Your vehicle report
1999 Mitsubishi Galant
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 215
- Received Oct 1998 to May 2019
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Front brake rotors warp and wear early39 complaints · 18% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed21 complaints · 9.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines17 complaints · 7.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V428000Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the bilingual english/spanish removable air bag warning labels affixed to the dash and to the sunvisor do not meet the size requirements of the standard.
- Recall #01V011001Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. A hose was mis-manufactured and could weaken over time, which could result in leakage of the automatic transmission fluid.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 30 crashes, 10 fires, 17 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 17 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
1 more problem
Brakes
- Front brake rotors warp and wear early
- Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines
- Brakes make grinding or squealing noise
1 more problem
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 2 |
| 1999 | 46 |
| 2000 | 60 |
| 2001 | 45 |
| 2002 | 16 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 7 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 12 |
| 2007 | 6 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 215 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 39 | 18% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 21 | 9.8% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 17 | 7.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 14 | 6.5% | – | NHTSA recall #99V333001 |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 13 | 6.0% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 11 | 5.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 4.7% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 5 | 2.3% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 1.4% | – | NHTSA recall #00V225001 |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 1.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V428000September 1, 2004100,432 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the bilingual english/spanish removable air bag warning labels affixed to the dash and to the sunvisor do not meet the size requirements of the standard.
This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Remedy
Mitsubishi caribbean will mail a customer notification letter containing a written description and a graphic of the bi-lingual dashboard air bag warning label. In addition, all current 2000-2004 nativa owners will also receive replacement air bag alert labels for the sun visors. This recall is expected to begin during march or april 2005. The notification to the nativa owners is expected to begin during april or may 2005. Owners should contact Mitsubishi caribbean at 1-787-251-8715.
NHTSA recall #01V011001January 16, 2001277,227 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. A hose was mis-manufactured and could weaken over time, which could result in leakage of the automatic transmission fluid.
Fluid leakage from the cooler hoses Can cause transaxle driveability problems and smoke if the oil contacts the front exhaust pipe.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the hose assembly for the automatic transmission oil cooler. Owner notification mailing will be phased over a five-month period starting march 26, through july 23, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.
NHTSA recall #00V225001August 10, 2000228,294 vehicles affected
steering: gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A nut in the steering gear assembly was not properly tightened, resulting in symptoms ranging from steering wheel vibration to stiff steering, and in the worst case, no ability to turn left.
A loss of steering control could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the steering gear assembly if a loose nut connection is found.
NHTSA recall #99V333001November 23, 199919,179 vehicles affected
electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery: cables
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with V6 engines and federal emission equipment. The battery cable harness Can become heat damaged by the front exhaust manifold which could cause grounded circuits.
This circuit failure could cause any of the following to occur: (1) the engine will not start because the main fuse will blow if the power lead is grounded; (2) the low oil pressure warning lamp will illuminate if the signal wire is grounded; (3) the airconditioning system will become inoperative if the lead to the magnetic clutch is grounded; and (4) the turn signal/hazard lamps will become inoperative if the voltage monitor lead is grounded.
Remedy
Dealers will remove and discard a metal manifold bracket (from Galant models only - eclipse has no such bracket). Dealers will also inspect the harness. If the harness wires show no damage, the dealer will install a heat insulator along with heat resistant harness clips. If the harness wires do show damage, the dealers will install a new harness with preinstalled integral heat protection.
NHTSA recall #99V305001November 1, 199998,817 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: headlights: switch; exterior lighting: turn signal: switch; visibility: windshield wiper/washer: switch/wiring
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The column switch levers Can become loose or break over time.
Loosening or cracking of the levers Can cause directional lamps that do not self-cancel or operate, head lamps that do not turn off, windshield washers that operate continuously and/or windshield wipers that do not operate.
Remedy
Dealers will install a redesigned switch.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1999 Mitsubishi Galant.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN