Total Complaints
6 filings
MITSUBISHI GALANT · model year
1986 MITSUBISHI GALANT
6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986MITSUBISHIGALANT carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1986 GALANT is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 3 filings, followed by visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:heater core (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 1986 GALANT. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
6
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
1
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20001115VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
THERE CONTINUES TO BE EXCESSIVE SCRAPING SOUND WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT COME BACK TO SAME POSITION AFTER MAKING TURN-THIS IS EVEN AFTER A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT SEARS-ELMHURST, NY ON 10/30/00. HEATER BLOWS COLD AIR IF NOT SET ON AUTO-THERMOSTAT ; AND THEN MUST BE SET AT LEAST 75 DEGREES; WAS IN MITSUBISHI DEALER ON 11 AVENUE NYC OVER PAST 2 YEARS; HEATER CORE WAS REPLACED; EVIDENTLY NOT THE PROBLEM; MITSUBISHI DIDN'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE CAUSE WAS BUT WOULDN'T REFUND ME FOR THE PART THEY ORIGNALLY REPLACED *AK
20001115SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
THERE CONTINUES TO BE EXCESSIVE SCRAPING SOUND WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT COME BACK TO SAME POSITION AFTER MAKING TURN-THIS IS EVEN AFTER A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT SEARS-ELMHURST, NY ON 10/30/00. HEATER BLOWS COLD AIR IF NOT SET ON AUTO-THERMOSTAT ; AND THEN MUST BE SET AT LEAST 75 DEGREES; WAS IN MITSUBISHI DEALER ON 11 AVENUE NYC OVER PAST 2 YEARS; HEATER CORE WAS REPLACED; EVIDENTLY NOT THE PROBLEM; MITSUBISHI DIDN'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE CAUSE WAS BUT WOULDN'T REFUND ME FOR THE PART THEY ORIGNALLY REPLACED *AK
20001115STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
THERE CONTINUES TO BE EXCESSIVE SCRAPING SOUND WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT COME BACK TO SAME POSITION AFTER MAKING TURN-THIS IS EVEN AFTER A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT SEARS-ELMHURST, NY ON 10/30/00. HEATER BLOWS COLD AIR IF NOT SET ON AUTO-THERMOSTAT ; AND THEN MUST BE SET AT LEAST 75 DEGREES; WAS IN MITSUBISHI DEALER ON 11 AVENUE NYC OVER PAST 2 YEARS; HEATER CORE WAS REPLACED; EVIDENTLY NOT THE PROBLEM; MITSUBISHI DIDN'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE CAUSE WAS BUT WOULDN'T REFUND ME FOR THE PART THEY ORIGNALLY REPLACED *AK
19970325CrashFatalSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
UPON IMPACT, DURING FRONTAL CRASH AT APPROX. 35MPH, 1:30 ON FRONT BUMPER, WHEN SWERVED TO AVOID COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE, HIT TELEPHONE POLE, SHOULDER /LAP BELT BUCKLE UNBUCKLED, VEHICLE ROLLED, DRIVER WAS THROWN OUT OF DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW AND WAS KILLED. *AK
19950509SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT LATCH AND DRIVER GETTING HARD TO LATCH. TT
19950224SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DIFFICULTY LATCHING SEAT BELT ON DRIVER. BROKEN. TT
Compare 1986MITSUBISHIGALANT to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 MITSUBISHI GALANT have?▼
The 1986 MITSUBISHI GALANT has 6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 MITSUBISHI GALANT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 MITSUBISHI GALANT is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC.
Is the 1986 MITSUBISHI GALANT safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.