Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is currently offering, at its own initiative, free inspections of wheel hubs with replacement at the owner's cost for certain Mitsubishi heavy trucks and large buses. In the interests of greater road safety, the company today announces that it is upgrading this program by offering to replace hubs at no cost to the owner, this offer being valid for a limited period of three months. The company hopes this latest initiative will speed up the process and encourage more owners of targeted vehicles to have their vehicles inspected and repaired.

The company is taking a very serious view of the accident that occurred on 10 January in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, in which the front wheel of a Mitsubishi prime mover (tractor unit) became detached from the vehicle. To prevent similar accidents, on 22 January the company introduced a campaign offering free inspections of wheel hubs on certain Mitsubishi prime movers, heavy dump trucks, large sight-seeing buses and heavy trucks. Until today, owners had been charged to have worn hubs replaced.

The upgraded program announced today is aimed at encouraging eligible owners to have their vehicles inspected and front wheel hubs replaced. Having deemed it necessary to offer to replace badly worn hubs at no cost to owners, such offer being valid for three months only, the company today initiated the upgraded program retroactively to cover the three month period from 22 January to 21 April, after notifying the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of its intention to do so.

The upgraded program announced today is intended to remind vehicle owners of the importance of inspections and servicing and to encourage them to bring their vehicles in for inspection. To promote the effectiveness of the program, MMC is sending additional inspector and service personnel to its sales companies to assist. The company has also boosted production of wheel hubs to ensure supplies of replacement hubs are available.

Abnormal wear and damage of wheel hubs can be prevented if vehicles are used, and inspections and maintenance are carried out, in the appropriate manner. The company is, however, taking very seriously the suggestion leveled at it that it may not have made sufficient effort, through its sales companies, to call owners' attention to the importance of vehicle inspections and servicing. The upgraded program announced today takes note of this suggestion and is intended to remind vehicle owners of the importance of safety inspections and servicing and to encourage them to take their vehicles to their Mitsubishi sales company or other service facility for inspection.

MMC takes the accident that occurred in Yokohama extremely seriously. However, because the cause of the accident is currently under investigation by the Kanagawa Prefecture Police, the company is unable to comment upon it.

Outline of the Upgraded Safety Measures

    1. Announcement and Initiating Date: February 6, 2002

    2. Measures:

(1) Free Inspection/Replacement at Owners' Cost changed to Free Inspection/Free Replacement.
     (3 months from January 22, 2002 to April 21, 2002)

(2) Additional inspector and service personnel sent to sales companies.

(3) Boosted production of hubs to ensure supplies of replacement hubs are available.

    3. User Notification:

Direct mails sent by sales companies explaining the inspection.

    4. Number of Vehicles:

Vehicle type	Number of vehicles	Period of manufacture
Heavy prime mover (tractor)	19,264	November 1986 - February 1997
Heavy dump truck	31,295	October 1986 - April 1996
Large bus	8,706	November 1987 - December 1996
Other heavy-duty vehicles	64,686	October 1986 - December 1997
Total	123,951

    5. Countermeasures:

Replace hubs if the wear exceeds specified amount (0.8mm and over) after inspection of both front wheel hubs.

    6. 0.8mm Hub Wear Standard:

Deemed appropriate for the purpose of being absolutely sure, this standard is derived from amount of wear and remaining life of hub. The standard provides a remaining life of 1 million to 2 million kilometers. The standard assures ample remaining distance even when wheel wear and post-inspection hub wear are included.