Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1989 Mitsubishi Galant, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts7
- Power train4
- Vehicle speed control2
- Electrical system1
- Service brakes, hydraulic1
- Unknown or other1
- Wheels1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Structure1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
In the Netherlands
38 first registered in 1989 are on Dutch roads; 5% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse1
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af1
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld1
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
3 cars built in 1989 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 25 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
17 of these cars first registered in 1989 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 265,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
118 1989 cars are on the New Zealand register; 62% arrived as used imports, 31% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mitsubishi told its dealers about the 1989 Mitsubishi Galant: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 606596 | INFORMATION REGARDING CYLINDER HEAD GASKETS FOR REMANUFACTURED SHORT BLOCKS. *TT |
| 600571 | INFORMATION ABOUT IMPROVED AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE END CLUTCH. *TT |
| 52610 | TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH SOLENOID RESISTANCE - SERVICE MANUAL REVISION. *TW |
| 52060 | NEW VALVE LASH ADJUSTER NOISE CHECKING AND TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES. *JD |
| 50618 | ANTENNA TIGHTENING TORQUE. *TW |
| 10170852 | This Technical Service Bulletin updates the door adjustment procedure in the Body Section of the applicable service manuals. |
| 10169006 | This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers. |
| 10163703 | This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes TSB-18-00-003, issued April, 2018, to add updated information for Carrying Capacity Reduced Label. |
| 10130469 | This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation