1994 Mitsubishi Galant: common problems

Owners of the 1994 Mitsubishi Galant filed 198 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 198
involving a crash: 34

What fails most often

1 Suspension 29% of all complaints
2 Air bags 18% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
5 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
6 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
7 Steering 6% of all complaints
8 Structure 6% of all complaints

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

Suspension: 57 complaints (29% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Air bags: 35 complaints (18% of all), 26 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 25 complaints (13% of all).
Service brakes: 19 complaints (10% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 17 complaints (9% of all).

Engines and transmissions

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

2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 198 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbags did not deploy13 · 7%
seat belts9 · 5%
windows, sunroof7 · 4%
headlights and tail lights6 · 3%
vibration6 · 3%
A/C or heater5 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire5 · 3%
stalls while driving5 · 3%
door locks, latches, handles4 · 2%
knocking, grinding or other noise4 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Suspension	57	3
Air bags	35	26
Powertrain	25	0
Service brakes	19	2
Engine and cooling	17	0
Electrical system	13	0
Steering	12	3
Structure	12	0
Exterior lighting	10	0
Visibility	10	0
Seat belts	9	4
Equipment	6	0
Latches, locks, linkages	6	0
Wheels	6	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The brake pedal went to the floor, resulting in a rear end accident. The car has been totaled with no explanation of why the brakes failed.
Service brakes · crash · 2005-03-12 · NHTSA complaint #10113983
The air bags did not open during my automobile accident it was practically a head on collision and I was going at a speed of 45 mph it was a good thing I was wearing my seatbelt or I would have gone right through the front windshield.
Air bags · crash · 2003-07-04 · NHTSA complaint #10025433
While making a right turn driver lost control of vehicle and hit 3 parked vehicles. Vehicle and other 3 vehicles were totaled. Dealer couldn't find cause.
Steering · crash · 2000-09-05 · NHTSA complaint #869564
Consumer was driving at approx 5-10 mph when it hit a truck head-on, dual airbags did not deploy, causing chest injuries to driver .
Air bags · crash · 1999-07-30 · NHTSA complaint #843971
Daughter rearended jeep under-riding jeep bumper pushing radiator back into engine and crumpling hood. Air bags failed to deploy. Driver & passenger wore seat belts.
Air bags · crash · 1999-04-25 · NHTSA complaint #705974
While driving the vehicle front right control arm broke off, causing loss of steering control. Dealer replaced right and left side control arms. 4 weeks later while driving the front right control arm broke again, causing an accident.
Suspension · crash · 1997-04-22 · NHTSA complaint #811520
Emergency brake disengaged on flat surface and incline, resulting in a roll away. Tt
Parking brake · crash · 1996-02-09 · NHTSA complaint #978991
Was struck from the rear while at a light upon impact drivers seat belt came unlatch. Tt
Seat belts · crash · 1995-07-05 · NHTSA complaint #968196

When owners complained

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

199526
199620
199711
19986
199949
200035
200124
200212
20033
20045
20056
20061
20071
20091
20161

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,061 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Galant has 64 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 198, above average.

What to check before buying

Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1994 Mitsubishi Galant?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, air bags, powertrain. Total complaints: 198. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (7%), seat belts (5%), windows, sunroof (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1994 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 1994 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 1994 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.