Most common 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV problems
Share of the 13 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV complaints by model year
Best i-MiEV years: 2013, 2014, 2016. Years to avoid: 2012. Compare all years →
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV recalls (6)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum
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.
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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.
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.
Air bags
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.
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum
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.
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.
Service brakes
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.
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 › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV:
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
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.
What 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV owners say
Brakes
Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2012 Mitsubishi I-MIEV. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 19V804000 (Service, Brake, Hydraulic), 17V022000 (Air Bags), and 15V594000 (Air Bags) however, the contact stated there was no local dealer in their area to do the recall repairs. When they reached out to the manufacturer, they were informed to find a local authorized dealer, when the contact found an independent mechanic to do the recall repairs, the manufacturer would not authorize the independent mechanic to do the recall repairs. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Brake vacuum pump has failed there have been 2 previous recalls relating to this vacuum pump. My pump has been replaced once under the first recall. It was not replaced under the second recall (NHTSA id: 14V522), during which "dealers will either reprogram the brake vacuum pump controller, replace the brake vacuum pump or do both, free of charge." Mitsubishi considers their responsibility fulfilled. I should not have to pay ($846 for the part) to replace this clearly problematic part. I have spoken to the dealership, and to Mitsubishi of north America and received no help.
Electrical system
On multiple occasions vehicle will accelerate at half charge under load will deaccelerate from 50 to below 30 miles an hour. Causing disruptions in traffic and people passing you. The power steering seems to shut down with the turtle light.
On 11/20/18, we took our 2012 I-MiEV into the roger beasley Mitsubishi at 1120 shelby ln, austin, 78745 after the car rapidly lost power while driving at highway speeds on at least 2 occasions. The first time he was driving 65 MPH and the car slowed to about 15 MPH. The outdoor temperature was 50 degrees. He immediately pulled over and turned the car off. He restarted it to see if he could get the car home. The car started. He was able to get it up to 58 MPH and once again it suddenly lost power and dropped to 15 MPH. When the car slowed to 15 MPH, the dashboard displayed an exclamation mark inside of a car error light. He took a video of the 2nd occurrence: https://flic.kr/p/2emrh22. Note that the car had 24 mi remaining on the range and had a bar indicating of the battery was charged. …
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | Single-speed | RWD | 126 / 99 / 112 MPGe | 62 mi |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV a good car?
Based on 13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 i-MiEV rates use caution: 7.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the i-MiEV at the same age. It is one of the i-MiEV years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV?
The brakes — 8 complaints, 62% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (3) and air bags (2).
How many recalls does the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the most recent from November 8, 2019 (vacuum). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013, 2014 and 2016. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012. See the full Mitsubishi i-MiEV years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 36,000 miles; 67% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.