Driver airbag inflator recall on late trucks
Mitsubishi Motors North America recalled the driver airbag inflators fitted to the last United States trucks of this generation. The campaign says the inflators can absorb moisture over time and then either rupture when the airbag fires, sending metal fragments at whoever is behind the wheel, or underinflate so that the airbag does not do its job at all. Both outcomes only appear in a crash, which is what makes this different from every other fault on this site: nothing about how you drive changes the risk on any single trip, and there is no test you can run in the driveway. What does change is exposure — the defect is a moisture problem that accumulates, and every additional month of humidity and heat is on the wrong side of it. That is the honest reason the triage here is not simply 'drive normally': keep using the truck if you must, but get the remedy booked rather than filed away. The remedy is a free inflator replacement at a dealer, and this generation is old enough that a truck may have changed hands several times without the notice ever reaching the current owner. Never open, probe or attempt to replace an airbag module yourself. The campaign is a United States one; a truck sold or imported elsewhere was not part of it, and what any other market required is not stated here.
Gen 2Gen 2.51998–2000USSafety-criticalTechnical service bulletin (TSB)
Drive gently — repair soonManeje con cuidado — repare pronto
filteredDoes not fit the vehicle you selected
Provisional matchThis is safety-critical, and the match to your truck is only provisional: it was made on generation, market, year and engine alone. Narrow your selection, and confirm against your own vehicle, before acting on anything here.
Safety notice — Interior and trim.
This affects a safety-critical system. Reference material only: for safety-critical work, consult a qualified mechanic.
Esto afecta un sistema crítico para la seguridad. Material de referencia únicamente: en trabajos críticos para la seguridad, consulte a un mecánico calificado.
Symptoms
- Nothing in the truck's history shows the inflator campaign was ever carried out
- The airbag warning lamp no longer behaves the way it used to at start-up
- The centre pad of the steering wheel looks swollen, lifted or distorted
- The horn in the steering wheel pad works only sometimes
Likely causes
- The recalled inflator is still fitted
- A separate airbag system fault, unrelated to the campaign
- The inflator was already replaced under the campaign
Diagnostic steps
- Enter the truck's identification number into the road safety agency's recall lookup and read which campaigns are still listed as openPoints toThe recalled inflator is still fittedRules outThe inflator was already replaced under the campaign
- Ask a franchised dealer to pull the campaign history against the identification number, which shows work done under a previous ownerPoints toThe inflator was already replaced under the campaignRules outThe recalled inflator is still fitted
- Turn the key and watch the airbag warning lamp through the whole start cycle: it should light, then go out, and neither stay on nor fail to light at allPoints toA separate airbag system fault, unrelated to the campaignRules outThe inflator was already replaced under the campaign
Fix paths
Have the inflator replaced under the campaign
$Difficulty 5/5
This is dealer work and it is free under the campaign. The difficulty rating here is not a suggestion that anyone attempt it: an airbag module holds a live pyrotechnic charge, and it is not a home repair at any skill level.
Have the airbag system diagnosed by a qualified mechanic
$$–$$$Difficulty 5/5
A warning lamp that stays on, or one that never lights, means the system has recorded a fault and may not deploy when it is needed. This needs a scan tool that talks to the airbag system and someone who knows the disarming procedure — it is not guesswork with a fuse.