Mitsubishi I-MiEV, Outlander Plug-in Recalled in Japan
Mitsubishi has officially announced a recall for its i-MiEV and plug-in hybrid Outlander SUV in Japan where the majority of those vehicles have been sold so far. A recall in the U.S. may follow.
Production and sales was halted in March after a manufacturing flaw caused one of the lithium-ion batteries to melt and another to catch fire. The brand has since found and addressed the problem, but some of the vehicles already sold might be affected.
SEE ALSO: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Battery Flaw Found
The Japanese automaker will call back roughly 4,000 vehicles in Japan while a smaller number of affected i-MiEV electric cars were sold in the U.S.
A recall campaign hasn’t been announced by the company’s North American division or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The company told Automotive News that about 50 affected vehicles have been sold outside Japan including the U.S. and mostly in Europe where it is also sold as by Peugeot and Citroen.
North American sales for the i-MiEV continue to lag behind industry competitors. Nissan reported selling 2,148 of its Leaf EVs in May while Mitsubishi managed to move 91 i-MiEVs. Despite that, sales are actually increasing for the little electric car, with 843 through May compared to only 300 in the same time last year.
[Source: Automotive News]
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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