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The 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV has 1 critical safety recall on file — the kind NHTSA opens when crashes, fires, or injuries are documented. 13 owner complaints alongside. Read those first.
The 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV has 13 NHTSA owner complaints and 6 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is brakes at 6 complaints, typically surfacing around 26,665 miles (~$450 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 i-MiEV (this page) | 13 | 6 |
| 2013 i-MiEV | 0 | 2 |
| 2014 i-MiEV | 0 | 3 |
| 2015 i-MiEV | 0 | 1 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: brakes is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 26,665 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 6 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.2/10 model. The priciest documented failure is brakes (~$450) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
2012 Mitsubishi I-miev. Complaint related to second recall of I-miev. *mw the consumer stated at 12,000 miles, the front brake pads disintegrated for no reason. The technician stated the vacuum pump related and the brake pads disintegrating were related. The consumer stated…
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Mitsubishi I-miev. 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…
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,…
Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2012 Mitsubishi I-MIEV. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 19V804000 (Service, Brake, Hydraulic), 17V022000 (Air Bags), and 15V594000 (Air Bags) however, the contact stated there was no local dealer in their area to do…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Without the brake vacuum pump, the driver will experience a sudden loss of braking assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not deploy or deploys late, increases the risk of occupant injury.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.2 out of 10 based on 13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.2/10 — around the segment average; 6 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the brakes first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 6 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 26,665 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.2 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 13 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is brakes. Typical failure occurs around 26,665 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is brakes, with 6 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 26,665 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop.
The brakes is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 26,665 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 13 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $450, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.