2010 Mitsubishi Galant: common problems

Owners of the 2010 Mitsubishi Galant filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 9
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Air bags 33% of all complaints
2 Seat belts 33% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
4 Engine 11% of all complaints
5 Equipment 11% of all complaints
6 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
7 Structure 11% of all complaints
8 Suspension 11% 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: 3 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Seat belts: 3 complaints (33% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Engine: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Equipment: 1 complaints (11% 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

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 9 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts3 · 33%
airbags did not deploy1 · 11%
jerking, harsh shifts1 · 11%
loss of power / limp mode1 · 11%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	3	1
Seat belts	3	2
Electrical system	1	0
Engine	1	0
Equipment	1	0
Powertrain	1	0
Structure	1	0
Suspension	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 contact stated that the seat belt restraint system failed. The contact sustained injuries to the neck and back that required medical attention. There was no police report filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was repaired. The details of the repairs were unknown.
Seat belts · crash · 2015-09-09 · NHTSA complaint #10762591
The air bags did not deploy nor did the seat belt restrain properly. The contact was thrown forward abruptly and sustained injuries to the neck. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was not filed of the incident. The failure and current mileage was 70,000.
Air bags · crash · 2013-05-08 · NHTSA complaint #10511081
My airbags released while driving on the highway. My safety was definitely at risk. My vehicle was inspected by the police on site and my car will also be inspected by the adjuster on my insurance claim.
Air bags · 2024-03-11 · NHTSA complaint #11576509
The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with both the control arms and the crossmember. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V279000 (Structure, Suspension) but the VIN was not included.
Structure · 2023-09-28 · NHTSA complaint #11547208
While driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a loud noise and the engine lost power. The vehicle would not exceed 20 mph. The contact pulled the vehicle over and had it towed back home.
Engine · 2018-11-06 · NHTSA complaint #11149762
The contact stated that the passenger side seat belt failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage and vin were not available.
Seat belts · 2016-11-07 · NHTSA complaint #10924654
Had trouble changing gears from park to drive felt like it was getting stuck and I had to jerk it to be able to switch gears. Once I was able to switch the gear into drive and started driving the nutrual light began to flash and my car would not pick up speed.
Powertrain · 2014-09-15 · NHTSA complaint #10633283
Mitsubishi updates their maps for the galant every 1.5 years, however the maps used to update are old maps. For example, the april 2013 version has maps from 2011.
Electrical system · 2013-10-26 · NHTSA complaint #10549623

When owners complained

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

20121
20132
20141
20151
20161
20181
20231
20241

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Galant has 64 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 9, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Mitsubishi Galant?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, seat belts, electrical system. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (33%), airbags did not deploy (11%), jerking, harsh shifts (11%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 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 2010 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 2010 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.