2001 Mitsubishi Galant Problems & Complaints

Avoid2.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Galant at the same age

Owners have filed 151 complaints about the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 2.8× as many as a typical Galant model year at the same age, which makes the 2001 one of the Galant years to avoid. The most reported problem area is the brakes (33 complaints, typically around 34,000 miles). 7 recalls cover this model year.

151complaints
7recalls
40crashes
11fires
22injuries
0deaths

Most common 2001 Mitsubishi Galant problems

  • Brakes~34,000 miles
    3322%
  • Air bags~43,000 miles
    3121%
  • Engine & cooling~100,000 miles
    2517%
  • 2013%
  • Body & structure~57,000 miles
    1611%
  • Electrical system~60,000 miles
    139%
  • Fuel & propulsion system~113,000 miles
    117%
  • Suspension~45,000 miles
    107%
  • Speed control & acceleration~79,000 miles
    85%
  • Other / not specified~1,000 miles
    43%
  • Seat belts
    32%
  • Seats
    32%
  • Steering~103,000 miles
    32%
  • Lights~90,000 miles
    32%
  • A/C & heater~48,000 miles
    32%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof~115,000 miles
    21%
  • Stability & traction control~13,000 miles
    21%
  • Wheels & tires
    11%
  • Locks & latches~57,000 miles
    11%
  • Equipment & accessories~65,000 miles
    11%

Share of the 151 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Mitsubishi Galant complaints by model year

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’1220913680532151361511351266126242461699
Owner complaints per model year, Mitsubishi Galant. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Galant years: 2008, 2010, 2012. Years to avoid: 1999, 2001, 2000, 2002, 2003. Compare all years →

2001 Mitsubishi Galant recalls (7)

Equipment › Other › Labels

NHTSA recall 04V-428 · Sep 1, 2004 · 100,432 vehicles

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.

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.

Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly

NHTSA recall 01V-069 · Mar 8, 2001 · 192 vehicles

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A bulge in the fuel tank caused by the manufacturing process resulted in thinning of the material during a welding operation, increasing the risk of fuel leakage.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel tank assembly. Owner notification began March 26, 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…

Power train › Automatic transmission › Cooling unit and lines

NHTSA recall 01V011001 · Jan 16, 2001 · 277,227 vehicles

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.

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.

Seats

NHTSA recall 01V005001 · Jan 8, 2001 · 47 vehicles

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A number of incorrect driver side seat mounting bolts were installed into vehicles.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the seat mounting bolts and then replace the bolts if necessary. Owner notification began February 15, 2001.

Electrical system › Wiring › Rear compartment/trunk

NHTSA recall 00V-339 · Oct 24, 2000 · 13,974 vehicles

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The routing of the wiring harness under the right and left side of the rear seat could allow the harness to contact the body. The wires in each harness control the stop lamp circuit, back-up lamp circuit, and the turn lamp circuit.

Remedy: Dealers will re-route and secure the harnesses and, if necessary, repair any pre-existing wire insulation damage.

Show 1 more recall

Engine and engine cooling › Engine

NHTSA recall 00V299001 · Oct 2, 2000 · 6,037 vehicles

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The harness for the crankshaft position sensor could come in contact with a new protective shield causing a grounded circuit.

Remedy: Dealers will re-route the crankshaft position sensor harness.

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant:

Passenger door fire

NHTSA investigation EA08011 · opened Jul 1, 2008 · closed Aug 21, 2009

In response to this investigation, Mitsubishi motors north America (mmna) initiated a special program on July 31, 2009, to extend the warranty coverage on model year (my) 2001-2003 galant vehicle passenger side window switches to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first.notification of this special coverage program to all registered vehicle owners is scheduled to begin in late-September 2009.owners who have…

What 2001 Mitsubishi Galant owners say

Brakes all 33 →

Complaint: repeated problems with front brakes. Rotors have needed to be resurfaced several times and now are unable to be resurfaced again and need to be replaced. Continuous vibration of brake pedal and in steering wheel while braking. At times, entire car feels like it is shaking (passengers notice the vibrations through their feet on the floorboard). Was involved in an accident in November of 2002 where I felt that if the brakes were operating as they should be, I would have been able to stop in time. Dealer has not been contacted, although judging by the sheer number of complaints, I'm sure they are aware of the braking issues with the Galant. Please provide me with more information. …

