2004 Mitsubishi Galant

Typical pattern

1.5% of complaints about the 2004 Mitsubishi Galant came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2004 vehicle — around the middle of the 236 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is structure (16 complaints), typically at 5.8 yr or about 73,925 miles.

Complaints: 66
Median age at failure: 5.8 yr
Median mileage: 80,000 n=43
Crash / fire / tow: 7.6% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

08V276000 2008-06-20

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 PARK POSITION.

IF THE DRIVER DOES NOT SHIFT TO PARK BEFORE REMOVING THE KEY AND FAILS TO ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

In owners’ own words

Structure 2,500 mi 1.6 yr in service

DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT INSIDE DOOR PANELS ARE REPEATEDLY FALLING OFF AND CREATING THE DOORS TO JAM AND NOT ALLOW PASSENGERS TO GET IN OR OUT OF VEHICLE. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT MITSUBISHI MOTORS WILL NOT COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATED MOUNT OF TIMES. *JB

Structure 50,000 mi 4.7 yr in service

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MITSUBISHI GALANT. APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AGO, THE PAINT ON THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO PEEL AND BECAME VERY ROUGH. THE FAILURE HAS SPREAD TO THE TRUNK, HOOD, AND SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE PAINT BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. SHE BELIEVES THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

Structure mileage not reported 5.8 yr in service

I HAVE A 2004 GALANT ES,THE PAINT IS OXIDIZING REALLY BAD-YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE RAW PRODUCT-BEFORE THEY PAINTED THE CAR,AT THE FACTORY. *TR

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.

2004 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