AI Damage1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT filed 35 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 35
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 34% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 34% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 20% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 3% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 3% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 3% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 12 complaints (34% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 12 complaints (34% of all).
- Wheels: 7 complaints (20% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (6% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (3% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 35 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My car is well kept and garaged at night. In november 2012, I was having trouble with the car and was told by my mechanic of 20 years that my "total front end" on the car needed replaced. This required the replacement of gaskets, an oal flex, rack & pinion, and a wheel alignment.
Seat belt retractors stop working over time, causing extreme slack on the seat belt. There is no tightness left on seat belt, even when wearing while driving. If a crash were to occur, the seat belt would not be able to do it's job.
While driving 60 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. She was able to move the vehicle on the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the garage for diagnostic testing which indicated that the transmission transfer case wasn't sealed properly causing the fluid to leak.
I own a 1997 mitsubishi 3000gt and the seat belt restraint system for the drives and passenger side fail to retract. The only way to resolve the problem is to remove the seatbelt while driving and manually feed the belt back into the system.
On both cars there was tremendous slacks in the seat belts. I worry that if not recalled they would do little to protect me in a collision. Please investigate this.
My car had the oil leak and after running dry I have had damage to the transfer case leaving the car in an unsafe condition. Most disturbing was the fact that the dealer told my 18 year old son it was safe to drive home. If the gears had locked up he could have been seriously hurt.
1997 mitsubishi gt 3000 - defective chrome wheels flake, peel and wear inside so that a seal cannot be maintained. Constantly, inflate tires where of a horrific safety hazard. Stranded with flats. Expensive chrome wheels came standard with this vehicle.
Dealer will inspect the transfer case for indications of oil leakage or damage. Vehicles that have oil leakage will have the transfer case resealed and refilled the transfer case to the proper level or replaced the transfer case if there was evidence of damage.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,335 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 3000GT has 39 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 35, about average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, seat belts, wheels. Total complaints: 35. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (31%), oil leak or consumption (6%), rust, corrosion (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.