Mitsubishi Pull 91,697 Cars In The US Due To Backdoor Problems

Outlander. (Doc. Mitsubishi Motors)

JAKARTA - Mitsubishi Motors announced the recall of 91,697 Outlander SUV and Hybrid Outlander units in the United States due to security concerns at vehicle backdoors.

For information, Mitsubishi Outlander is indeed one of Mitsubishi Motors' flagship models in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada. Based on recent sales data, Outlander showed strong performance in this market, both for the variant of gasoline and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) engines. In the United States, Outlander became Mitsubishi's best-selling model. In the first quarter of 2024, Outlander recorded sales of 13,846 units, an increase of 41.1 percent compared to the same period in the previous year, making it the second best sales quarter in the history of this model.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), quoted from a Reuters report, Friday, August 22, the backdoor on the vehicle has the potential to fall suddenly, which could increase the risk of accidents or injury to users. This withdrawal is done to ensure the safety of road users and prevent unwanted incidents.

This problem is related to a gas spring cylinder (gas spring cylinder) on the back door of the vehicle, which can fail to hold the door in an open position. This failure causes the backdoor to potentially close suddenly, especially when users are accessing baggage. Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. stated that it will replace the problematic component for free at the official dealer. Affected vehicle owners will be notified to take their vehicle to the dealer for inspection and repair.

This withdrawal includes certain Hybrid Outlander and Outlander models produced in recent years. NHTSA estimates that only a small fraction of the recalled vehicles have these defects, but this step is taken as a precautionary measure to maintain safety standards. Mitsubishi insists that until now there have been no reports of injuries related to this issue, but the company is committed to seriously dealing with potential risks.

The repair process is not expected to take long, and Mitsubishi guarantees that all costs will be fully borne.

The withdrawal of vehicles like this is nothing new in the automotive industry, with a number of major brands such as Ford, General Motors, and Nissan also announcing a recall in recent months for various technical issues.