1989 Mitsubishi Galant problems & reliability
19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Mitsubishi Galant. 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 7 | 37% |
| Power Train | 4 | 21% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 5% |
| Structure | 1 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 1 | 5% |
| Wheels | 1 | 5% |
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
“Consumer parked vehicle, she turned it off, and took keys out. Keys were not inside of the car, and consumer walked alway, thinking everything was in order. However, vehicle rolled back, and hit two other vehicles. *ak *ml”
Power Train · filed Jun 28, 2000
“Engine will increase the gas, when stepping on the brake to slow down, the vehicle revved up and increased speed, dealer is not aware of the problem, the warranty has expired. *ak *jb”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Oct 6, 1998
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA95004 · opened Mar 10, 1995 · closed Aug 1, 1995 · led to recall 95V103004
Technical service bulletins
9 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Mitsubishi Galant.
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 Technical Service Bulletin updates the door adjustment procedure in the Body Section of the applicable service manuals.
TSB-13-42A-002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 29, 2013
Information regarding cylinder head gaskets for remanufactured short blocks. *tt
TSB9911007 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 1999
Information about improved automatic transaxle end clutch. *tt
TSB9723015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1997
Torque converter clutch solenoid resistance - service manual revision. *tw
TSB9723007 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 1997
New valve lash adjuster noise checking and troubleshooting procedures. *jd
TSB9711002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1997
Antenna tightening torque. *tw
TSB9654012 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1996
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 Mitsubishi Galant in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 1989 Mitsubishi Galant?
- · 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.