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#BS-1996-MITGAL-6706

1996 Mitsubishi GalantProblems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 206 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 30, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 28, 2026

Complaints
206
Crashes
37
Fires
6
Recalls
6
TSBs
61
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 206 complaints, 37 crashes, 6 fires, and 6 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

ball bearing in crank shaft damaged

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX
2

wont start

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

difficulties going into gear

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Power Train:automatic TransmissionHIGH

24 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues — failures commonly reported around 99K miles.

!Inspect the Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball JointMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

0–30K
30–60K
6
60–90K
6
90–120K
4
120–150K
3
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (6 reports) • Median: 99K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (24 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Power Train:automatic Transmission24 (12%)
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint14 (7%)
Air Bags:frontal13 (6%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip11 (5%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline9 (4%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components9 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine8 (4%)
Airbags7 (3%)

1996 Mitsubishi Galant: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant, with 24 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 98,600 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 99K-mile mark.

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint Issues

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

34
00
40
01
19
02
6
03
11
04
5
05
3
07
1
08
1
10
1
12

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

00V237000Sep 2000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CRACKS CAN OCCUR IN THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK DUE TO AN IMPROPER SPOT WELD ON THE BAFFLE PLATE TO THE TOP PORTION OF THE FUEL TANK.

00V421001Apr 2001

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE. ALSO, MMC HAS ADDED THE POTENTIAL OF LEAKING MOISTURE, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE BALL STUD TO CORRODE.

00V421003May 2001

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE. ALSO, MMC HAS ADDED THE POTENTIAL OF LEAKING MOISTURE, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE BALL STUD TO CORRODE.

07E055000Nov 2007

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

CERTAIN AIRTEX FUEL PUMP MODULE ASSEMBLIES, P/N E7081H, SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE WALL OF THE FLARED FITTING OF THE FUEL PUMP IS NOT THICK ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE MATING THREADED FITTINGS FROM BOTTOMING OUT BEFORE AN ADEQUATE SEAL IS ACHIEVED. THIS CONDITION MAY RESULT IN LEAKAGE OF FUEL AT THE CONNECTION OF THE VEHICLE FUEL LINE AND THE FUEL PUMP MODULE ASSEMBLY.

99V066001Jun 1999

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)

All closed. Investigations are how NHTSA decides whether a defect needs a recall.

RQ00015ClosedOpened Aug 2000 · closed Apr 2001

LOWER CONTRTOL ARM BALL JOINT

SUSPENSION

The worst model year for the Mitsubishi Galant is the 1999 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1996 Mitsubishi Galant vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

206

Class avg

207

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars vehicles from 1996.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 206 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Last updated (checked October 30, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 28, 2026.

Other Mitsubishi Galant Model Years

2012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985
View all Mitsubishi Galant years →

1996 Mitsubishi Galant: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant is related to the power train:automatic transmission, with 24 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant reliable?
The 1996 Mitsubishi Galant has 206 complaints, 37 crash reports, and 6 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 1996 Mitsubishi Galant problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant have any recalls?
Yes, the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Mitsubishi Galant problems start?
Based on 19 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 98,600 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 30, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 28, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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