The 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV has 12 recalls, the most serious involving the passenger frontal airbag inflator, which can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin, posing a risk of serious injury or death.
The airbag concerns extend further: on certain vehicles, sensors are incompatible with the airbag system's self-diagnostic software, which can prevent side, curtain, and front airbags from deploying in a crash. A separate sensor manufacturing issue can cause increased electrical resistance inside the impact sensor, triggering the airbag warning light and potentially disrupting airbag deployment. These airbag system issues have been addressed across several filings, and prior repair attempts may not have fully resolved all of them.
The other major area of concern involves the brake vacuum pump, which can fail due to a combination of software faults, corrosion from road salt, water intrusion, or a blocked exhaust port. When the pump stops working, the brake pedal becomes noticeably harder to press and stopping distances increase. On vehicles where the pump fails, a warning light and audible alert will activate, but braking performance will already be reduced.
Brake complaints dominate what owners of the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV report, making up the clear majority of the complaint set. Owners describe brake pressure loss, reduced stopping power, and the brake warning light illuminating intermittently, in several cases after brake system service had already been performed. Some owners report the issue persisting or returning after the car was seen by a dealer. A smaller number of powertrain complaints describe the vehicle losing speed unexpectedly under load, dropping from highway speeds to well below 30 mph, along with the electric power steering going unresponsive when the car enters its reduced-power "turtle" mode. The brake pressure loss pattern is the most consistently repeated symptom across this complaint set.
13
Total Complaints
2
Crash-Related
1
With Injuries
By System
At a glance
What can fail
Water can enter the brake assist vacuum pump, causing corrosion that damages the pump and prevents it from working properly.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the brake vacuum pump at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
At a glance
What can fail
The brake vacuum pump can fail, causing the brake pedal to become hard and require more effort to press. When this happens, the brake warning light illuminates and an audible alarm sounds.
What the fix does
Mitsubishi will mail you instructions to visit a dealer, where technicians will install a replacement brake vacuum pump.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The propellant in the passenger front airbag can degrade over time from high heat, humidity, and temperature changes. This may cause the airbag to deploy with excessive force, damaging the assembly and creating sharp fragments.
What the fix does
The dealer will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger front air bag inflator may rupture during a crash because the propellant degrades over time when exposed to humidity and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The air bag impact sensor has increased electrical resistance. During a crash, the front air bag may deploy slowly and the side or curtain air bags may not deploy at all.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the impact sensor at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The impact sensor in the air bag system may have high electrical resistance from manufacturing issues, causing the computer to detect faulty communication and turn on the air bag warning light. In a crash, this could delay or prevent air bags from deploying.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the air bag impact sensor with a corrected part.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A software issue or blocked exhaust hole can make the vacuum pump stop working. This reduces power to the brakes, making the pedal harder to push and increasing stopping distance.
What the fix does
The dealer will update the software and replace the vacuum pump if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The brake vacuum pump may stop working due to software issues or corrosion from road salt, affecting braking system function.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram the brake vacuum pump controller, replace the pump, or perform both repairs at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The brake system vacuum pump may fail and stop working, affecting brake operation.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the faulty vacuum pump at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The brake vacuum pump may have been manufactured incorrectly and could fail, causing loss of brake power assist and increased stopping distances.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the brake vacuum pump.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Air bag sensors may be incompatible with the self-diagnostic software, which could deactivate the frontal and side airbag system. The SRS warning lamp would alert you if this occurs.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the incompatible air bag sensors with compatible ones at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Sensors in the airbag system are incompatible with the self-diagnostic software, causing the warning light to stay on. If you keep driving, the side curtain airbags and side airbags may not deploy, or front airbags may deploy late during a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the incompatible sensors with updated sensors that work properly with the diagnostic software.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
