Most common 2002 Mitsubishi Galant problems
Share of the 135 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mitsubishi Galant complaints by model year
Best Galant years: 2008, 2010, 2012. Years to avoid: 1999, 2001, 2000, 2002, 2003. Compare all years →
2002 Mitsubishi Galant recalls (2)
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.
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.
Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
On certain passenger vehicles, routing of the vehicle's front harness can allow it to come in contact with a rough edge, allowing abrasion. This could result in grounded circuits.
Remedy: Dealers will install a protector, eliminating any harness contact. Owner notification began July 8, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2002 Mitsubishi Galant:
Passenger door fire
Complaints allege that a fire erupted in the front passenger door.in Mitsubishi's response to odi's March 12, 2008 information request, Mitsubishi asserts that the alleged defect May occur when large amounts of liquids, more than 100cc (3.4 oz), like a soft drink were spilled directly over the power window switch area, all at once and at one time.Mitsubishi found that as the liquid dries off, electrolytes and…
Passenger door fire
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 2002 Mitsubishi Galant owners say
Brakes all 28 →
Summary - vehicle steering and brakes vibrate upon braking, poor brake performance - braking distance is too long. Shoddy rotor/caliper quality. Dealerships and Mitsubishi refuse to fix the problem. The car has been returned to the dealership repeatedly (5 times) to remedy the braking problem - every few months (with less than 2500 miles since the last time the rotors were replaced). The car was taken to the west broad Mitsubishi dealership in richmond, va where it was determined that the problem was being caused by warped rotors. The dealer resurfaced the rotors to fix the problem. However, the problem re-occured after 7000 miles. West broad Mitsubishi then claimed that they replaced the rotors. 5000 miles later, the brakes began squeeling and the vibration started again. …
I bought my Galant in October of 2002, the first year I had the car I had to take it in for the brakes squeaking and grinding four times. Each time the dealer said that there was nothing wrong, and sent me back home. I was told that it was my fault that my brakes were bad because of how I drive. I only had the car for a couple weeks when my brakes started squeeking and grinding the first time. I contacted Mitsubishi, and was told that there was nothing wrong with my vehicle, and that they were not going to fix the problem. I feel like this is an unsafe car for my child to ride in because I do not know when my brakes might fail or really what is wrong with them. My engine also has a burning smell to it almost all the time, and I was told that there was nothing wrong by Mitsubishi. I also have numerous friends that have galants and have the same break problems.
Electrical system all 26 →
Dt: on 7-11-05 the vehicle caught on fire. Driver and passenger drove on and off all day. The front passenger door burst into flames. The doors automatically locked, and the windows rolled up and down on their own. Doors would not open. The driver was able to kick the door open. Both passengers exited through the driver's side. After exiting the vehicle the passenger got a gallon of water to put the fire out. When she poured water onto the passenger's door the fire went out, but there was still smoke coming from the door. The fire was coming from the front passenger's side area and smoke was coming from the heating vents. Prior to the fire, the vehicle overheated with the heater off. On the day of the incident when she got a cd out of the stereo it was too hot to hold. After the incident the cd in the stereo was wet. The driver was not injured. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant. While driving at various speeds, the low beam headlights and the signal lamp failed to operate when activated. The failure recurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuse failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 02V147000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,000.
A/C & heater all 20 →
I purchased my 2002 Galant in August 05. When I first turned the dial to heat, it made a "clicking" sound and then started blowing warm air. I noticed that every time I turned the heating/cooling dial it made the "clicking" sound. In April 2006, the "clicking" sound quit and so did the heat. I took the car to a mechanic and was told it was the heater core. I purchased a heater core from the nearest Mitsubishi dealer approximately 50 miles away only for the clicking sound to come back once and to find out the heater core is not the problem. The dealer will not take the $200. Part back saying Mitsubishi will not accept it. I have talked to several others that own 2002 galants who have the same "clicking" sound. Corporate Mitsubishi was not any help in this situation.
About three years ago I got this clicking noise behind my dash and my heat quit working. Well if it would click again it would work. Well it finally quit working all together and after doing some research Mitsubishi seems to be putting bad heat control motors in their cars. My car 2002 and it started this in 2004. As much as I've paid for this car this is unacceptable. This is not a cheap part to have fixed as I have found from my research. It would be one thing if I was the only one it happened to but it seems to be a problem with mitsubishis and I believe they should have to replace their faulty part. Thank you!
2002 Mitsubishi Galant engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Mitsubishi Galant a good car?
Based on 135 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Galant rates avoid: 2.5× 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 2002 Mitsubishi Galant?
The brakes — 28 complaints, 21% of all complaints for this model year, most often about foundation components › disc › rotor. Next are the electrical system (26) and a/c & heater (20).
How many recalls does the 2002 Mitsubishi Galant have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2002 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 2002 Mitsubishi Galant problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 42% 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.