2002 Mitsubishi Galant

Typical pattern

8.3% of complaints about the 2002 Mitsubishi Galant came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2002 vehicle — around the middle of the 230 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.4 yr in service. The most-reported system is service brakes, hydraulic (28 complaints), typically at 3.4 yr or about 24,139 miles.

Complaints: 168
Median age at failure: 4.4 yr
Median mileage: 65,000 n=101
Crash / fire / tow: 18.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 3

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

09E025000 2009-05-11

Exterior lighting:headlights

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

04V428000 2004-09-01

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.

02V147000 2002-05-29

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.

THERE COULD BE A LOSS OF STOP OR TURN SIGNAL LAMP OPERATION OR ENGINE HESITATION.

In owners’ own words

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 7 mo in service

VEHICLE PURCHASED ON 2/25/02. BRAKES ARE SQUEALING VERY LOUDLY, AND CONSUMER IS CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY DEALER, WHO STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO STOP SQUEAKING.*AK

Service brakes, hydraulic 15,000 mi 11 mo in service

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED AFTER 15000 MILES, AND THE PROBLEM RESURFACED AGAIN AT 29000 MILES ALONG WITH EXCESSIVE BRAKE NOISE.*JB

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 1.7 yr in service

ROTORS- I HAVE HAD MY CAR NOW FOR A YEAR AND 2 MONTHS. IT WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW AND THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN CHANGES TWICE ALREADY AND PROBABLY A THRID TIME BY NEXT MONTH. *AK

Electrical system 77,000 mi 3.3 yr in service

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THEN THE ENGINE COMMENCED TO MAKE A POPPING NOISE. VEHICLE WAS PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY, AND THEN PULLED TO CONSUMER'S HOME. CONSUMER STATED ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS BLEW OUT. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED.*AK

Other Galant model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2002 Mitsubishi Galant

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Galant model years

How to read this