The 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Has Been Recalled
Brian O Sutter
Recalls
A product recall from a car manufacturer may seem to a car owner to be a big inconvenience in both time and the ability to travel. In reality however, a product recall is simply a car manufacturer being responsible—and scared enough—of the possibility of a lawsuit that they are doing the right thing. Car recalls mean that there is a widespread manufacturing defect with a product, and, when used under certain conditions, people can come to harm through no fault of their own.If you own last year’s Mitsubishi Outlander, then you will definitely want to give this some serious thought, as the car manufacturer has announced a recall.
Doors & Heat
The 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Sport SUVs have been publicly recalled. Mitsubishi has discovered a flaw in approximately 36000 vehicles in this series that put Florida drivers in particular at risk.
The inside door latch that keeps doors securely closed has a design flaw in this model. When exposed to high temperatures, there is a chance that the latch will fail and the door will open by itself. At high speeds, this means that people in the car may be injured as a result of falling out if they are not secured by a seatbelt and are caught by surprise, or, worse yet, the car itself can make contact with another car beside it as the door swings open hits anything in proximity.
For Florida, with its tropical climate, the chances of the car being exposed to high temperatures in this region are consistently high. This means many Florida drivers that own this car are at risk of being subjected to this defect and having an accident related to the car doors opening while in motion at high speeds.
The recall allows owners of this model to bring the car in to dealers for a free repair. There are also options to notify the car maker at 888-648-7820 or National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 888-327-4236 if you have more concerns that need addressing.
Do The Right Thing
It is important not just for your physical safety, but your legal safety to act on a product recall when you find out about it. In the case of something like this door latch recall, if you are aware of the defect but choose to be part of the 30% average of owners that do not submit their vehicle after hearing about a recall, this puts you at real risk.
In the event that you should get into an accident as a direct result of this defect, and injuries are involved, your knowledge of the problem and unwillingness to address it could turn into a personal injury lawsuit against you. This is a clear case of negligence, where a person knows there is a problem with a real risk of harm but chooses to ignore it.
In the same way, if you are a driver that gets involved in an accident with these vehicles and the other driver hasn’t brought that vehicle in, you may have a case. Get in touch with an accident lawyer to see what your options are.