2009 Mitsubishi Galant: common problems

Owners of the 2009 Mitsubishi Galant filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and structure. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 16
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Air bags 63% of all complaints
2 Structure 25% of all complaints
3 Wheels 19% of all complaints
4 Tires 13% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
6 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 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.

Air bags: 10 complaints (63% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 4 complaints (25% of all).
Wheels: 3 complaints (19% of all).
Tires: 2 complaints (13% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (6% 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
3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
automatic, 5-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 16 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbag warning light3 · 19%
airbags did not deploy2 · 13%
rust, corrosion2 · 13%
seat belts2 · 13%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 6%
warning lights, check engine1 · 6%
windows, sunroof1 · 6%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	10	3
Structure	4	0
Wheels	3	0
Tires	2	0
Powertrain	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Service brakes	1	0
Other	1	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 air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not towed. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified.
Air bags · crash · 2018-02-12 · NHTSA complaint #11072397
But, smoke and fumes were coming from the steering wheel. I thought it was about to explode or catch on fire.
Air bags · crash · 2014-11-07 · NHTSA complaint #10653238
The contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, the vehicle was involved in a frontal crash but the air bags did not deploy. There were no prior problems with the air bags. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The manufacturer had not been notified.
Air bags · crash · 2010-10-18 · NHTSA complaint #10360983
I was driving about 60 miles per hour on the highway around 3:00 pm on a weekday and my sunroof just shattered into thousands of pieces, it sounded like a gunshot when it broke. I swerved into the next lane, nothing happened but this incident could of been a lot worse.
Structure · 2015-08-19 · NHTSA complaint #10749877
Not even three years later, three (3) of the four (4) tires have severe cracking where the tread meets the sidewall. The only reason the fourth tire wasn't damaged the same way is I had a nail stuck in the sidewall prior the first tire failure and had to replace it, so I can only assume it would have had the same…
Wheels · 2012-02-27 · NHTSA complaint #10449510
When going in reverse the car makes a horrible loud noise. The car is still in factory condition and not using any aftermarket parts. Dealer states they have tore down the rear end of another car and lubed and oiled and sat for overnight and did the same noise. Seems to be a very big defect in something used.
Wheels · 2011-12-03 · NHTSA complaint #10438206
Tl contact owns a 2009 mitsubishi galant. The manufacturer of the tires are yokohama, model name radial all season tubeless, and the tire size is p/215/60/r16. When attempting to stop the vehicle the tires cause the vehicle to slide abnormally.
Tires · 2008-12-24 · NHTSA complaint #10252715

When owners complained

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

20081
20102
20112
20121
20141
20151
20163
20171
20181
20201
20231
20241

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 9,040 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Galant has 64 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 16, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Mitsubishi Galant?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, structure, wheels. Total complaints: 16. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (19%), airbags did not deploy (13%), rust, corrosion (13%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 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 2009 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 2009 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.