AI Damage1996 Mitsubishi Galant: common problems
Owners of the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant filed 136 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 136
- involving a crash
- 27
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 26% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 22% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 14% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 10% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 36 complaints (26% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 30 complaints (22% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 20 complaints (15% of all), 18 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 19 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 16 complaints (12% 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 136 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 | 36 | 3 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 30 | 6 | 0 |
| Air bags | 20 | 18 | 0 |
| Suspension | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 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.
We were in a 1996 mitsubishi galant with only 78k miles and we were both wearing our seatbelts. Neither airbag deployed! It was a direct hit right in the front of our car at over 45 mph. Now my wife may have permanent back pain. I can get the vin number if you need it. I just dont have access to it today.
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…
While driving 60 mph the vehicle's brake failed without warning. As a result the vehicle hit a brick wall. Air bags deployed. The driver sustained severe injuries to the back. Please provide additional information.
Recall received on ball joint, ball joint boot. Took car to dealership and the service department checked it and said it was ok on 7/28/00. On 9/4/00 the ball joint broke, causing the left front wheel to turn sideways and causing a crash.
Consumer was driving on the street approximately 35mph with foot on gas pedal. Gas pedal became stuck. Vehicle started to accelerate, driver lost control, and crashed into a building. Consumer had internal injuries.
While driving at 50 mph the ball joint came out of joint, causing the axle to break. A recall was received on the ball joints and the vehicle was taken in for inspection. The dealer passed the vehicle off, stating that the suspension and ball joints were ok.
During a head-on collision in which the consumer was driving 20 mph, and other vehicle was going 60 mph, airbags failed to deploy. The manufacturer has been contacted.
The driver's head hit the windshield after running into a ditch while trying to miss hitting a deer on the road because the front seat belts did not lock upon impact, and the airbags did not deploy.
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 2,845 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Galant has 64 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 136, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
- Galant 19864 sources
- Galant 19879 sources
- Galant 19887 sources
- Galant 198919 sources
- Galant 199021 sources
- Galant 199163 sources
- Galant 199239 sources
- Galant 19939 sources
- Galant 1994198 sources
- Galant 1995209 sources
- Galant 199780 sources
- Galant 199853 sources
- Galant 1999215 sources
- Galant 2000136 sources
- Galant 2001151 sources
- Galant 2002135 sources
- Galant 2003126 sources
- Galant 200461 sources
- Galant 200526 sources
- Galant 200624 sources
- Galant 200724 sources
- Galant 20086 sources
- Galant 200916 sources
- Galant 20109 sources
- Galant 20113 sources
- Galant 20129 sources
- Galant 99994 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, service brakes, air bags. Total complaints: 136. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (9%), smoke, burning smell, fire (6%), windows, sunroof (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 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 1996 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 1996 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.