SR-20-005 - Parking Brake Operating Shafts May Corrode - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander & Outlander Sport

November 30, 2020 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V741000

Parking Brake Operating Shafts May Corrode

If the parking brake operating shafts bind, the parking brakes may not engage or disengage fully. If the parking brakes do not engage properly, the vehicle could rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.

NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V741

Manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.

Components PARKING BRAKE

Potential Number of Units Affected 21,758

Summary

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2016 Outlander and Outlander Sport vehicles. The rust prevention coating on the rear brake operating shafts could have been peeled off during the assembly process. As a result, water entering the rear brake caliper boot may cause the parking brake operating shafts to corrode and possibly bind.

Remedy

MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear brake caliper assemblies, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 25, 2021. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-20-005.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Check if your Mitsubishi has a Recall

Mitsubishi Motors North America

SR-20-005

Chronology of Defect / Noncompliance Determination

On January 26, 2018, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR), NHTSA ID number 18V-070, to NHTSA concerning the parking brake of certain 2014-2016 MY Outlander and certain 2013-2016 MY Outlander Sport vehicles.

In July 2018, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) received a field report from Canada stating that the parking brake lever felt strange and the rear brake caliper was stuck on an Outlander Sport (called RVR in Canada) vehicle, which was outside of the recall population. MMC began an investigation.

From August 2018 to May 2019, MMC received 8 additional field reports from Japan and EU. Investigations revealed the rear brake operating shaft stuck because of rust, even though the shaft had the additional coating for rust prevention. MMC continued its investigation to find out the root cause and started verifying the effectiveness of the shaft coating against rust.

In April 2019, MMSCan received an inquiry from Transport Canada regarding a complaint for a customer who experienced similar failure from a vehicle outside of the recall population and opened an investigation.

From June 2019 to November 2019, MMC conducted reproduction testing with the supplier, and found that the shaft coating had peeled off due to scratch. MMC identified that the scratch to the shaft coating occurred during the assembly process of the rear brake caliper at the supplier. MMC started further reproduction testing with the scratched shaft.

From December 2019 to March 2020, as a result of further reproduction testing, MMC found that the coating to the shaft could potentially peel off from the scratch. MMC continued this reproduction testing.

From April 2020 to October 2020, MMC was able to confirm that the shaft coating could further peel off and rust would progress on the shaft. MMC continued analysing the potential for future field occurrences.

On November 20, 2020, MMC determined that a field action was necessary in the US to address this condition, and advised MMNA to conduct a safety recall.

2 Affected Products