Investigations
BRAKE BOOSTER ACCUMULATOR FAILURE
NHTSA Recall Query RQ06007 — closed, opened 2006-05-24 and involving the MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI.
NHTSA investigation RQ06007 is a Recall Query opened on 2006-05-24 and currently closed. The subject of record is MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for MITSUBISHI. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2006-10-12 — NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Recall Query like RQ06007 evaluates whether a previously issued recall is actually fixing the problem. NHTSA opens an RQ when owners continue to report the original defect after the recall remedy is installed, or when completion rates fall short of the agency's expectations for that risk tier.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "IN OCTOBER 2001, MITSUBISHI NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NO. 01V-254) TO REMEDY A DEFECT CONDITION THAT COULD RESULT IN A LEAK OF PRESSURIZED NITROGEN GAS FROM THE HYDRAULIC BRA..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time. Related MITSUBISHI files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
IN OCTOBER 2001, MITSUBISHI NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NO. 01V-254) TO REMEDY A DEFECT CONDITION THAT COULD RESULT IN A LEAK OF PRESSURIZED NITROGEN GAS FROM THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER ACCUMULATOR IN APPROXIMATELY 39,000 MODEL YEARS (MY) 2001-2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 12, 1999 THROUGH JUNE 20, 2001. ACCORDING TO MITSUBISHI, "THE ACCUMULATOR THAT IS INSTALLED ON THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED IMPROPERLY, WHICH OVER A PERIOD OF TIME MAY RESULT IN LEAKAGE OF THE PRESSURIZED NITROGEN GAS FROM INSIDE THE ACCUMULATOR. THE LOSS OF THIS GAS PRESSURE MAY RESULT IN AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH PANEL WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, AND POSSIBLY A DELAYED FIRST TIME BRAKE BOOST ASSIST AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME." DURING RQ06-007, MITSUBISHI INDICATED THAT THE DECISION TO CONDUCT RECALL 01V-254 WAS BASED ON PROJECTED FAILURE RATES OF 36.5% WITHIN 2-YEARS OF SERVICE AND 100% IN THE FIRST 4-YEARS OF SERVICE. THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED RQ06-007 BASED ON SIX COMPLAINTS OF HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER ACCUMULATOR FAILURE IN THE APPROXIMATELY 23,335 MY 2002 MONTERO VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT AFTER THE VEHICLES RECALLED IN 01V-254. ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGED THAT THE FAILURE RESULTED IN A CRASH. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, ODI IDENTIFIED 20 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND 58 WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO BRAKE BOOSTER ACCUMULATOR FAILURE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, RESULTING IN A COMPLAINT RATE OF APPROXIMATELY 85 PER 100,000 VEHICLES AND A WARRANTY CLAIM RATE OF 0.25%. MITSUBISHI¿S PROJECTED ACCUMULATOR FAILURE RATES AT 2- AND 4-YEARS IN SERVICE FOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE 0.5% AND 1.3% RESPECTIVELY AND ODI¿S ANALYSES PRODUCED SIMILAR RESULTS. ODI¿S INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE INCIDENTS OF INCREASED BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT TYPICALLY OCCURRED WITHIN THE FIRST FEW SECONDS AFTER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND WERE ACCOMPANIED BY NOISE ASSOCIATED WIT
About This Investigation Type
A Recall Query (RQ) evaluates the effectiveness of a previously issued recall. NHTSA opens an RQ when consumer complaints suggest that a recall remedy may not be adequately addressing the safety issue, or when the recall completion rate appears insufficient.
Other MITSUBISHI Investigations
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
Extended Stopping Distance
Clutch Interlock Switch Malfunction
GASOLINE LEAKS
PASSENGER DOOR FIRE
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. Learn more.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.