Important Warning - MiEV Unsafe At Any Speed

[Don]

State Farm offered me USD 17500. For reference, this was 2012 ES (w/nav) with 23000 miles.

Thanks for the update

State Farm was very, very good to you - I have seen near new cars with 1/3rd the mileage of your car for sale on car lots for $10K or a little more

I hope one day you get to the bottom of your supposed brake failure - Engineering wise, it's almost impossible to have zero brakes and even if there was a total loss of vacuum assist, a panic stop wouldn't take much more room than if the power assist was working properly - This is why a potential problem with the vacuum system does not generate an *immediate* (don't drive the car until it's fixed) type safety recall. It would be very interesting to know what actually happened

Don

 

[RobertC]

I received my recall notice in Aug 2013 but because the dealership was 300 km from my home and at the time roadside and the dealership was not going to pay for the tow, I did not get the recall done until I thought would be a better time. Well, that better time happened in Jan 2014 when the brakes did fail. Fortunately, it was when I was backing out of a parking spot at our local mall and I just slowly stopped . It is a very interesting feeling pressing the brakes and nothing really happening (re-gen only). As I was only 3 km from my home, I used "B" mode and the emergency brakes to get back safely although slowly.

There have been two recalls for the Mitsubishi i MiEV for brake issues:

1. Recall SR-13-001. February 2013. Vehicles manufactured from December 2, 2011 to September 7, 2012.
The brake vacuum pump may fail because of a manufacturing defect.
Mitsubishi will replace the vacuum pump.

2. Recall SR-14-007. October 2014. Vehicles manufactured from September 15, 2009 to March 25, 2014.
The brake vacuum pump stops working because the car's computer thinks a relay is stuck, or the brake vacuum pump stops working because the exhaust hole becomes corroded.
Mitsubishi will reprogram the computer and may replace the vacuum pump.

Here are the instructions for reprogramming the EV-ECU (computer) and replacing the brake vacuum pump.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM465477/RCRIT-14V522-5157.pdf

Mits was aware of problem going back to May 2011. Go to safercar.gov, find complaints of MiEV, go to Recall notices, go to NHTSA campaign number 14V52200, see "associated documents", see document labeled "Chronology."

See NHTSA incident number 10564009. Brakes failed in a parking lot, car A ran into car B, airbags deployed (just like my son ... airbags are relatively slow speed?). See comment about "blunt force trauma of airbags" ... he's dead, my friends.

I have filed an NHTSA incident. It is number 10653848 but apparently takes a while to get pushed onto the website. I have also notified Mits (who assigned a case investigator), and my insurance company.

There are 3 other complaints for braking system failures. With mine, that's 4 complaints. Let's assume there is 1 more failure in the US related to that. My math is that's .3% failure of the most important system in your car.

The driver involved in the fatality was taking blood thinners and showed no effects after the accident, but collapsed six hours later and fell into a coma because of a subdural hematoma caused by the impact from the airbag. The complaint does not mention brake failure, however the "Chronology" at safecar.gov lists brake failure reports in Japan and Norway.
Thank you for filing a complaint. Your complaint is now on the NHTSA website.

State Farm is not going to pay someone to check the ECU of this car to determine if the programming error caused this accident. Mits was clear with me they will not do any investigation and leave it to State Farm. Shortly, I am sure State Farm will compensate me, they will subrogate for losses, Mits will pay up to be done with it. Mits will bank on the recall to get the programming correction to the ECU into the field. With the limited production of this car, it’s the right business strategy.

I find it disappointing that Mitsubishi would not take the time to examine a vehicle that was involved in a crash due to a manufacturer defect, regardless of the number of vehicles that were manufactured.

 

[archie_b]

I have to agree with RobertC that what is most distressing is that Mits is not interested in investigating this failure. Or is it that Mits, like GM and the ignition switch, already knows they have a problem.

Like others, I had a hard time understanding a total brake failure. This should never happen on a modern car with dual brakes. Doubt existed until I read dniemeyer99 post from 11/26. Now there is confirmation that this has happened in another Miev. One has to wonder are there more than these two incidents?

Hopefully Mits would share with owners the number of brake failures known by them not only in North America, but worldwide. GM did nothing on their ignition switch problems for years and it caused unnecessary deaths and injuries until the truth was revealed.

 

[NeilBlanchard]

I am wondering if there was a brake fluid leak, or air in the lines, or a master cylinder failure, or something else like this that we do not know about, with this car?

If Peter has mentioned brake issues in other post, in context of turning the car on, then I suspect there is a more ordinary cause to a brake failure.

Glad your son has recovered.

 

[carnut1100]

I have had two vehicles where the vacuum brake assist has failed...in both cases the car stopped just fine,, but needed a much harder shove on the pedal. One of these cars I drove for several weeks like this.

I have also had complete brake failure on three vehicles....where the pedal goes straight to the floor ...
All three of these were late 1970s vehicles with dual circuit braking systems.
In each case I can only assume that one circuit had been inoperable for some time and the vehicle operating on the backup circuit...
Tw of these occasions were easy to sort, going down through the gears and stopping gently, pulling u with the handbrake.
One happened so quickly that the best I could do was hit the car in front slowly instead of quickly. The failure was torn rubbers in the master cylinder caused by corroded bore in the cylinder, and I have experienced failure from a punctured brake line also.

Once I also experienced brake fluid boiling resulting in a temporary pedal to the floor experience until they cooled down again...caused by a heavy vehicle with inadequate braking system coupled with old fluid that had absorbed moisture.


The big point here is that a failed brake vacuum pump WILL NOT result in a pedal that goes to the floor.
It will result in a pedal that is unusually hard, and most people's instinctive reaction is to press harder which actually works.
If the pedal went straight to the floor then a very unusual and serious fault completely unrelated to the recall was to blame.

 

[mikhill]

I am a mechanic and regularly see brake failure as explained normally caused by corrosion. This is why manufacturers recommend replacing brake fluid every 2 years. I have on one occasion also had the master cylinder fail on a BMW m3 that was 6 months old. Dealer stated driver contaminated the system. I am sorry to hear about you son but every car on the road could have this happen no just the Imiev.