1998 Mitsubishi Galant: common problems

Owners of the 1998 Mitsubishi Galant filed 53 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 53
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 23% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 23% of all complaints
3 Suspension 15% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
5 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
6 Structure 6% of all complaints
7 Air bags 4% of all complaints
8 Seat belts 4% of all complaints

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

Powertrain: 12 complaints (23% of all).
Service brakes: 12 complaints (23% of all).
Suspension: 8 complaints (15% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 6 complaints (11% of all).
Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (8% of all).

Engines and transmissions

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

2.3 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 53 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

vibration6 · 11%
headlights and tail lights5 · 9%
stalls while driving4 · 8%
steering or power steering problems4 · 8%
knocking, grinding or other noise3 · 6%
warning lights, check engine3 · 6%
jerking, harsh shifts2 · 4%
seat belts2 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 4%
transmission slipping2 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	12	0
Service brakes	12	0
Suspension	8	2
Electrical system	6	0
Engine and cooling	4	0
Structure	3	0
Air bags	2	1
Seat belts	2	0
Steering	2	0
Vehicle speed control	2	0
Visibility	2	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Tires	1	0
Other	3	0

What owners report

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

Lower lateral arm ball joint broke caused my car to crash into a parked vehicle as I was driving at a low rate of speed.
Suspension · crash · 2008-05-26 · NHTSA complaint #10228904
3 years after accident, consumer received a recall notice on lower ball joints that could lead to loss of steering. The consumer's daughter was injured and feels that the dealer should be responsible for damages. Recall#00v421001.
Suspension · crash · 2004-03-12 · NHTSA complaint #10060994
After noticing the red tail lights, rearended small truck. Upon impact, neither air bags deployed. Driver was injured. Vehicle is repairable according to dealership.
Air bags · crash · 1999-12-16 · NHTSA complaint #854097
After backing up, when I drove forward, my car seemed to be quite jumpy and wanted to lurch forwards. At a traffic light about half a mile from home, while I was stopped, I noticed that the car started moving forwards. I immediately slammed hard on the brake. This was extremely unusual and scary.
Vehicle speed control · 2013-01-22 · NHTSA complaint #10493837
When you start the car it makes a load noise until fully heated, and the transmission is pulling and making noise, it gets stuck in gear and will not move to next gear, just stalls and then kicks in.
Powertrain · 2005-12-13 · NHTSA complaint #10145140
Nar 05/21/2003 the consumer seat belts would not retract properly. Dealer was notified.
Seat belts · 2004-08-11 · NHTSA complaint #10020365
Car started stalling at low speeds, had transmission filter changed, found a lot of metal in fluid. Drove car 500 more miles before losing reverse and overdrive. Transmission unable to run at 71,000 miles.
Powertrain · 2003-12-25 · NHTSA complaint #10051088
The bedding on the dash is coming off, including the bedding on the air bag. I have called mitsubishi, they say a service person will call me back in 72 hours and they never do. Mitsubishi motors 1998 gallant.
Structure · 2003-09-03 · NHTSA complaint #10037165

When owners complained

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

19983
199910
20008
20018
20028
20035
20044
20052
20062
20081
20111
20131

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,181 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Galant has 64 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 53, below 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.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Mitsubishi Galant?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, service brakes, suspension. Total complaints: 53. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (11%), headlights and tail lights (9%), stalls while driving (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 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 1998 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 1998 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.