Safety Recall SR-14-007

JoeS said:

Do let us know if that software update has any noticeable effect on anything 'else', as I'm always leery that such updates may affect the driveability or battery usability of our i-MiEV. I don't know if the manufacturers are allowed to slip in changes for things other than the exact recall issue

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I've been thinking about this quite a bit

The car is basically a rolling computer and as such, minor programming tweaks here and there can improve the way it functions in all sorts of ways - The problem is, it's not hooked up to the Internet like your laptop or TV is . . . . there's no easy way to make those changes

So, I would assume (bad thing to do, I know) that the Mitsu programmers always have a handful of tweaks they would like to apply, but have no way to get them into the car until it's called in for something like a recall. I would bet we got half a dozen tweaks when it was recalled for the vacuum pump replacement and I hope it will be getting half a dozen more this go around. In the meantime, my TV has had a dozen upgrades to it's programming and my laptop has had twice that many

If Mitsu isn't using these recalls to make all the changes they'd like to make, I'd be really disappointed. I just wish they were a bit more upfront and would tell us what they are changing and why. I think most EV owners are lots more 'in tune' with the working of their cars than say Hyundai or Kia drivers . . . .

Don

Don said:

If Mitsu isn't using these recalls to make all the changes they'd like to make, I'd be really disappointed. I just wish they were a bit more upfront and would tell us what they are changing and why. I think most EV owners are lots more 'in tune' with the working of their cars than say Hyundai or Kia drivers . . . .
Don

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I'd welcome software tweaks if and only if they were fully disclosed. So far, Mitsubishi's communication has been far less than adequate on almost all subjects concerning the i-MiEV. Without full disclosure, as others have stated, we could see something like Honda did with their Gen 1 Insight batteries- modify the battery management to make them pass spec through the warranty period, which hurt vehicle performance yet reduced warranty claims, and then customers wound up needing more battery replacements after warranty expiration. The customer bore all cost and inconvenience in that situation.

It appears that Mitsu has hidden the first part of our battery capacity loss curve 'inside the turtle'. Since that means the car delivers what was promised for a longer period of time before most folks notice any losses, it would seem similar to Honda's hat trick, but I don't mind because Mitsu overdelivered on promised capacity, rather than running the battery closer to the danger zone, as Nissan also did with the early LEAFs. We got more than we paid for, battery-wise, and it seems to be lasting longer as well.

(off-topic warning)
Mitsubishi Motors' apparently insular corporate culture reminds me of Exxon-Mobil, where my dad worked. Since the Valdez spill, ExxMob has had one of the better safety records in the oil industry, yet remained very camera-shy and foolishly funded anti-climate change pseudo-science while vigorously fighting all legal claims. Meanwhile, BP spent more time preening for PR and 'greening' their image than they did supervising their subcontractors, and the Gulf of Mexico DeepWater Horizon spill, plus many others that got less press are the result. I could tell of several major disasters prevented and even stopped by ExxMob planning, prevention and response efforts that never got any media attention.

Mitsubishi had a great story to tell with the i-MiEV, their racing successes, and the PHEV Outlander, but rather than setting the stage for market success in the US, it all seems to have been a blown opportunity. Consumers are fickle though, and it still appears that Mitsu may be first to market in the USA with a cost-effective PHEV SUV.

Well, this morning it got a LOT more interesting. I got a 'courtesy call' from Mitsu Roadside Assistance advising me that the tow truck would be at my house in 90 minutes . . . . and, oh by the way, it will be your responsibility to get it back from Pensacola . . . .

Don said:

I called MMNA and advised them of the situation and at first, they hinted it was my responsibility to deliver it to 'my local dealer' but when I advised them mine was no longer there, they told me they'd have to confer with management and get back with me

I told them they could either truck it to and from, *or* if they would pay me $100 for a motel and meals, I would drive it the 100 miles to New Orleans and get it done there

Got 2 return cals from MMNA in the interim advising me that still had not heard from 'management' as to what they were going to do. Got a call telling me they wanted to pick up the car today and truck it to Pensacola to have it done. P'Cola is about 15 miles further than New Orleans, but their computer (using nothing more than my ZIP code) says it's actually 10 miles closer, so despite my insistence that it's further, Pensacola it is

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I *assume* the guy who called this morning read the text of our earlier conversations, because he pointed out that they wouldn't be bringing it back, as we had agreed in the earlier calls

Not sure what will be happening next, but I cancelled the tow to Pensacola - If it turns out I'll have to somehow get it back from the servicing dealer, it won't go to Pensacola . . . . why go farther than necessary?

When I questioned them about the cost of towing vs paying me the $100 to drive it, they said 'management has decided to tow it'.

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I *think* Mitsu has a prepaid agreement with a national towing company to tow each of these cars one way, one time to "the nearest dealer" and that's why they 'decided to tow it' since it costs them nothing. Probably also why they insisted on Pensacola, since the 'nearest dealer' probably must be determined by their computer program in order to qualify for the free tow

As things stand this morning, they have one pretty irate customer on their hands. Sadly, I honestly don't think they care one bit

Don

Don said:

it will be your responsibility to get it back from Pensacola . . . .

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I’m about 220 miles from a dealer in SLC. I don’t know if I should go in for the recall or not. I wonder if I should hold for a while until something more dramatic comes up.

I understand Mitsi will tow it one way. They allow 3 tows over 3 years. I also have AAA. AAA will tow my car 200 miles (Once/year). I asked will you tow it from the dealer and stop and drop it at Blackfoot ID (I would drive it from there to Idaho Falls)? And they said yes. So I have that in my back pocket. But if I use my AAA miles now I’m afraid I’m jinxing myself that a major breakdown will occur. And thus I’m holding off.

Ah, the joy of recalls,
-Barry

If it was me and was facing the problems the last posters are having I would not get the recall done. It's easy to inspect the pump for corrosion which is most likely the major problem. Only if you live in an area with heavy road salt should you worry about the pump itself. As for the re-programing, I would pass on that at the same time. These cars have been out for around 3 years with the old programs and I sure don't see a lot of activity by our forum members with a pump operation issue. I would wait until the car needed a "real" in warranty repair and let Mitsubishi take care of the costs of getting the car to the dealer (and back) and take care of any recalls at that time. My dealer is only 3 miles from my house and I don't feel compelled to rush down for the recalls.

Well, it's been an interesting day!

After finally getting in touch with my case manager, it turns out that what I was told this morning was all wrong - Mitsu *is* towing it both ways, but with Thanksgiving on the horizon, the mix-up has cost us a week. It will be picked up Monday, December 1st and returned to me Wednesday, December 3rd. Apologies all around and she's going to 'go listen to the tapes' to see who told me what and try to figure out why

I suppose my case is a bit different because I had a local dealer when I bought the car and now I don't. I also found out that Koby Mitsubishi in Mobile Alabama is in the process of getting certified for EV services, so one day soon (probably by the end of the year) I'll have a 'local' dealer just 40 miles away!

Not getting it done was never an option - You can go to NHTSA.gov and see what cars have had the recalls done and which ones haven't. I would hate to have an accident a year from now in a car which I hadn't had the recall completed, for liability reasons if nothing else

Don

Today, I showed up at Northside Mitsubishi in Edmonton Alberta to get the outstanding recalls done on our I-Miev and found out not only can they not do the recalls but there is no authorized Mitsubishi dealer in Northern Alberta that may work on my car and that it will have to be trucked 350 km each way to Calgary to get the required work done. According to the service rep at Northside Mitsubishi the cost will be covered by Mitsubishi. Good thing this car is simple and needs very little maintenance. This service situation is starting to resemble the fiasco that was owning a Ford Escape Hybrid with very few Canadian Ford dealers able to work on it.
Southside Mitsubishi in South Edmonton used to be an authorized service centre for the I-Miev.

So continue to list your experiences with the shrinking network of Mitsubishi dealers capable of servicing our I-mievs. We need to keep on top of what Mitsu NA and Mitsu Canada are telling owners in out of dealer option markets on recalls. One of the interesting things is I have yet receive official notice of any recalls from either Mitsu NA or Mitsu Canada and in fact if it was not for this list I would not know about their existence at all.

Rocky

Rocky49 said:

Today, I showed up at Northside Mitsubishi in Edmonton Alberta to get the outstanding recalls done on our I-Miev and found out not only can they not do the recalls but there is no authorized Mitsubishi dealer in Northern Alberta that may work on my car and that it will have to be trucked 350 km each way to Calgary to get the required work done.

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The 330 volts direct current that the Mitsubishi i EV runs on can be deadly if you make a mistake while working on the car, so I can understand from a safety and liability standpoint why Mitsubishi requires trained service people do the work.
But in reality, any auto mechanic could easily follow the instructions and complete these simple recalls.
I watched as the owner of the auto repair shop next to my electrical shop replaced a bad cell in a Toyota Prius hybrid battery pack. His "training" was watching a video on YouTube.

But in reality, any auto mechanic could easily follow the instructions and complete these simple recalls.

