2003 Mitsubishi Galant Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Galant years
- Far more complaints than other years 7th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 126 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Mitsubishi Galant. That ranks 7th out of 18 Galant model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility (45 complaints, 36%), typically at around 70,837 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 4 fires, 13 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 126owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 15complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Mitsubishi Galant problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 45 | 36% | 70,837 | — | — |
| Structure | 21 | 17% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 17 | 13% | 67,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 13% | 70,250 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 | 10% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 11 | 9% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 5% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 5% | 94,123 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 4% | 1,700 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 3% | 60,050 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 3% | 21,615 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 99,468 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 2% | 188,037 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 2% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 2% | 61,115 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 128,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Mitsubishi Galant recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: 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.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Mitsubishi caribbean will mail a customer notification letter containing a written description and a graphic of the bi-lingual dashboard air bag warning label. In addition, all current 2000-2004 nativa owners will also receive replacement air bag alert labels for the sun visors. This recall is expected to begin during march or april 2005. The notification to the nativa owners is expected to begin during april or may 2005. Owners should contact mitsubishi caribbean at 1-787-251-8715.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel return line hose fitting on the electric fuel pump may be restricted, causing excessive fuel pressure to build up in the fuel injection system. Excessive fuel pressure may result in a leak in the fuel return hose.
Risk: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the fuel pump pressure. Those vehicles exhibiting higher than normal fuel pump pressure will receive fuel pump modifications. The recall began december 3, 2003. Owners should contact mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037 or mitsubishi caribbean at 1-800-981-0452.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Passenger door fire (EA08011) — opened Jul 1, 2008, closed Aug 21, 2009.
- Passenger door fire (PE08014) — opened Mar 4, 2008, closed Jul 1, 2008.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
Check engine light came on and the car quit on me when i was driving it
Frequent clogging of a/c drain and drainage into driver side foot hold. The service department is unable to clean drain tube at this point. The car is not parked under or near trees.
The horn which is part of the airbag stayed on when i used my keyless entry remote to lock the car. I had to hit the horn button in the steering wheel to make it stop. The horn once again became stuck the next day when i honked my horn on the freeway to prevent a car from colliding with me as they…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi galant. The contact stated that while traveling at approximately 40 mph, the defroster failed to activate. The contact attempted to use the temperature controls and suddenly there was an abnormal noise. The failure occurred when the defroster, a/c, or heater…
Other Mitsubishi Galant years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Galant | 9 | 0 |
| 2011 Galant | 3 | 0 |
| 2010 Galant | 9 | 1 |
| 2009 Galant | 16 | 0 |
| 2008 Galant | 6 | 0 |
| 2007 Galant | 24 | 1 |
| 2006 Galant | 24 | 1 |
| 2005 Galant | 26 | 3 |
| 2004 Galant | 61 | 1 |
| 2003 | 126 | 2 |
| 2002 Galant | 135 | 2 |
| 2001 Galant | 151 | 7 |
| 2000 Galant | 136 | 6 |
| 1999 Galant | 215 | 5 |
| 1998 Galant | 53 | 1 |
| 1997 Galant | 80 | 1 |
| 1996 Galant | 136 | 3 |
| 1995 Galant | 209 | 5 |
See all Mitsubishi Galant problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
Similar Mitsubishi models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Mitsubishi Galant?
Owners most often report visibility, structure, electrical system problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 45 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Mitsubishi Galant?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Mitsubishi Galant a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Galant model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.