Mitsubishi to recall vehicles for defective pump, brake systems

TOKYO - Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Tuesday it will recall 38,626 trucks and buses for several defects that could weaken the vehicles&#39; brakes and produce too much polluting gases. <br> <br> The recall affects 36,869 Mitsubishi Fuso Canter trucks and 1,757 Fuso Rosa buses, said Mitsubishi spokesman Takashi Tsuchiya. <br> <br> Tsuchiya said the defects were discovered from customer complaints but no accidents have been reported. The vehicles were made in Japan between March 24 and Sept. 7, 2001. <br> <br> The carmaker may also recall 927 Fuso Canter trucks exported to Canada and the United States. Mitsubishi Motors is discussing such a measure with transportation authorities there, Tsuchiya said. <br> <br> In one of the problems, the heating mechanism in the vacuum pump, which helps run the gas-recirculation system in the engine, may produce excessive emissions, Mitsubishi Motors said. <br> <br> A similar problem was found in several models that could weaken the brakes, it said. Mitsubishi also found a defective antilock braking system. <br> <br> Mitsubishi sales in Japan plunged after a recall scandal in the summer of 2000. Under a partnership with DaimlerChrysler AG of Germany, it introduced a quality check at Mitsubishi based on the Daimler system in an effort to clean up its image and win back customer trust. <br> <br> Earlier this month, Mitsubishi offered to inspect some 120,000 large trucks for free after 23 cases of tires falling off were reported in the past three years, including one recent accident that killed a pedestrian. <br> <br> <br>