As others mentioned, the dealer network is a big issue with Mitsubishi if you're buying new, under warranty, or just want easy access to a dealer. The dealer group I work for used to have it, then sold the franchise when they started having disagreements with Mitsubishi corporate. The dealer that took over the franchise went under after maybe a year, and now there is no Mitsubishi dealer at all in AL's largest metro area. There are three Mitsubishi dealers left in the state, which is probably more than most states, but they are hours away. A lot of Outlanders do wind up here via auctions because they are cheap CUVs, we have 3 on the lot now, but you can't get OE parts same day here unless you drive to Montgomery or Huntsville. If you have a warranty concern, it's a minimum 1.5 hour drive one way just to get it looked at. For comparison, there are I think five Mazda dealers (still tiny but more than 3) and about 15 Kia dealers in AL.
I think part of their problem in the US is they want dealers to have standalone facilities for them, but they don't have much of a lineup here, so they have a hard time finding dealers who want to make the investment. Dealer groups with multiple brands want to stick them on the corner of another brand's lot, sell them out of the same showroom, and service them in the same service department. Mitsubishi doesn't want that, but nobody wants to dedicate a whole dealership to just selling Outlanders, Mirages and used cars. They can get slightly used Mitsubishis all day from an auction and not have to deal with Mitsubishi corporate's demands. They would probably get a lot more interest from dealers if they had a larger lineup.
