Mitsubishi recalls mini cars in Japan

Mitsubishi recalls mini cars in Japan

TOKYO: Troubled automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said
Thursday it would recall 676,741 Minica and Minica Toppo light
cars in Japan due to a battery problem, though no accidents had
been reported.

"Rainwater may enter the battery box causing battery fluid to
scatter (in) some cases. The scattered fluid may hit the left
front brake pipe resulting in possible damage to it," Mitsubishi
said in a statement.

In the worst case scenario a car's braking ability could be
affected, Japan's fourth largest automaker said, adding it had
received 31 reports of such a problem.

Mitsubishi would install battery covers and replace battery
sheets with those fitted with a drainage hose to fix the fault,
it said. The firm will also inspect braking pipes for its
customers.

The recall covers vehicles made between 1993 to 1998.

Mitsubishi's image was tarnished after it confessed in August
2000 to having failed to inform authorities about at least 64,000
customer complaints over faulty vehicles since 1977, opting to
repair the vehicles itself instead of issuing costly model-wide
recalls. --AFP