Verdict
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues
What the public record actually says about the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.
The read
Fewer reported complaints than most sedan.
Owners filed 13 NHTSA complaints — fewer complaints than 82% of 2012 sedans. Service Brakes leads the reports (46%). 6 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.
Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2012 sedans, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.
Complaints filed
13
Reports to NHTSA, 2012
Safety recalls
6
NHTSA campaigns on record
NHTSA crash test
Not rated
Overall NCAP rating
Combined MPG
112
EPA estimate
Complaint volume vs. segment peers
Fewer complaints than 82% of 2012 sedans
The bar is this car's percentile among 2012 sedans by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.
Known issues
Service Brakes issues lead owner complaints (46% of 13 reports), followed by air bags (15%).
Share of all 13 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 10653848, ODI 11307038, ODI 11187483, ODI 11171175, ODI 11078966.
Recalls(6)
Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.
Service BrakesAug 2019 · 19V804000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: 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.
Air BagsOct 2017 · 17V022000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: 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.
Service BrakesFeb 2014 · 14V522000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: 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.
Air BagsJan 2012 · 12V372000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: 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.
Service Brakes · 13V031000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: 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.
Air Bags · 15V594000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: 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.
A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.
Investigations
1 NHTSA investigation on record
Investigations are agency reviews, not findings that a vehicle is defective.
On May 10, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ19-002 to investigate three complaints alleging brake vacuum pump failures after the remedies for Recalls 13V-031 and 14V-522 had been completed in model year (MY) 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV vehicles. The investigation was opened on model year (MY) 2010 through 2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV vehicles to cover all products sold in the United States with the same vacuum pump (Recall 14V-522 included MY 2010 through 2014 i-MiEV vehicles). Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) provided information about nine (9) additional reports of brake vacuum pump failure in its response to ODI's information request letter for RQ-002 (MY 2012 - 8, MY 2014 - 1). In addition, MMNA's response indicated that there are no MY 2010 through 2011 i-MiEV vehicles currently in the United States (a small number of MY 2010 through 2011 pre-production i-MiEV demo vehicles were listed as scrapped or exported - four of these were included in the scope of 14V-522).On November 8, 2019, MMNA submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a defect in the brake vacuum pump in approximately 2,108 MY 2012 through 2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV vehicles manufactured from October 28, 2011 through June 10, 2016 (NHTSA Recall 19V-804, Mitsubishi Recall SR-19-002). Mitsubishi's DIR identified a defect in the brake vacuum pump design that may allow water to penetrate the pump and cause internal corrosion, which may result in brake vacuum pump failure and increased risk of a vehicle crash. Recalled vehicles will have the vacuum pump replaced with a redesigned pump that has improved sealing and anti-corrosion performance.Mitsubishi's DIR indicates that the recall covers all i-MiEV vehicles sold in the United States, as U.S. sales began with MY 2012 and concluded with MY 2017.This investigation is closed based on Recall 19V-804. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ID numbers:11078966, 11171175, 11187483.
Crash-test ratings
No NHTSA crash test is on record for this year. Some vehicles and model years were not tested or do not have a published NCAP result.
Fuel economy by trim
| Trim | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Hwy | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i-MiEV | — | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (A1) | 126 | 99 | 112 |
EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.
Before you buy
Useful next checks
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Compare model years
"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV: frequently asked
What does the complaint record show for the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV?
Owners filed 13 NHTSA complaints about the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV — fewer complaints than 82% of comparable 2012 sedans, so it sits toward the stronger end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.
What are the most common problems on the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV?
The most-reported problem areas are Service Brakes (46% of complaints) and air bags (15%).
How many recalls does the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV have?
6 recalls have been issued that affect the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV, covering components such as service brakes. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.
What gas mileage does the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV get?
The EPA rates the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV at 112 mpg combined.