Front lower control arm weld may break

Mitsubishi recalled late fourth-generation trucks because the right-hand front lower control arm could break at a weld joint made by a faulty welding process. The European alert cited below classes the risk as serious and states the failure mode plainly: the arm might break in normal use. It records the affected trucks as two model years; a separate Australian campaign covers the same defect, but no Australian record was reachable to cite, so this entry is scoped to the European record and owners elsewhere should run their own market's look-up. A lower control arm is what holds the bottom of the front wheel in place, so losing one is losing control of that corner — this is not a noise you drive to the shop with. The complication is that a worn bush or ball joint in the same arm makes almost exactly the same clunk, and the two demand very different urgency, so the first step here is the vehicle identification number and not the stethoscope. If the truck is in the affected build range and the recall has not been done, it should be recovered rather than driven. Suspension is safety-critical: have this inspected and repaired by a qualified mechanic.

Gen 42017–2018EUSafety-criticalCommunity consensus

Do not driveNo lo maneje

Safety notice — Suspension.

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.

Community consensus. This entry is not backed by factory documentation — treat its values and steps as a starting point, not as if they came from the factory manual.

Consenso de la comunidad. Esta entrada no se apoya en documentación de fábrica — tome los valores y los pasos como punto de partida, no como si vinieran del manual de fábrica.

Symptoms

The vehicle identification number comes back as affected on the manufacturer's recall look-up
A clunk or knock from the right front over bumps and on turn-in
The steering wanders or feels vague and loose at speed
A visible crack, or a rust line, at one of the welds on the lower arm

Likely causes

A weld joint on the right-hand front lower arm was made improperly and is failing
The recall was issued but the remedy was never carried out on this truck
The bushings or ball joint in the arm are simply worn, which sounds much the same

Diagnostic steps

Run the vehicle identification number through the manufacturer's recall look-up before doing anything elsePoints toA weld joint on the right-hand front lower arm was made improperly and is failing · The recall was issued but the remedy was never carried out on this truck
Clean and inspect every weld on the right-hand front lower arm in good light, looking for cracks and lifted weld edgesPoints toA weld joint on the right-hand front lower arm was made improperly and is failing
With the wheel safely off the ground, lever the lower arm while somebody watches the bushings and the ball joint for movementPoints toThe bushings or ball joint in the arm are simply worn, which sounds much the sameRules outA weld joint on the right-hand front lower arm was made improperly and is failing

Fix paths

Have the arm replaced under the recall

$Difficulty 4/5

The manufacturer's remedy is free in the markets that issued the recall. Get the completion record in writing, and have the wheel alignment reset afterwards.

Replace the worn bushings or ball joint

$$–$$$Difficulty 4/5

If the welds are sound and the truck is outside the affected range, this is ordinary suspension wear. It still needs doing, and it still needs an alignment afterwards.

Sources

car-recalls.eu — EU Safety Gate alert A12/01591/20, reference ENL-20-018-SR, Mitsubishi Pajero model years 2017 to 2018: "the right-hand side front lower arm might break during vehicle usage due to an improper welding process", risk classified Serious, published 27 November 2020 by the Polish authorityReference workarchived copy2026-09-02