Summary
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV has 16 recalls covering 2010 through 2017, with the most serious being a passenger frontal airbag inflator defect on 2016-2017 models where the inflator can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin, posing a risk of serious injury or death.
The 2016 model year is also subject to a separate airbag propellant degradation issue, where long-term exposure to heat and humidity can cause the passenger frontal airbag to deploy with excessive force. The same propellant degradation affects 2012 and 2014 models as well, and those years share the inflator rupture risk with the 2016-2017 recall. For 2012 models specifically, a sensor incompatibility with the airbag system's self-diagnostic software can cause the side, curtain, and front airbags to fail to deploy in a crash, or deploy late; an illuminated airbag warning light is the signal that this problem is active.
Braking is the other major theme across nearly the full production run. On 2012-2017 vehicles, water can enter the brake vacuum pump, corrode it, and cause it to fail without power brake assist, which forces significantly higher pedal effort and longer stopping distances. A broader recall covering 2010-2014 models addresses the same brake vacuum pump failure through either software or road salt corrosion. The 2012 model year in particular is the subject of several overlapping brake vacuum pump recalls where pump failure, whether from software faults, a blocked exhaust port, or a manufacturing defect, removes power brake assist and extends stopping distances.
On 2013 models, the steering shaft lower bracket may have been welded incorrectly, which can prevent the steering column from collapsing properly in a crash and raise the risk of driver injury. Also on 2013 models, battery cell defects can cause internal shorts or current leaks that reduce voltage, trigger the EV system warning light, cut power to the drivetrain, or cause thermal damage and fire in the battery pack.