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Especially since the i-MiEV's main contactor is inside the battery pack, there is no high voltage outside of the pack when the car's off, plus there's the service plug under the driver's seat.

To all

I had the same issue when I got my re-call notice and I tried to get it done at my local dealership. They did not have their training therefore they could not do the re-call.

However, the last time my car was at the certified dealership (300 km away), they told me that since the Highlander PHEV is coming to North America in the next 2 years that all dealerships must get the required high voltage training. This means all dealerships in the next year or so will be able to service the I-Meiv. This is not to say the re-call should wait but to check with your local dealership and see when they will get their certification. After all, they will not be able to sell the Highlander PHEV until they do.

Dave

UPDATE

I live in Canada and have yet to receive any of the recalls in the mail although I am registered with both Mitsu NA in the California, and Mitsu Canada in Mississauga. After unsuccessfully trying to get the recalls done at Northside Mitusibishi in Edmonton, and I was told by the service department at this dealer to call Mitsubishi Canada in Mississauga for tow to a Calgary Alberta dealer authorization. Today I received a phone call from Mitsubishi in California informing me that I had a case #, and a case manager named Diedre in California and she would call me next Monday They seemed blissfully unaware of what is going on, were not interested in learning, just "We will call you next week after Thanksgiving.. ."

My wife loves her little Miev but with the ice and snow we have here in Canada she really enjoys stopping.

It is really obvious to us now that this is a great car with no love from its manufacturer or dealer network at least in Canada. We know we want the brakes checked because we can see that with any minor fender bender the car will be a write off because there will be no parts, and no place that will work on it. Just the same the Miev is a cute little orphan. My mom who is 95+ reminds me her father's first car in Toronto was an electric way back in the 1920s. The car works as advertised even in cold and snow.

:?: Rocky 49

Hi Rocky49
I'm glad to hear of another Canadian i-MiEV located in a cold location. I'm in Winnipeg (Canada) and have owned my car for just over 1 year. I put 27,000 km on it my first year and haven't had any problems with it except for a lever on the rear seat back which allows the seat to be laid flat, which became loose and was fixed under warranty. Last winter I drove the car in -34c temperatures and it performed well, with the exception that the heat wasn't very good.

I also haven't heard anything from Mitsubishi about the recall. Fortunately I do have a certified dealer in Winnipeg who has a technician trained for our car.

Just to add note. Also located here in cold Quebec, Canada.

I drive a 2014 Miev but used to have a 2012

I just received the safety recall notice for the 2012.

Affected vehicles - 2012 - 2013
Reprogramming EV ECU - brake vacuum pump control
&
possibly replace brake vacuum pump .


Affected vehicles - some 2012
Replace or remove rust & treat for anti rust Undercarriage bolts for lithium battery


I called my dealer for the 2014, and they ran the serial number.
They found no recalls.

Well, finally got the recall completed yesterday. Mitsubishi paid to have the car trucked 115 miles to Pensacola and the truck driver elected to wait for them to do the recall and he brought it back the same day. Awesome service from Pete Moore Chevy/VW/Mitsubishi in Pensacola!

Unfortunately, it took me 3X as much time as it took them to actually do the recall and more than a dozen phone calls to get it all arranged. Then a week ago, the whole thing got delayed when a misinformed person at Roadside Assistance called to tell me they would be trucking it there, but it would be my responsibility to get it back. Anyway, all's well that ends well and it's done. More good news is that the Mitsu dealer in Mobile Alabama is getting EV certified, so I'll have a place where I can actually drive it for any further service

Don

Looks like my I-Miev certified dealer is no longer certified, next closest is out of range. For those who got Mitsu to tow the car to have this done, how did you talk to a human? I get trapped in phone menu hell and can't find a way to reach a human when I call 888-648-7820.

Thanks,

Kevin

Normally, pressing 0 will direct you to an operator. May have to hit it multiple times.

I got my recall done in two stages- reprogramming and vacuum pump inspection right away, and then a 2 1/2 week delay to get the rust repair supplies in and the work scheduled. They gave me a loaner Kia Forte for two days. That Kia has a little delay between turning the key and engaging the starter, so I failed to crank it up at least four times- just doing a quick turn and release, as I'm accustomed to with the i-MiEV (something that never happens with my three older ICE vehicles). Guess my subconscious has been reprogrammed: new car smell= instant, silent starting!

btw- while at the dealer I also got a battery capacity check- 42.6 amp hours, or 15% loss at 30,000 miles, but I still have normal "autonomy" (16 bars, up to 81 miles RR in Summer, 56+ when freezing)