Problems · by component

1996 Mitsubishi Galant power train problems

33 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant cite power train, 23% of all 144 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
33
23% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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
“TRANSMISSION FLUID DIPSTICK IMPOSSIBLE TO READ, NOTIFIED DEALER, DEALER SAID THAT'S JUST HOW IT IS DESIGNED. I'M WORRIED BECAUSE TRANMISSIONS ARE A COMMON FAILURE ON THIS GENERATION OF MITSUBISHI GALANT. CAN THIS BE CORRECTED BY A DIPSTICK REDESIGN?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 5, 2005Power trainODI 10124238
“TRANSMISSION FAILED SUDDENLY @ 96,498 MILES IN 1996 MITSUBISHI GALANT VIN# [XXX].....COLEMAN TAYLOR TRANSMISSION/MEMPHIS TN ATTEMPTED TO REBUILD TRANSMISSION FOR 3 WEEKS.....HAD TO REMOVE AND GET ANOTHER REBUILT TRANSMISSION......4 DAYS AFTER PICKING CAR UP.....GEARS 1-3 SLAM SEVERELY IN AND OUT OF GEARS UP AND DOWN......GEARS 4-5 OK AN EXPRESSWAY......REPORTED PROB TO COLEMAN TAYLOR....SUGGESTED (ON A SATURDAY) TO REMOVE GROUND FROM BATTERY TO RE-SET COMPUTER AND TOLD TO TEST DRIVE....TEST DROVE AND TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLAMMING IN AND OUT OF GEARS 1-3 SEVERELY AND MAKING A TERRIBLE NOICE, CAUSING DRIVER TO RUN INTO A DITCH.....CAR IS EXPECTED TO BE DETERMINED A TOTALED BY PROGRESSIVE INS TODAY...........AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER.........CAUSED A $75.00 TOWING AND FINE BY MEMPHIS POLICE DEPT FOR FAILING TO MAINTAIN OUTLOOK (THEY FELT SORRY FOR US!)...*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 26, 2004Power trainCrash reportedODI 10067816
“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
“I OWNED MY CAR FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS WHEN THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT APPROX. 40000 MILES WARRANTY REPLACEMENT. APPROX. 1 YEAR LATER THAT TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AT THAT TIME AND I HAD TO PAY $1700 TO REPAIR IT. 4 MONTHS AFTER THAT THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT A THIRD TIME, I BOUGHT A USED TRANSMISSION AND HAD IT INSTALLED. THE TRANSMISSION STILL DOES NOT ACT RIGHT, SHIFTING HARD AND THUMPING A LOT. THERE IS DEFINITLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE CARS AND OR TRANSMISSIONS. DT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 5, 2002Power trainODI 770522
“ON MARCH 20, 1999 I PURCHASED THE MITSUBISHI GALANT FROM MARK ESCUDE TOYOTA OF 955 I-20 S. FRONTAGE RD JACKSON< MS 39204 (601) 948-3420. AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, ABOUT 15-20 MILES AWAY THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT & HAD TO BE TOWED BACK. ON MARCH 24, 1999 WE RETURNED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, 2 HOURS AWAY, TO PICK UP THE CAR. NOW, ALMOST 30000 MILES LATER THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT ONCE AGAIN, MAKING THIS THE THIRD TRANSMISSION TO BE PLACED IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER GOING ONLINE & DOING CHECKS ON THE '96 GALANT'S TRANSMISSION I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS CASES AFTER CASES OF THE SAME GALANT S SERIES IN WHICH I HAVE WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS HAVING TO BE REPLACED. UNDOUBTABLEY, THERE IS SOMETHING IN THIS PATICULAR MODEL THAT IS CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH 2 DIFFERRENT PEOPLE WITH MITSUBISHI MOTORS & THEY FEEL THAT IT IS JUST COINSIDENCE THAT THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, & MODEL WITH THE SAME TYPE TRANSMISSION HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I FEEL THAT BY PUTTING ANOTHER TRANSMISSION IN THE CAR WILL NOT SOLVE ANYTHING BUT ONLY RUIN ANOTHER TRANSMISSION COSTING THE CONSUMER. DT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 3, 2002Power trainODI 770400

Showing 6 of 33 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

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

Other 1996 Galant problem areas