Problems · NHTSA complaints

1996 Mitsubishi Galant problems

Owners filed 144 complaints about the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant with NHTSA between Feb 1996 and Apr 2012. The most-cited component is power train (33).

Complaints
144
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
27
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
23
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train33
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic30
  3. Air bags21
  4. Suspension20
  5. Engine and engine cooling14
  6. Structure13
  7. Vehicle speed control7
  8. Visibility6
  9. Seat belts5
  10. Electrical system4
  11. Equipment4
  12. Tires3
  13. Steering3
  14. Service brakes, air2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199615
199715
19987
199929
200022
200123
200210
20033
20048
20055
20060
20073
20081
20090
20101
20111
20121

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

33 reports3 crashes
“MY MITSUBISHI MAGNA 1996 HAD VERY LITTLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS BEFORE LAST YEAR WHEN I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND NOTICED AND OVERREV AND SUDDEN BUMP INTO 3RD GEAR AND OVER TIME IT FADED OUT TO NOTHING AND THEN I WAS DRIVING IT AND THEN LOST 3RD GEAR COMPLETELY...IT TRYS TO GO INTO THE 3RD GEAR BUT WON'T GO IN AND FALLS INTO NEUTRAL I'VE ASKED MANY AUTO TRANSMISSION PLACES AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA BUT WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME 1000 BUCKS TO LOOK AT IT SO I HAVEN'T HAD IT FIXED AND AM NOW GETTING ANOTHER CAR BUT I STILL WANT CLOSURE. *LN”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 8, 2011Power trainODI 10375201

Service brakes, hydraulic

30 reports6 crashes
“I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH MY SUN ROOF, BRAKES, GAS, ACCELERATION AND OVER HEATING OF MY CAR. MY SUN ROOF ABOUT EVERY OTHER MONTH SOMETHING GOES WRONG WITH IT EVERY TIME I OPEN IT. MY BREAKS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ABOUT 4 OR 5 TIMES BECAUSE THE WEAR OUT QUICK. WHEN I BREAK MY TIERS SKIP THE CAR STOPS BUT THE TIERS KEEP TURNING. MY GAS IS GONE QUICK AND I ONLY DRIVE HERE IN TOWN FROM WORK TO HOME TO DAYCARE. SOMETIMES WHEN I TURN MY CAR ON THE SPEEDOMETER MOVES BY ITS SELF AS IF I WERE PUSHING THE GAS PEDDLE AND MY FOOTS ON THE BREAK WHEN IT DOES IT BY ITS SELF AND IT DOES IT WHEN I'M DRIVING. I CAN DRIVE A BLOCK AND MY CAR GETS REALLY HOT AND THE FAN IS ON RIGHT AWAY. I CAN'T STAND MY CARE ANYMORE ITS NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS FOR A WHILE.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 19, 2004Service brakes, hydraulic, Visibility, Vehicle speed controlODI 10088235

Air bags

21 reports18 crashes
“A TRUCK DROPPED SOME BOXES ON THE FREEWAY. A CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY TO AVOID THE BOXES, ANOTHER CAR HIT THEM, FINALLY WE HIT THAT CAR. IT WAS A 3 CAR PILEUP. I WAS DRIVING AND MY WIFE WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. WE WERE THE LAST CAR IN THE LINE AND HIT AT ABOUT 45+ MPH. WE WERE IN A 1996 MITSUBISHI GALANT WITH ONLY 78K MILES AND WE WERE BOTH WEARING OUR SEATBELTS. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED! IT WAS A DIRECT HIT RIGHT IN THE FRONT OF OUR CAR AT OVER 45 MPH. NOW MY WIFE MAY HAVE PERMANENT BACK PAIN. I CAN GET THE VIN NUMBER IF YOU NEED IT. I JUST DONT HAVE ACCESS TO IT TODAY.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 20, 2004Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10088286

Suspension

20 reports2 crashes2 related recalls
“I CURRENTLY BOUGHT THE 1996 MITSUBISHI GALANT FOR MY WIFE AND 11 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER. THE DEALER TOLD ME I NEEDED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT TO GET THE PULL AND SHAKE OUT OF MY FRONT END. I TOOK IT TO AN ALIGNMENT SHOP AND THE ASE MASTER TECH. TOLD ME MY CONTROL ARMS WERE BENT DUE TO CORROSION OF THE BALL JOINT, HE THEN TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES AND IF I DON'T GET THE PROBLEM FIXED IT COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF STEERING. I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE SAFE FOR MY WIFE TO LOSE STEERING WITH OUR INFANT DAUGHTER SO NOW I GOT BIGGER PROBLEMS THEN A TWENTY FIVE DOLLAR FRONT END ALIGNMENT. I'M UPSET AT THE DEALER FOR NOT INFORMING ME WITH THESE RECALLS NOT THE MANUFACTURE FOR MAKING THE BAD PART. PLEASE HELP BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 30, 2010SuspensionODI 10352659

Engine and engine cooling

14 reports1 fire
“I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED THREE TIMES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND WHEN I GOT HOME, THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE NEXT DAY, I PLACED THE GEAR IN DRIVE, AND PRESSED THE GAS; IT SOUNDED AS IF THE ENTIRE EVERYTHING WOULD FALL OUT. MY TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT WITHOUT WARNING, AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I NOW SEE THAT THERE IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT MITSUBISHI TAKES RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATE US, THE CONSUMERS. IF THEY DON'T, THEY WILL ONLY LOSE CUSTOMERS. THANKS.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 10, 2003Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10021330

Structure

13 reports2 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MITSUBISHI GALANT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS BEING PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE WHEN SHE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE DESTROYED AND WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO OPERATE. THE DAMAGE WAS BEYOND REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 179,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 26, 2012StructureODI 10456584
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.