Mitsubishi GALANT problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1,438 owner complaints analyzed
24 distinct recall campaigns
71,244 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1986 to 2012 model years. Data snapshot: . 506 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 95 of 1,438 complaints (6.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 262 | 18.2% |
| Transmission and shifting | 113 | 7.9% |
| Steering behavior | 106 | 7.4% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 81 | 5.6% |
| Engine operation | 50 | 3.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 16 | 1.1% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 95 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 90 |
| Air Bags | 77 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor | 73 |
| Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint | 73 |
| Structure:Body | 71 |
| Electrical System | 65 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 53 |
Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 95; Air Bags:Frontal: 90; Air Bags: 77; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor: 73; Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint: 73; Structure:Body: 71; Electrical System: 65; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 53
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 77 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 93 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 94 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 100 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 100 |
| 150,000 and above | 42 |
Under 25,000: 77; 25,000 to 49,999: 93; 50,000 to 74,999: 94; 75,000 to 99,999: 100; 100,000 to 149,999: 100; 150,000 and above: 42
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (100). 932 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 88 |
| 1996 | 53 |
| 2000 | 184 |
| 2001 | 193 |
| 2002 | 142 |
| 2003 | 80 |
| 2004 | 98 |
| 2005 | 84 |
| 2006 | 80 |
| 2007 | 92 |
| 2008 | 78 |
| 2009 | 68 |
| 2010 | 34 |
| 2011 | 23 |
| 2012 | 22 |
| 2013 | 14 |
| 2014 | 26 |
| 2015 | 24 |
| 2016 | 18 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 |
1995: 88; 1996: 53; 2000: 184; 2001: 193; 2002: 142; 2003: 80; 2004: 98; 2005: 84; 2006: 80; 2007: 92; 2008: 78; 2009: 68; 2010: 34; 2011: 23; 2012: 22; 2013: 14; 2014: 26; 2015: 24; 2016: 18; 2017: 6; 2018: 6; 2019: 4; 2020: 6; 2021: 1; 2022: 4; 2023: 6; 2024: 3; 2025: 1
Pattern summary
Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 262 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 113 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 106 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 736200 · 2000-11-12 (November 12, 2000)
THERE CONTINUES TO BE EXCESSIVE SCRAPING SOUND WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT COME BACK TO SAME POSITION AFTER MAKING TURN-THIS IS EVEN AFTER A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT SEARS-ELMHURST, NY ON 10/30/00. HEATER BLOWS COLD AIR IF NOT SET ON AUTO-THERMOSTAT ; AND THEN MUST BE SET AT LEAST 75 DEGREES; WAS IN MITSUBISHI DEALER ON 11 AVENUE NYC OVER PAST 2 YEARS; HEATER CORE WAS REPLACED; EVIDENTLY NOT THE PROBLEM; MITSUBISHI DIDN'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE CAUSE WAS BUT WOULDN'T REFUND ME FOR THE PART THEY ORIGNALLY REPLACED *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 736200 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10024122 · 2003-06-16 (June 16, 2003)
WHILE APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10024122 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 501700 · 1996-02-26 (February 26, 1996)
TRANSMISSION FAILED. (NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE)*SD
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 501700 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 973714 · 1995-10-20 (October 20, 1995)
PROBLEMS WITH THE OIL AND EXHAUST SYSTEM LEAKING OIL REPLACED TRANSMISSION. TT
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 973714 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10210185 · 2007-11-28 (November 28, 2007)
I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM OFF AND ON SINCE 1997 HAVE PUT IN THREE ECM COMPUTERS WHY WAS THIS PROBLEM NEVER ADDRESSED BY MANUFACTURER CHECK OUT THIS SITE -HTTP://WWW.90GSX.COM/ECLIPSE/CAP/CAPS.HTM ALONG WITH OIL LEAKAGE RECALL OF 97-98 WHICH I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF & JUST FOUND OUT WITH MY CAR LEAKING OIL EVERY WARE & NOW POWER STEERING LEAKAGE FROM STEERING KNUCKLE SPINDLE ARM THAT WAS RECALLED IN JAPAN 2001 BUT NOT HERE ! HELP *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10210185 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 553769 · 2000-08-11 (August 11, 2000)
THE VEHICLES MAIN COMPUTER HAS BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE IS ALSO EXPERIENCING CRONIC ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHTS, RADIO AND ALARM. NLM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 553769 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 722182 · 2000-05-02 (May 2, 2000)
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE CAR FAILED WHICH INCLUDED NO POWER TO THE WINDOWS SUNROOF DOORS AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM KEPT COMING ON SHOWING A FAILURE IN THE SYSTEM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 722182 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 741881 · 2001-03-04 (March 4, 2001)
MY 1991 MITSUBISHI GALANT STALLED WHILE DRIVING 3 TIMES OVER 3 MONTHS. ONE DAY, THE CAR WOULDN'T START AFTER DRIVING IT TO WORK. THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED IN A SHOP. THE CAR THEN HAD SEVERE HARD IDLING PROBLEMS. THE SERVO WAS THEN REPLACED. THE IDLING PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED AND IS STILL PRESENT. NOW THE CAR HAS TROUBLE STARTING WITH A BRAND NEW COMPUTER.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 741881 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 730046 · 2000-09-04 (September 4, 2000)
SENDING UNIT ON THE DISTRIBUTOR FAILED AS THE CAR DOWN-SHIFTED FROM PASSING GEAR. FUEL PUMP WAS ALSO REPLACED.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 730046 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 741936 · 2001-03-05 (March 5, 2001)
NEVER RECEIVED RECALLS FOR THE CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK, AND I SMELL GAS IN MY CAR. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 741936 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 3 |
| 1997 | 1 |
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1999 | 5 |
| 2000 | 6 |
| 2001 | 7 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
1996: 3; 1997: 1; 1998: 1; 1999: 5; 2000: 6; 2001: 7; 2002: 2; 2003: 2; 2004: 1; 2005: 3; 2006: 1; 2007: 1; 2008: 0; 2009: 0; 2010: 1; 2011: 0; 2012: 0
Year-by-year records
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Change in recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 3 | 1 | Not available |
| 1987 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988 | 6 | 0 | -1 |
| 1989 | 16 | 1 | +1 |
| 1990 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | 35 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993 | 4 | 0 | -1 |
| 1994 | 122 | 3 | +3 |
| 1995 | 144 | 5 | +2 |
| 1996 | 80 | 3 | -2 |
| 1997 | 61 | 1 | -2 |
| 1998 | 39 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | 167 | 5 | +4 |
| 2000 | 136 | 6 | +1 |
| 2001 | 151 | 7 | +1 |
| 2002 | 135 | 2 | -5 |
| 2003 | 126 | 2 | 0 |
| 2004 | 61 | 1 | -1 |
| 2005 | 26 | 3 | +2 |
| 2006 | 24 | 1 | -2 |
| 2007 | 24 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 6 | 0 | -1 |
| 2009 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 9 | 1 | +1 |
| 2011 | 3 | 0 | -1 |
| 2012 | 9 | 0 | 0 |