Foundation components › Disc › Rotor · 24,000 miles · Nov 2002 · crash

This car has had a problem with the o2 sensors, fuel line, oil leaks, fuse and electrical shorts from the start. We have tried to fix the problems, but the repairs never lasted long. The brake line recently started leaking. Today we were in a wreck because the brakes went out. We were traveling at 35 MPH and should have had time to stop. The car slid under a truck, and was totaled. We were never contacted about any recalls involving our car.

250,000 miles · May 2014 · crash

Air bags all 31 →

Tl*- the contact owns 2001 Mitsubishi gallant. The horn would sound without being depressed whether the ignition was on or off. The contact stated that the horn sounded off sporadically without warning. The dealer determined that the airbags needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the airbags. However, the horn continued to beep. The dealer was unable to diagnose the failure, and informed the contact they were unable to duplicate the problem. The contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer complaint #1-203-916-392. The vehicle currently had 94000 miles. Dealer stated both horn assembly and air bags needed to be replaced ,the horn shorted out air bags. Customer states was involved in accident on 3/2 when car rolled back into front bumper. The consumer was not able to warn the driver by blowing the horn because the horn short circuited and would not work. …

94,000 miles · Mar 2007 · crash

Me and my wife were driving about 45 miles an hour when the rear end of my car started sliding I try to correct the fish tale but the driver rear tire and rim folded under the car which cause the car to flip several times no airbags deployed the car was so crushed I had to dig down into the ditch to free myself from the car upon taking a closer look I realized the sway bar had pulled apart from both sides of the rear of the car also the main support of the rear suspension had broken in too therefore causing the car to flip we could have easily died in this crash and 2 year old and our 6 month old would have no parents.

38,000 miles · Mar 2002 · crash · 2 injuries

Engine & cooling all 25 →

My car had an overheating problem last December 12/2007. Therefore I took it to a mechanic to get it fixed. They said they replaced the radiator, fan control, and upper and lower radiator hoses- (I have the receipt for that). A week later when I was driving, the car started to catch fire. The fire was coming from the front. The whole car up to the back seats were all damaged because of the fire, only the luggage was OK. So my insurance company conducted an investigation to see the cause of the fire and their report was that it was the mechanics fault. (I have the investigation report with me). However, the mechanic shop wanted to conduct their own investigation as well. So their conclusion was that this mitubishi Galant 2001 model license plate numbewas recalled for this particular problem. But I never got any letter from Mitsubishi up till today about this. …

Cooling system › Hoses/lines/piping/fittings · 65,000 miles · Dec 2007 · fire

This car has had a problem with the o2 sensors, fuel line, oil leaks, fuse and electrical shorts from the start. We have tried to fix the problems, but the repairs never lasted long. The brake line recently started leaking. Today we were in a wreck because the brakes went out. We were traveling at 35 MPH and should have had time to stop. The car slid under a truck, and was totaled. We were never contacted about any recalls involving our car.

250,000 miles · May 2014 · crash

2001 Mitsubishi Galant engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automaticFWD19 / 26 / 21
3.0L 6-cyl4-speed automaticFWD17 / 25 / 20

EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant a good car?

Based on 151 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Galant rates avoid: 2.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Galant at the same age. It is one of the Galant years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.

What is the most common problem with the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant?

The brakes — 33 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year, most often about foundation components › disc › rotor. Next are the air bags (31) and engine & cooling (25).

How many recalls does the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant have?

There are 7 recalls for the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant, the most recent from September 1, 2004 (labels). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.

What are the best and worst years of the Mitsubishi Galant?

The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2008, 2010 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2001, 2000, 2002 and 2003. See the full Mitsubishi Galant years comparison.

At what mileage do 2001 Mitsubishi Galant problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 43% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.