MITSUBISHI GALANT · model year

1988 MITSUBISHI GALANT

7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1988MITSUBISHIGALANT carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. 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 1988 GALANT is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 4 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (1) and seats:front assembly:recliner (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 1988 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.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM1
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

19960930STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

POWER STEERING FAILED.

19960625SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

FAILURE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WHEN DRIVING THE SEAT MOVES. *AK

19960426SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

BUCKLE UNLATCHES AFTER LATCHING. DEALER MADE FOUR ATTEMPTS TO FIX. *AK

19951020ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

PROBLEMS WITH THE OIL AND EXHAUST SYSTEM LEAKING OIL REPLACED TRANSMISSION. TT

19950425SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE BROKE, CAN'T LOCK IT, THERE IS A PIECE OF PLASTIC INSIDE. TT

19950303SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SAFETY BELT BUCKLE FAILURE. TT

19950228SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT BUCKLE, PE94-080 ACTIVE. TT

Compare 1988MITSUBISHIGALANT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1988 MITSUBISHI GALANT have?
The 1988 MITSUBISHI GALANT has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 MITSUBISHI GALANT?
The most-complained component for the 1988 MITSUBISHI GALANT is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM and SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER.
Is the 1988 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.