 Outlanders only. On a 2017-2020, a sticking rear caliper is treated as normal wear and repaired at the owner's expense.

Why does my Outlander parking brake travel farther than it used to?

Increased travel usually means the self-adjuster in the rear caliper is not taking up clearance as the pads wear, or the parking brake shaft is binding. Mitsubishi's recall filing describes exactly this progression ending with a parking brake that does not hold. Have the rear calipers inspected.

Do I have to replace both calipers?

Not strictly, but replacing them as an axle pair is the better repair when both are the same age. The other side has seen the same water, salt and heat, and matched calipers give even clamping from left to right.

Should I replace pads and rotors with a new caliper?

Almost always the pads, because a dragging caliper overheats them. Replace the rotor too if it is below minimum thickness, scored or heat-damaged.

Can I just rebuild the old rear caliper?

Rebuilding is possible, but on this design the parking brake shaft and adjuster inside the caliper are the parts that corrode. If the bore or shaft is pitted, a complete replacement caliper is the reliable fix.

Sources

1. NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 18V-070 - 2014-2016 Outlander rear caliper corrosion and adjuster defect, population 170,354, remedy, chronology, Akebono supplier
2. NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 20V-741 - 2016 Outlander operating shaft coating defect, 21,758 vehicles, caliper replacement remedy, May 2016 boot change
3. Consumer Reports: Mitsubishi Recalls SUVs to Fix Parking Brakes - symptoms of the stuck rear caliper and parking brake, Mitsubishi contact number
4. Power Stop: Helpful Tips for Installing a New Brake Caliper - bracket cleaning, pin lubrication, crush washers, torque and bleeding steps
5. Cardone: Brake Caliper Function, Installation Tips and Symptoms - how the caliper piston applies and releases, clamping force figure