Problems · NHTSA complaints

2001 Mitsubishi Galant problems

Owners filed 161 complaints about the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant with NHTSA between Jan 2001 and Jan 2020. The most-cited component is air bags (32).

Complaints
161
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
42
Reported by owners
Fires
12
Reported by owners
Injuries
24
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags32
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic28
  3. Power train23
  4. Engine and engine cooling22
  5. Structure17
  6. Electrical system13
  7. Suspension9
  8. Vehicle speed control8
  9. Fuel system, gasoline8
  10. Engine4
  11. Visibility4
  12. Fuel system, other4
  13. Seats3
  14. Exterior lighting3

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
200117
200228
200317
200420
200519
200612
20079
200812
200910
20104
20110
20122
20131
20145
20153
20161
20170
20180
20190
20201

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

Air bags

32 reports25 crashes
“I HAVE HAD REPEATED INCIDENTS WHERE MY HORN WILL SOUND DURING THE NIGHT, AND IF I WAS USING IT AS A WARNING TO ANOTHER DRIVER. I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES, AND I WAS FINALLY TOLD THAT THE AIRBAG IS PROBABLY WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. NOW MY HORN DOESN'T SOUND AT ALL AND THIS POSES A SAFETY HAZARD TO ME, MY CHILDREN AND ANY OTHER PASSENGERS AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 24, 2014Electrical system, Air bagsODI 10649656

Service brakes, hydraulic

28 reports9 crashes
“RIGHT REAR TIRE HIT HOLE OR BUMP IN PARKING. ACTIVATED ANTI-LOCK BRAKING FOR FIRST TIME SINCE BUYING CAR IN 2001. LOST STEERING CONTROL AT SAME TIME. COULDN'T TURN IT. STOPPED BEFORE ENTERING HIGHWAY. PUT CAR IN PARK; THEN DRIVE AND SLOWLY TOOK OFF. STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. DANGEROUS SITUATION IF I WAS IN TRAFFIC OR MEETING ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT PARKING LOCK. FAINT ODOR OF FUEL. NO OBVIOUS LEAK ON GROUND. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 14, 2010Steering, Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10343366

Power train

23 reports2 crashes7 fires1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MITSUBISHI GALANT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE THE TRANSMISSION HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT OPERATE IN THE DRIVE AND REVERSE POSITION. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A LEAKAGE AND SMOKE WAS ALSO PRESENT COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD ONLY OCCUR WHEN ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS HEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AND WAS REPLACED IN 2013. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 2, 2020Power trainFire reportedODI 11296677

Engine and engine cooling

22 reports4 fires1 related recall
“AS OF APPX 8 MONTHS AGO, VEHICLE HAS BUCKED ON STARTUP. IT JUMPS OUT , AND THEN STOPS. CAR IN FORWARD OR REVERSE JOLTS OUT BUT THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT OCCURRENCE. YESTERDAY, BEST DESCRIBES PROBLEM, AS I APPROACHED RED LIGHT AND PUT FOOT ON ACCELERATOR AND CAR JUMPED OUT 3 OR 4 TIMES BEFORE ACTUALLY MOVING FORWARD....THIS HAPPENED FOR THE WHOLE LENGTH OF MY TRIP...NECESSITATING HAVING TO PUT MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON SO I WOULD NOT BE HIT FROM BEHIND. REPEATED TRIPS TO REPUTABLE MECHANIC AND TRANSMISSION GARAGE ARE NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION OIL AND FILTER AND CLEANING OF SOLENOIDS HAS BEEN DONE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 22, 2013Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10553467

Structure

17 reports1 crash
“MY 2001 MITSUBISHI GALANT HAS BEEN LEAKING VERY BAD ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSANGER SIDE EVER SINCE I GOT IT. I NOT ONLY HAVE TO FOLD MY PANT LEGS WHEN I RIDE IN MY CAR BUT IT IS ALSO GROWING MOLD, WHICH CAN'T BE HEALTHY. IT ALSO HAS NEVER HAD GOOD EXTERIOR LIGHTING. MY HEADLIGHTS ALWAYS SEEM DIM AND THEY POINT UPWARD RATHER THAN AT THE ROAD WHERE THEY BELONG. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2010Exterior lighting, StructureODI 10348893

Electrical system

13 reports1 crash1 fire1 related recall
“MY HEATER STOPPED WORKING. THEN THE HEAT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST A HALF AN HOUR BEFORE COMING ON BUT WOULD ONLY STAY WARM WHEN I WAS DRIVING. CANNOT KEEP MY WINDOWS DEFROSTED IN THE WINTER! VERY UNSAFE! ALSO, MY LEFT, FRONT HEADLIGHT WILL GO ON BY ITSELF AND WILL BLINK, WITHOUT ANY KEY IN IGNITION, IT WILL STILL COME ON. DRVING AT NIGHT, HEADLIGHTS WOULDNT COME ON BUT THAT FRONT LEFT HEADLIGHT WOULD BLINK. I CAN ALSO HEAR A CLICKING SOUND WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 4, 2012Electrical system, Exterior lighting, VisibilityODI 10442328
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.