1996 Mitsubishi Galant problems & reliability
136 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. 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.
18 complaints report injuries (23 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1996 Mitsubishi Galant vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 36 | 26% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 28 | 21% |
| Air Bags | 20 | 15% |
| Suspension | 19 | 14% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 12% |
| Structure | 13 | 10% |
| Visibility | 8 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 mitsubishi galant. The contact stated that routine maintenance was being performed on the vehicle when she was notified that the frame was corroded. The mechanic stated that the vehicle needed to be destroyed and was no longer safe to operate. The damage was beyond repair. The manufacturer…”
Structure · filed Apr 26, 2012
“I currently bought the 1996 mitsubishi galant for my wife and 11 month old daughter. The dealer told me I needed a front end alignment to get the pull and shake out of my front end. I took it to an alignment shop and the ase master tech. Told me my control arms were bent due to corrosion of the ball joint, he then…”
Suspension · filed Aug 30, 2010
“Tl*the contact owns a 1996 mitsubishi galant. While attempting to change a flat tire, the jack went straight through the frame while the vehicle was being lifted. The contact had the vehicle towed to a shop and they informed him that there was excessive rust in the rear subframe. The contact sold the vehicle rather…”
Structure · filed May 13, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- LOWER CONTRTOL ARM BALL JOINT
Recall Query RQ00015 · opened Aug 2, 2000 · closed Apr 20, 2001 · led to recall 99V066004
Technical service bulletins
49 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant. 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 1996 Mitsubishi Galant has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 1996 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.