Mitsubishi recalls 141,000 cars for risk of detaching control arms
The Lancer, Outlander and Outlander Sport are all included, as rust can cause the control arms to fail in the right conditions.
The Outlander Sport is one of a few vehicles involved.
Rust is a pesky thing, but it's often unavoidable in certain parts of the US. Unfortunately for some Mitsubishi owners, rust could get to the vehicles' control arms.
According to documents filed with NHTSA May 18, Mitsubishi will recall certain 2008-2010 Lancer, 2010 Lancer Sportback, 2008-2013 Outlander and 2011-2016 Outlander Sport vehicles. Combined, the recall affects 141,200 cars.
The problem is due to the elements. You know, the whole chemical reaction when steel encounters salt, which causes things to corrode. In this case, the various Mitsubishi vehicles could see their front lower control arms detach if the front cross member corrodes. The main cause? Salt water, especially road salt use. It's worth noting Mitsubishi issued a very similar recall in 2016 for a different batch of cars. Mitsubishi confirmed to Roadshow that this latest recall is an identical issue, just expanded to additional models.
Since this is a targeted issue, only owners in certain states will receive recall notices. That still means notices going out to owners in 22 states and Washington, D.C., with the recall population stretching from Maine all the way to Iowa.
The automaker will exercise one of two options depending on how bad the situation is when a technician has a look. If the front cross member is heavily corroded, owners will get a new one free of charge. It'll also include a sealing, anti-corrosion agent to keep the problem from coming back. Cars that don't show signs of serious corrosion will instead receive the same anti-corrosion agent to halt the problem without any replacement part.
Look for mailed notices to start arriving starting July 14.
