Why is my Mitsubishi i-MiEV losing range or not charging to full?

Short answer: Slow range loss is usually the battery aging. A sudden stop at partial charge is different and worth diagnosing: one owner's problem was chewed wires. Check the battery's capacity with an OBD dongle and app before paying for a pack. New packs are very expensive.

Symptom: Fewer charge bars, shorter range (especially in winter), a sudden stop at partial charge, or the turtle (low power) light coming on sooner.

What to check first

1. Read the battery capacity with an OBD Bluetooth dongle and an i-MiEV app like CaniOn.
2. If it stops charging partway, try a CHAdeMO fast charger to tell a charger fault from a battery fault.
3. Look under the car and in the engine area for chewed or damaged wires.
4. Ask a Mitsubishi dealer about battery warranty coverage for your car.
5. Plan trips with the range display, not just the bars, in cold weather.

Likely causes

1. Aging battery (lost capacity). The battery slowly holds less energy with age and miles. Owners see fewer bars and less range, and it's worse in cold weather with the heater on.
2. Damaged wiring. One car that suddenly stopped charging at 2/3 to 3/4 turned out to have wires chewed by an animal.
3. On-board charger fault. If the car charges on a DC fast charger but not at home, the on-board charger is more likely than the battery.

What it usually costs

Owners reported about $3,000 for a used pack swap and a dealer quote of $18,500 plus install for a new battery in Canada.

Is it safe to keep driving?

Yes, if you plan around the shorter range. Don't let it run down to the turtle in traffic.

DIY or shop?

Reading capacity with an app is DIY. Battery and high voltage work is for a trained tech.

Recalls, bulletins and complaints in plain words

• Recalls: NHTSA lists 7 recall(s) for the Mitsubishi i-MiEV in these years, and none is for this problem. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If your car is part of a recall, the dealer fixes it for free.
• Plain words: The complaint count below shows how often owners reported problems that mention these words to NHTSA. A count is not proof of a defect.
• NHTSA complaints: 0 keyword-matched complaints for Mitsubishi i-MiEV 2012–2017 (of 0 unique complaints queried, NHTSA complaints API by model year, queried 2026-11-05; keywords: battery, range, charg, power) (NHTSA returned no data for 5 model-year queries). This counts complaints that mention these words. It is not a defect finding.

What owners report

• In i-MiEV won't fully charge on Reddit r/electricvehicles, a 2012 i-MiEV owner said the car suddenly stopped charging at about 2/3 to 3/4. Replies suggested trying a CHAdeMO fast charger to tell a charger fault from a battery fault, and one person said a used pack swap was done for about $3,000. The owner later found wires chewed by a critter.
• In Has anyone successfully had a warranty replacement for degradation? on MyiMiEV Forum, a 2012 i-MiEV with 98,500 miles was down to about 37 miles of range (less in winter with heat). A dealer 'battery smoothing' didn't help, and a new battery was quoted at $18,500 plus install in Canada. Members said slow capacity loss is usually treated as wear, though a couple of owners got packs replaced when the car would only charge to 12 bars or the pack failed outright.
• In Is my battery dying? on MyiMiEV Forum, a 2012 i-MiEV owner at about 36,000 miles saw range drop over a couple of months and used an OBD dongle with the CaniOn app to read about 23-24 Ah of capacity, when he'd read most cars had about 38 Ah at that mileage.

Quick tip

Measure the capacity first. That tells you if it's aging, a fault, or something simple like wiring.

Vehicle focus: Mitsubishi i-MiEV, 2012-2017.

Safety / mechanic note

High voltage parts are dangerous. Don't open the battery or orange cables. Verify with a mechanic.