1988 Mitsubishi Galant: common problems

Owners of the 1988 Mitsubishi Galant filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 7

What fails most often

1 Seat belts 57% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
3 Seats 14% of all complaints
4 Steering 14% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Seat belts: 4 complaints (57% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (14% of all).
Seats: 1 complaints (14% of all).
Steering: 1 complaints (14% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 7 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts2 · 29%
oil leak or consumption1 · 14%
steering or power steering problems1 · 14%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Seat belts	4	0	0
Engine and cooling	1	0	0
Seats	1	0	0
Steering	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.

Failure on the front passenger side seat when driving the seat moves.
Seats · 1996-06-25 · NHTSA complaint #986122
Buckle unlatches after latching. Dealer made four attempts to fix.
Seat belts · 1996-04-26 · NHTSA complaint #983639
Problems with the oil and exhaust system leaking oil replaced transmission. Tt
Engine and cooling · 1995-10-20 · NHTSA complaint #973714
Drivers side seat belt buckle broke, can't lock it, there is a piece of plastic inside. Tt
Seat belts · 1995-04-25 · NHTSA complaint #964285

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19954
19963

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 12,538 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Galant has 64 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 7, below average.

What to check before buying

Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1988 Mitsubishi Galant?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, engine and cooling, seats. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (29%), oil leak or consumption (14%), steering or power steering problems (14%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 Mitsubishi Galant?

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 1988 Mitsubishi Galant 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 1988 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.