Half of all complaints arrive by 6 years of age, so 61.5% land after the 5-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Service Brakes, with 10 complaints, typically at 4.7 years.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 12 | 6 | yes |
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 years | 30.8% | covered | |
| 3 years | 38.5% | covered | |
| 6 years | 61.5% | you pay | |
| 7 years | 84.6% | you pay | |
| 8 years | 92.3% | you pay | |
| 9 years | 100% | you pay |
Basic warranty on this car is 5 years / 60,000 miles. Only 38.5% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 61.5% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (10 years / 100,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 23% of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
On the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the early trouble is Hydraulic — reported at around 2 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Service Brakes at 4.7 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 4.7 yrs | 2 | — | |
| Electrical System | 5 yrs | — | — | |
| Air Bags | 5.5 yrs | 1 | — | |
| Power Train | 6.5 yrs | — | — | |
| Hydraulic | 2 yrs | — | — | |
| Engine | 7 yrs | — | — | |
| Unknown Or Other | 7 yrs | — | — |
What else in this class
6 models share the i-MiEV's vehicle class.
| Same class as the i-MiEV | Complaints on record | Recall campaigns | Years built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Civic | 413 | 1981–2026 | |
| Ford Mustang | 315 | 1981–2026 | |
| Nissan GT-R | 9 | 2009–2026 | |
| Chevrolet Camaro | 204 | 1981–2026 | |
| Toyota Supra | 35 | 1981–2026 | |
| Nissan Sentra | 158 | 1982–2026 |
The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
- Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Mitsubishi i-MiEV reliable?
By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.86 against 3.73 for the average car.
When do i-MiEV problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 6 years of age. The most reported system is Service Brakes, typically at 4.7 years, followed by Electrical System.
Will the warranty cover i-MiEV problems?
Mostly not: basic cover is 5 years / 60,000 miles, and only 38.5% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 23% of the complaints here.
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