Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 | 11% | 105,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 11% | 36,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 17% | — |
| 2006 | 9 | 38% | 65,000 miles |
| 2005 | 2 | 8% | 72,000 miles |
| 2004 | 4 | 7% | 63,000 miles |
| 2003 | 17 | 13% | 72,000 miles |
| 2002 | 26 | 19% | 98,000 miles |
| 2001 | 13 | 9% | 60,000 miles |
| 2000 | 21 | 15% | 114,000 miles |
| 1999 | 21 | 10% | 126,000 miles |
| 1998 | 6 | 11% | — |
| 1997 | 9 | 11% | 50,000 miles |
| 1996 | 6 | 4% | 99,000 miles |
| 1995 | 15 | 7% | 183,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mitsubishi Galant. The contact stated that the rear passenger side brake light would not operate. The contact discovered that the passenger side brake light wire was melted. The wire harness was replaced and the failure was remedied. Approximately 8 months later, the rear driver side brake light would not operate. The contact discovered that the driver side brake light wire harness had also melted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was unavailable.
2006 Mitsubishi Galant both keys used to start my vehicle have shattered into several pieces while attempting to start the vehicle. The first key broke around July 14 2007 and the second key breaking more recent on 25 november2010. When the keys break they go into several smaller pieces and almost impossible to find all the parts and pieces creating a choking hazard for both children and animals. If needed I can provide pictures. When this second key broke into 7 pieces I was not able to locate all pieces. Approximately 24-48 hours later I observed, by way of passing the plastic piece, that my young puppy had located the piece and swallowed the plastic. I fear that if this would have been my child that found the piece that I would have a larger problem to take care of. …
Began having trouble with both rear windows. The windows would intermittently become unresponsive to controls both at the driver seat and the controls on the doors. Brought the car in before the warranty expired (4 yrs, 8 mos) to get windows repaired, dealer could not duplicate the errors and did not do any service on the car. Six months later (after warranty expired), the rear, passenger side power window went completely down on its own (I had not touched window controls). While I was driving my car and would not go back up. Independent garage had to remove door panel and sever the controls in order to get the window up; then had to wedge the window with a block to keep it up until parts could be ordered. If any pets or children had been in the car when the window first went down, they could have easily gone out the window.
Electrical - I have replaced my right brake light about 20 times before I was informed it was an electrical issue. I purchased a new socket the light work for 2 weeks and now its off again. Unknown - everytime it rains hard my front passenger floods with a pool of water. This is the second time this has happened now my car smell like mold. The dealer told me there were leaves clogging the hose, out of everyone I know with a car this has never happened to them. I can't wait to trade this car in. I will never ever get a mitsu and I will stop anyone I know from purchasing one.
Check engine light suddenly came on and the vehicle lost all engine power and driving capabilities while driving at a low speed, turning a corner. There had been no other issues or indication of a failure of any kind. The car was pulled over on the roadside out of traffic and was able to be restarted with no problem. It was taken to a nearby auto parts store where they performed a free diagnostic check. The result that came back was generally regarding a vacuum issue in fuel system or lines. The gas cap lid and door were checked for proper closure and it was established they had been closed and sealed properly at the time the engine power failure occurred.
In 2007, horn would just blow on it's own at random times. Even though the battery was only one year old at the time, I replaced it again. Last week, 8/09/08 the horn just started blaring again while driving. It nearly caused an accident due to another car swerving out of the lane next to my vehicle and into my rear driver's side quarter-panel. Since the first instance, there seems to be electrical problems, as the radio and clock always reset, the trip odometer resets to zero, and the interior lights do not work. There are no blown fuses, and no damage to the electrical system. No one or business can seem to find the source of the problem. It will take over $5000 to rewire the car. As a working class citizen, and unemployed veteran, I don't have that kind of money, nor access to it. I have no choice but to drive an unsafe vehicle. …
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.
Related recalls (4)
Electrical system › Ignition
Mitsubishi is recalling 73,000 my 2004-2006 gallant passenger vehicles. During vehicle use, the ignition key interlock cable (which is a component of the interlock system) May allow the interlocking cam to fall forward and allow the ignition key to be removed from the ignition switch when the gearshift mechanism is not in the…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and correct these vehicles for the reported condition. The recall began on September 2, 2008. Owners May contact Mitsubishi at 1-888-648-7820.
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…
Electrical system › Wiring › Rear compartment/trunk
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.
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.
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.
NHTSA investigations
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…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Mitsubishi Galant years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (26), 1999 (21), 2000 (21), 2003 (17) and 1995 (15) model years. Electrical complaints make up 19% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Mitsubishi Galant electrical problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 08V-276 (ignition, Jun 20, 2008); 02V-147 (front underhood, May 29, 2002); 00V-339 (rear compartment/trunk, Oct 24, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mitsubishi Galant electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 88,000 miles; 28% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the wiring › front underhood (19 mentions), followed by the horn (18).
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.