NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE09056

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED ON DECEMBER 30, 2009, BASED ON FIVE CONSUMER REPORTS ALLEGING GASOLINE FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL FILL PIPE.SOME OF THE COMPLAINANTS INDICATED THE FUEL FILL PIPE HAD CORRODED TO THE POINT OF BEING PERFORATED, ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK FROM THE PIPE.BY LETTER OF FEBRUARY, 24, 2010, AND AMENDED MARCH 10, 2010, MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA (MITSUBISHI) NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF APPROXIMATELY 26,135 SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE RECALLED VEHICLES WERE SOLD OR ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING SALT BELT STATES : CT, DE, IL, IN, IA, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV, WI, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.MITSUBISHI WILL ALSO INCLUDE IN THE RECALL THE FOLLOWING COLD CLIMATE STATES: ND, SD, NB, KS, OK, CO, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, AND UT.MITIUBISHI STATES THAT A MIXTURE OF MUD AND ROAD SALT CAN BECOME TRAPPED BETWEEN A REINFORCING BRACKET AND THE FILL PIPE AND LEAD TO CORROSION OF THE FILL PIPE, RESULTING IN LEAKS DURING REFUELING.FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES NOT IN SALT BELT OR COLD STATES (APPROXIMATELY 28,077), MITSUBISHI WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY OF THE FUEL FILL PIPE TO 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.