1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT problems & reliability
35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 12 | 34% |
| Seat Belts → | 12 | 34% |
| Wheels | 7 | 20% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
| Steering | 1 | 3% |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% |
| Tires | 1 | 3% |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My car is well kept and garaged at night. In november 2012, I was having trouble with the car and was told by my mechanic of 20 years that my "total front end" on the car needed replaced. This required the replacement of gaskets, an oal flex, rack & pinion, and a wheel alignment. It was a very expensive job with the…”
Steering · filed Feb 24, 2014
“Seat belt retractors stop working over time, causing extreme slack on the seat belt. There is no tightness left on seat belt, even when wearing while driving. If a crash were to occur, the seat belt would not be able to do it's job. *tr”
Seat Belts · filed May 18, 2011
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mitsubishi 3000gt. While driving 60 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. She was able to move the vehicle on the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the garage for diagnostic testing which indicated that the transmission transfer case wasn't sealed properly causing the fluid to…”
Power Train · filed Aug 11, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- TRANSFER CASE LOCKUP
Preliminary Evaluation PE02013 · opened Jan 31, 2002 · closed Jun 3, 2002 · led to recall 02V143002
Technical service bulletins
40 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT. The 10 most recent:
This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew condensation, which is a natural phenomenon, and water penetration caused by improper sealing or a defective/broken part.
TSB-22-54-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2022
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT253 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2019
This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes TSB-18-00-003, issued April, 2018, to add updated information for Carrying Capacity Reduced Label.
TSB-19-00-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 30, 2019
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT237 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2018
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT218 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 28, 2015
This TSB contains troubleshooting steps for diagnosis of various customer complaints relating to the audio system speakers in Mitsubishi vehicles equipped with original equipment audio components.
TSB-15-54-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2015
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2015
This is an index of Tech Talk newsletter articles released in 2012.
TTIndex12 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 5, 2013
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT195 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 5, 2013
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT194 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 6, 2013
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.