Mitsubishi issues recall on i-MiEV subcompacts

 

Cypress, California – Dec. 21, 2017 – Mitsubishi Motors North America recently issued a recall for a relatively small number of its i-MiEV subcompact cars from the 2016 and 2017 model years, citing issues with air bag inflators, according to a letter filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Specifically, the defect in these vehicles relates to certain air bag inflators that are part of passenger front air bag modules, which may suffer inflator rupture in the event of a crash, caused by “propellant degradation” as a result of long-term exposure to humidity and temperature changes.

The recall affects just 144 vehicles from the model years above.

The Defect

When the 2016 and 2017 i-MiEV vehicles in the recall are exposed to high humidity for long periods of time, the propellant in the air bag module will degrade and cause a failure of the inflator.

If this happens, metal fragments may launch from the air bag compartment in the event of a crash, and potentially cause serious injury or even death to vehicle passengers.

Timeline of Events

Recall notices began being issued Dec. 15, 2017, to both owners and dealers, one week after the manufacturer filed its initial report on the issue. Repairs related to the recall were expected to begin that same day.

The Solution

Owners of affected vehicles are asked to bring their affected i-MiEVs to a local dealership, where repairs will be conducted free of charge to replace the passenger side frontal air bag inflator.

Owners are encouraged to contact Mitsubishi’s customer service line at 1-888-648-7820 if they have any questions about the issue or the recall itself. They can also contact the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

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