Lilburn, Georgia – September 26, 2018 – Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with a Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system, as well as 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross vehicles and 2017-2018 Outlander vehicles equipped with an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system and/or an Electric Parking Brake (EPB) system.
The Defect
According to the NHTSA Safety Recall Report, the software for the Hydraulic Unit’s Electronic Control Unit (HU-ECU) may be incorrect. Due to this inappropriate software in HU-ECU electrical noise is generated when the pump motor of the H/U operates, which may cause the H/U-ECU to reset.
This defect could prevent the intervention of safety systems when in use, including automatic emergency braking, Anti-lock Braking (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), or the Brake Auto Hold (BAH) function. If the safety systems do not function as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash. There have been no reported injuries or accidents due to this condition.
Timeline of Events
In March 2017, a field report from Japan was received by MMC. The report stated that the “ACC CHECK” warning appeared in the multi-information display of combination meter while driving. From April 2017 to August 2017, MMC received two additional field reports. In the first case, MMC conducted a bench test with the returned part, but was unable to reproduce the problem. After the second field report, MMC conducted the vehicle test with the additional two returned parts and was able to reproduce the problem with one of the returned parts.
MMC subsequently conducted the bench test again using the driving data of the vehicle test which had formerly successfully reproduced the problem, but was not able to reproduce the problem again, so MMC and the supplier continued to conduct tests from December 2017 to April 2018
Upon conclusion of the company’s investigation, MMC determined that inappropriate software in the H/U-ECU could generate electrical noise when the pump motor operates, causing the H/U-ECU to reset. The flaw in the software was corrected in production, and MMC continued investigating with the purpose of analyzing the variations and estimating future occurrences.
MMC concluded that the failure would occur continuously in the future, and in September 2018 the manufacturer chose to initiate a field action in the US to address the condition and advised Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. to conduct a safety recall.
The Solution
Owners of all affected vehicles will be notified and asked to bring their vehicles in to reprogram the H/U-ECU software with countermeasure software. The repair will be performed with no cost to vehicle owners. The new software does not generate the electrical noise which may reset the H/UECU, eliminating the issue. New software for the H/U-ECU was used in production starting with vehicles built in and after April 2018. The NHTSA Campaign Number for this recall is 18V-621
Owners seeking reimbursement for any expenses associated with this recall will be directed in the notification letter to contact the Mitsubishi Customer Relations Department for reimbursement consideration. MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will update the Hydraulic Unit-ECU software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 16, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA’s number for this recall is SR-18-008. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).
