Folks, I've got a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander, 2.5 I4 engine, AWD with a CVT transmission, approximately 33,000 miles on the odometer. After a longer road trip with my winter tires & steel wheels on I came back and noticed a strange noise when driving over 35mph until it's drowned out by wind noise at around 70mph. At first, I thought it was the winter tires since the noise was coming from the front and rear, so I removed them and installed my stock all season tires and wheels but the noise continued to permeate.
My next thought was that it was the wheel bearings (rare that they would fail at 33k miles) so I took it to the dealership and they stated the right front wheel bearing failed and they replaced it. However the vehicle was still making a strange noise when driving over 35mph, we noticed noise gets louder when pressing the accelerator pedal so the dealership mechanic said the transfer case was failing and replaced it.
Now, I can still hear the noise and at lower speeds there is a metallic clanking sounds when accelerating - so it doesn't sound like the transfer case had anything to do with this. The only other thing I can think of is either the rear differential is failing/low on gear oil and/or the drive shaft bearing is shot. The vehicle only makes the noise when driving over 35mph and even more noise when pressing the accelerator pedal, so it probably has something to do with the drivetrain.
Well, the dealership said it was the transmission making the noise after a mechanic listened to it with the automotive stethoscope. It's odd they didn't do this the first time to pinpoint the issue rather than spending the time and resources to replace the transfer case. I'm assuming the dealership gets paid by Mitsubishi Motors for warranty work so they probably threw extra labor and parts in there with the transfer case replacement.
Either way, the JATCO CVT transmission didn't slip or jerk, just started making the noise around 32,000 miles - so Scotty was right that these are really poorly built. In retrospect, I bought the J4 OEM CVT Oil to replace at 30,000 miles as this service is part of the maintenance schedule, but didn't get a chance to do this until after I took a round trip of about 1,300 miles. I figured there is some leeway if I do it anywhere between 25,000 and 35,000 miles, but now I think that even if I performed the CVT fluid/oil drain-and-fill at exactly 30k, the transmission must've been worn out that this wouldn't have made much of a difference - possibly delayed the noise for a few months.
The transmission was replaced under warranty on Monday 5/17/2021 and the noise is gone. Hopefully this one lasts for at least another 70k lol.
Lesson of the day - if you want a Mitsubishi Outlander - get the GT trim with the 3.0 V6 and a regular Automatic Transmission. They are fantastic vehicles other than the CVT transmission.
Sounds like clowns have been working in a car to find the source of any noise do my video finding the source of car noises. That device will find the actual source of noise without expensive guesswork
Thanks Scotty! I’ll have to get that wireless tool you had in the video to check it out. The car is under warranty so all work was covered but I hate to change things that aren’t broken.
Before spending more money on that, you (or a mechanic) should pinpoint the noise. Check out this video from Scotty:
Thanks for the video link Yaser! Luckily, all work is covered by Mitsubishi’s warranty but it’s unfortunate if they replaced my transfer case for no reason, which appears to be the case.