Mitsubishi recalls more than 7000 vehicles due to ‘insufficient button-battery warning labels’

Mitsubishi Australia has issued a recall for more than 7000 vehicles due to insufficient warning labels.

The issue, affecting 7468 cars sold between 2020 and 2022 across its entire lineup, relates to the vehicle key, which has “mandatory labelling requirements for items containing button batteries.”

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More than 200,000 Mitsubishi vehicles were sold in Australia between 2020 and 2022, including the Triton, Pajero Sport, Outlander, ASX, Eclipse Cross, Express, Mirage and Pajero.

According to the recall notice issued by the Department of Infrastructure, the “absence of necessary warnings” could lead young children to access the button battery and ingest it.

The recall notice states: “[Young children] are likely to suffer severe internal burn injuries, which can result in serious injury or death. Button batteries also pose a choking hazard to young children.”

A legislation change applied on June 22, 2022, required that any product containing a button battery, including car key fobs, must ensure it is secure to prevent children from getting hold of them.

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As exclusively reported by Wheels, this required several carmakers to apply warning labels – usually fixed to the key via a tight cable tie – and updates to its user manuals to reflect the necessary information. This was estimated to add around $5 to the cost of each vehicle for one brand.

Though the issue has been reported worldwide for several years, Australia has become the first country in the world to have a button battery safety standard which applies across all consumer product categories.

Three children have died and 44 have been severely injured in Australia from incidents involving button batteries – and more than one child a month is seriously injured due to ingesting or inserting them into various body parts.

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Mitsubishi said affected owners should contact their preferred dealership to check if the required warnings are present, with any missing labelling fitted at no-cost to the owner.

It added that owners should present both vehicle keys, the vehicle’s owner's manual, and the vehicle service and warranty book or the recall letter received in the post when visiting their dealership.

A VIN list for the affected vehicles can be found here.

The company can be contacted directly by calling 1800 931 811 or via email at customerservice@mmal.com.au, or by visiting a dealership, found here.