AI Damage2012 Mitsubishi I-Miev reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2012 Mitsubishi I-Miev filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 62% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 23% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 5 Electronic stability control 8% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 8% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (62% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (23% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (15% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- electric
- automatic, 1-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brakes failed to engage and the contact crashed into another vehicle. The driver sustained injuries to the spine which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.
The I-miev was being operated in a shopping center parking lot at an unknown speed when it hit a parked car a and pushed a into parked car b. The driver's airbag in the I-miev deployed. The driver did not appear to be affected by the airbag deployment, according to witnesses, and was cogent and conversational.
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.
After the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 14v522000 (service brakes, hydraulic), the brake pressure began losing power. In addition, the brake indicator illuminated intermittently.
On 11/20/18, we took our 2012 I-miev into the roger beasley mitsubishi at [address], 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.
Two transmissions have seized and sheared gears or sheared gears respectively. Additionally the traction battery retains 61% of advertised capacity after 5.5 years and 41,xxx miles.
The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that there was excessive corrosion on the negative battery terminal which needed to be cleaned. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 10,000.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,260 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the I-Miev has 5 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 13, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Mitsubishi I-Miev?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, air bags. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: loss of power / limp mode (15%), brake failure (8%), rust, corrosion (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2012 Mitsubishi I-Miev?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2012 Mitsubishi I-Miev from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2012 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.