2012 Mitsubishi I-MIEV: complaints, problems and recalls

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MITSUBISHI I-MIEV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE CORROSION ON THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL WHICH NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10564009 at NHTSA ↗

THE I-MIEV WAS BEING OPERATED IN A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED WHEN IT HIT A PARKED CAR A AND PUSHED A INTO PARKED CAR B. THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG IN THE I-MIEV DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER DID NOT APPEAR TO BE AFFECTED BY THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, AND WAS COGENT AND CONVERSATIONAL. THE I-MIEV WAS TOWED AWAY DUE TO FRONT FENDER DAMAGE IMPEDING THE TIRE. THE DRIVER WAS PRESCRIBED THE BLOOD THINNER WARFIN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER CONTINUED WITH THE DAILY ROUTINE AND WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SHOWN NO E…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10627794 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MITSUBISHI I-MIEV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE SPINE WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V522000 (BRAKES) AND BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000.…

Owner-reported narrative. 22,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10653848 at NHTSA ↗

2012 MITSUBISHI I-MIEV. COMPLAINT RELATED TO SECOND RECALL OF I-MIEV. *MW THE CONSUMER STATED AT 12,000 MILES, THE FRONT BRAKE PADS DISINTEGRATED FOR NO REASON. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE VACUUM PUMP RELATED AND THE BRAKE PADS DISINTEGRATING WERE RELATED. THE CONSUMER STATED MITSUBISHI WOULD NOT PAY TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SHIPPED HONOLULU FROM HAWAII ISLAND. MITSUBISHI STATED THE BRAKES WERE NOT A WARRANTY ITEM. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10661700 at NHTSA ↗

BRAKE VACUUM PUMP HAS FAILED THERE HAVE BEEN 2 PREVIOUS RECALLS RELATING TO THIS VACUUM PUMP. MY PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE UNDER THE FIRST RECALL. IT WAS NOT REPLACED UNDER THE SECOND RECALL (NHTSA ID: 14V522), DURING WHICH "DEALERS WILL EITHER REPROGRAM THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP CONTROLLER, REPLACE THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP OR DO BOTH, FREE OF CHARGE." MITSUBISHI CONSIDERS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FULFILLED. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY ($846 FOR THE PART) TO REPLACE THIS CLEARLY PROBLEMATIC PART. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND TO MITSUBISHI …

Owner-reported narrative. 36,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11078966 at NHTSA ↗

TWO TRANSMISSIONS HAVE SEIZED AND SHEARED GEARS OR SHEARED GEARS RESPECTIVELY. ADDITIONALLY THE TRACTION BATTERY RETAINS 61% OF ADVERTISED CAPACITY AFTER 5.5 YEARS AND 41,XXX MILES.

Owner-reported narrative. 41,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 11151876 at NHTSA ↗

BRAKES SUDDENLY BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE. THE PROBLEM WAS THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP. THE DEALER REPORTED TO ME THAT THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED IN 2013 AS A SAFETY RECALL. APPARENTLY THE REPLACEMENT PUMP DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE REPLACEMENT BRAKE VACUUM PUMP REPLACEMENT IS NOT DURABLE. I WAS CHARGED $1,300 TO HAVE IT REPLACED. THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP HAD SEIZED INTERNALLY.

Owner-reported narrative. 26,517 miles reported. Look up ODI 11171175 at NHTSA ↗

ON 11/20/18, WE TOOK OUR 2012 I-MIEV INTO THE ROGER BEASLEY MITSUBISHI AT 1120 SHELBY LN, AUSTIN, 78745 AFTER THE CAR RAPIDLY LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME HE WAS DRIVING 65 MPH AND THE CAR SLOWED TO ABOUT 15 MPH. THE OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE WAS 50 DEGREES. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. HE RESTARTED IT TO SEE IF HE COULD GET THE CAR HOME. THE CAR STARTED. HE WAS ABLE TO GET IT UP TO 58 MPH AND ONCE AGAIN IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND DROPPED TO 15 MPH. WHEN THE CAR SLO…

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11171524 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2012-08-01 (August 1, 2012)

Mitsubishi is recalling certain model year 2012 i-MiEV vehicles manufactured between November 4, 2011, and December 22, 2011. Incompatibility between the air bag sensors and the self-diagnostic software may deactivate the frontal and side airbag system. Should this occur, the SRS warning lamp would illuminate to alert the driver.

Consequence: The side and curtain air bags may not deploy in a crash for which those air bags were intended to deploy, increasing the risk of personal injury to the vehicle occupants.

Remedy: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the incompatible air bag sensors with new, compatible units, free of charge. The safety recall began on during August 2012. Owners may contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.

Reported: 2013-01-25 (January 25, 2013)

Mitsubishi Motors North America is recalling certain model year 2012 i-MiEV electric vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011, through September 7, 2012. The brake system vacuum pump may fail, causing the vacuum pump to be inoperable.

Consequence: If the vaccum pump system fails, it will reduce available brake power which would result in lengthened stopping distances, which may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected vacuum pumps free of charge. The recall began on February 28, 2013. Owners may contact Mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820.

Reported: 2014-09-02 (September 2, 2014)

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 i-MiEV electric vehicles manufactured September 15, 2009, to March 25, 2014. Due to either software programming or corrosion caused by road salt, the brake vacuum pump may stop functioning.

Consequence: If the brake vacuum pump stops functioning, the distance needed to stop the vehicle may be lengthened, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and depending on the affected vehicle, dealers will either reprogram the brake vacuum pump controller, replace the brake vacuum pump or do both, free of charge. The recall began on October 24, 2014. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-14-007.

Reported: 2015-09-23 (September 23, 2015)

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (Mitsubishi) is recalling certain model year 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage vehicles manufactured July 27, 2013, to November 20, 2013, and 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV vehicles manufactured October 28, 2011, to September 7, 2012. Due to an increased resistance in the impact sensor for the air bag system, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal, side and/or curtain air bags when the SRS warning is illuminated, the frontal air bag may have a delayed deployment and/or the side and curtian air bag may not deploy at all.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not deploy or deploys late, increases the risk of occupant injury.

Remedy: Mitsubishi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected impact sensors, free of charge. The recall began on November 5, 2015. Owners may contact Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's number for this recall is SR-15-011.

Reported: 2017-01-10 (January 10, 2017)

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2012 and 2014 i-MiEV vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on March 10, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-17-001.

Reported: 2019-11-08 (November 8, 2019)

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2012-2017 i-MiEV vehicles. Water may penetrate the brake assist vacuum pump, causing corrosion and a failure of the brake vacuum pump.

Consequence: Without the brake vacuum pump, the driver will experience a sudden loss of braking assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake vacuum pump, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-19-002.