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Mitsubishi delays Outlander PHEV yet again for the US

Mitsubishi was so close this time. The company showed the US-spec version of the plug-in Outlander crossover at this year's New York auto show, with plans for it to go on sale in the summer or fall of 2016. But once again, the beleaguered green family hauler has been delayed. HybridCars learned from Mitusbishi public relations managers for both the US and Canada that the Outlander PHEV won't go on sale until next summer. No specific reasons for the delay were given outside of a need "to meet a level of competitiveness that will exceed customer expectations." While we hope for Mitsubishi's sake the company releases the best product it can make, we don't think the expectations of our market will be that high, since there are no plug-in hybrid SUVs in the Outlander's class and price range. Unfortunately delays have been a recurring problem for this model. We first thought it would arrive in 2014 after launching in Japan. But ever since the original announcement, problems including battery production issues and regulatory demands have prevented the Outlander PHEV's US introduction. In the meantime, Japan and Europe have had the crossover for a few years. The car has since been refreshed, and we were promised that updated model but no dice yet. HybridCars also points out that the Outlander PHEV has been the best-selling plug-in hybrid in Europe. We imagine it could be a major success here since it combines plug-in tech with the ever-popular crossover body style, but we won't know until next year. At least as long as it doesn't get delayed again. Related Video: News Source: HybridCARSImage Credit: Drew Phillips Green Mitsubishi Crossover Hybrid PHEV

2022 Mitsubishi Outlander recalled over potentially faulty fuel pump

Mitsubishi is recalling nearly 17,000 units of the 2022 Outlander due to a potential issue with the fuel pump's wiring. It explained that not all of the SUVs included in the campaign are fitted with a faulty fuel pump, but it's recalling a relatively large batch of cars to be on the safe side. The company told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that affected examples of the Outlander were built with a fuel pump whose commutator and wires weren't fused properly during the production process, an issue which results in poor continuity. This can cause the commutator and the brushes in the fuel pump to wear abnormally, which can cause the part to stop sending gasoline to the engine — in turn, the engine would suddenly stall or not start. The issue is due to an error made by a subcomponent supplier, according to the firm. Mitsubishi wrote that the recall includes 16,616 units of the new-for-2022 Outlander in the United States, though it estimates that only about 1% of those are fitted with a defective fuel pump. Affected vehicles were built between February 8, 2021, and October 12, 2021. Owners of affected cars will be notified by mail starting in March 2022. They'll need to bring their Outlander to the nearest service center to get the fuel pump replaced with an updated part free of charge. Motorists will also be able to get expenses related to the defect (like a towing bill, presumably) reimbursed by contacting Mitsubishi's customer relations department once they receive the recall notification letter. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Junkyard Gem: 1987 Dodge Ram 50 with V8 swap

Chrysler did very well selling Mitsubishi Forte pickups with Plymouth and Dodge badging in the United States, even after Mitsubishi began moving the same trucks out of their own American dealerships in 1982. The 1987 Ram 50 2WD short bed weighed in at just over 2,500 pounds, so it was reasonably perky with its 2.0-liter G63B four-banger making 90 horsepower… but there's no replacement for displacement! At some point along the line, a Chrysler small-block V8 engine found its way into the engine compartment of this truck, now residing in a car graveyard in Sparks, Nevada. This was the cheapest new Dodge-branded pickup Americans could buy as a 1987 model, though it had to compete with its near-identical Mitsubishi Mighty Max twin for sales. The 1980s were great times for little pickups in the United States, but a desire for bigger cabs and more creature comforts doomed them by the dawn of the following decade. The most interesting thing about this engine swap is that it didn't involve a Chevrolet or Ford small-block V8. Both the Chevy small-block and Ford Windsor V8s are a few inches narrower than the Chrysler LA-series V8, which makes them easier to stuff into a small vehicle. It appears that engine length was the critical dimension in this case, since the Mopar seems to have had enough side-to-side clearance to avoid any slicing of Mitsubishi steel to make it fit. My guess is that whoever did the swap happened to have the engine handy and that's why it's here. Keeping it all Dodge might have been a factor in the decision as well, though the truck's Mitsubishi ancestry makes that unlikely. It was over 100°F out when I found this truck, so I wasn't motivated to check block casting numbers to determine exactly which LA engine we're dealing with here. The easiest LAs to get cheap for the last four or so decades have been the 318 (5.1-liter) and the 360 (5.8-liter), so one of those two is the most likely candidate here. Power levels for these engines got pretty dismal during the Malaise Era, but anyone with the wrenching skills to do this swap would have applied some basic power-enhancing wizardry before the engine went in. We can see there's an Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, and you might as well stab in a better camshaft if you're upgrading the intake. How much power? With a four-barrel carburetor on a dual-plane intake plus a meaner cam, 300 to 350 horsepower is easily achieved with one of these engines, even with stock exhaust manifolds.