Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Mitsubishi Galant owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
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.
There is a major gas in my car. The spell is there 100% of the time. When you come within 20 feet of the car...you get the overwhelming gas spell. I'm afraid to drive the car at all now. I'm a single father on full disability, with a 16 year old daughter with no mother. I can't afford the gas which doubled due to the gas leak. More importantly...I can't drive my daughter to school...anywhere.
The intake manifold cracked in aug 2014 so I bought one and repaired it and changed three motor and train mounts drove for two months and cracked again right behind the throttle body it started stalling when come to a stop rough idle.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant. While driving various speeds, the speed would decrease and the vehicle would stall. When the vehicle was restarted, it would only remain on for a few minutes. Occasionally, it would take up to an hour for the vehicle to restart and then stall again. The vehicle was taken to an auto body shop for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated that the crankshaft wiring harness failed and an ignition sensor failure appeared on the diagnostic. A new crankshaft was installed and the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence, where it began to stall again. The vehicle was taken back to the repair shop and they discovered issues with the wiring heading to the crankshaft. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 00V299001 (engine and engine cooling:engine). …
As of appx 8 months ago, vehicle has bucked on startup. It jumps out , and then stops. Car in forward or reverse jolts out but this is an intermittent occurrence. Yesterday, best describes problem, as I approached red light and put foot on accelerator and car jumped out 3 or 4 times before actually moving forward....this happened for the whole length of my trip...necessitating having to put my hazard lights on so I would not be hit from behind. Repeated trips to reputable mechanic and transmission garage are not able to diagnose problem. Transmission oil and filter and cleaning of solenoids has been done.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant. While driving 50 MPH with the accelerator pedal depressed, the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle suddenly came to a violent and immediate stop on the highway.. The contact noticed smoke coming from the wheels. All the warning indicators lights illuminated. The vehicle would not restart and was towed to the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 102,000. Updated 12/12/2007 the consumer believed the problem was due to transmission failure. The consumer stated the wheels should not have locked up without warning at 50 MPH. Updated 12/12/07
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning lamp illuminated as the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the crank shaft position sensor and the main ECU relay needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the remedy failed to repair the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 159,000.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant. When the vehicle was started, the engine would shut off. All of the warning indicator lights illuminated. The failure also occurred while driving between 5-35 MPH. There was a loss of power steering, but the brakes still operated. The repair shop stated that the crankshaft position and camshaft sensors needed to be replaced. No repairs were made. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 00V299001 (engine and engine cooling:engine). The current and failure mileages were 103,000.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant. While driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly shut down without warning. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop and the cause of the failure was diagnosed as the crankshaft position sensor. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 00V299001 (engine and engine cooling:engine). The vehicle will be repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 100,000.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
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.
Engine complaints in other Galant years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant, 17% of the model year's 151 complaints. The component named most often is engine (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Mitsubishi Galant engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 00V299001 (engine, Oct 2, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Mitsubishi Galant engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 5 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.