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Mitsubishi Galant exterior issues

galant2000galant2000 Member Posts: 1
edited February 2014 in Mitsubishi
Is anyone suffering from this defect on your Mitsubishi Galant 2000? Car has just turned 70,000 miles old and no mechanical problems so far (knock on wood) but the paint is starting to fade, It is getting worse that I will have to take it to a body shop. I have seen a few if no many Black Galants on the road with this problem?
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Comments

  • lhansonlhanson Member Posts: 268
    My daughter's 1995 Black Galant has huge areas where white splotches have gradually gotter worse over the years, but if this was the only problem with the car, I would be very happy. In my opinion, the Mitsubishi Galant is one of the worst cars every made and we have had at least 3 of them over the years.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    My 99 Galant's paint is faded a little, but it's not really noticeable to anyone but me. Still shines if I actually wash & wax it. It has 124K miles and the paint color is "Barcelona Red" i.e. burgundy. For the past 5 years it has been garaged at night but has otherwise been subjected to Chicagoland weather extremes and has come thorugh just fine. My only body problem at the moment is the door dings as the parking spaces at work are too narrow.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • mirde98mirde98 Member Posts: 95
    Yes, Black paint used on Galant's are popular because of the fading and discolorating problems. On older models that is.
  • aponjicanaponjican Member Posts: 1
    I don't think this problem is unique to the older models. I just unloaded my black 2003 Galant on someone else because I saw what the paint looked like on older models and my A-Pillars were QUICKLY catching up. The car only had 60k miles on it and ran flawlessly. This is a serious problem with the black galants.
  • mirde98mirde98 Member Posts: 95
    Most certainly. Black paint used on Galant's fade. I totally dissagre with a previous messg stating that Galants are the worst car's ever. Just because of the paint fading. If paint quality is view as same as reliability then Mazda, Nissan, Toyota and Honda are unreliable too because all of them have had their share of paint problems on their vehicles. I do acknowledge that IT IS a problem... but not to the point of classifying a vehicle unreliable.
  • vokatrockvokatrock Member Posts: 1
    I purchased my vehicle new in July 2003, there were 23 miles on the vehicle. Everything was fine, at first. But since I had the 60,000 mil service performed on my baby in 2006, during the service the timing belt is changed and she hasn't been the same. It sounded as though the engine is idled to high and gears do not change the same, she sort of pulls a little to hard for me, when the gears change. I took it back to the service dept but of course they said, it was fine, but it is not. As if that was not enough the motor in the driver side door panel went out and had to be replaced. And for the last year, my paint has been fading and fading fast. The top of the car all around the sunroof is gray and white and now the trunk and hood are going. Every black galant I have seen is doing the same thing. If it was not for the paint job and the fact that my car sounds like a small truck, at least to me, I would be very pleased.
  • clc78clc78 Member Posts: 1
    I am the proud owner of a 1998 black Galant. The paint on it has been fading for a year, and the "experts" that I have talked to attribute it to everything from crop dusters to heat. However, I have seen a few other black Mitsubishi paint jobs with the same afflictions. With all of these problems, has there been a recall on Mitsubishi paint, or are we all just left to suffer the consequences of their lack of action?
  • mirde98mirde98 Member Posts: 95
    Almost all black Mitsubishi's built on Normal IL have the same issue. Black paint fades. Mitsubishi's made in Japan not.
  • lbcryda777lbcryda777 Member Posts: 1
    www.autosafety.org is where you can join other people with the same problem to try and get a class action law suite. or you can go to www. mymitsubishipaintproblem.com this is such a widespread problem that there is a website and alot of people are getting tired of being pushed aside while being stuck with the car payments of cars we don't want. :mad:
  • algdunalgdun Member Posts: 1
    we own a black 2001 Galant ES and after 4 years all horizontal surfaces began to erode as if air flow over the vehicle is slowly ginding off the sealant and paint.
    Otherwise a reliable car for my son in college.
  • neverbuymitsneverbuymits Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2004 Mitsubishi endeavor and am having the same problem.
    "luxury suv" my [non-permissible content removed].
    $38,000 for my paint to fall off in 3 years!
    This is one loyal customer that will never buy mitsubishi again!!!
    www.neverbuymitsubishiagain.com
  • disko2kdisko2k Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    We own a 2001 black Galant...I shoujld say it's partially black because the paint on the roof and trunk has disintegrated and it's now a grayish white with almost a turtle-shell like pattern. Dealership won't touch it, says they've never had any complaints about the paint and deny that all the posts, news stories and complaints I've found exist. They accused me of not cleaning bird [non-permissible content removed] off it (car is garaged, and cleaned regularly). It'll cost me about $4k to have it repainted. Someone needs to get a class action suit going!
  • near_2waternear_2water Member Posts: 5
    My wife and I have a Grey 2003 Galant ES that is also losing it's paint job which is very upsetting, but i'm also starting to run into mechanical problems on this vehicle...
  • juls621juls621 Member Posts: 5
    I have a 2003 black mitsubishi galant ES with paint problems. I bought this car new and finally paid it off last August. Ironically, that's when the paint oxidation started. Estimates for a new paint job come in anywhere between $1000-$3000. I can't justify spending that kind of money on a paint job when the car also has mechanical issues. and it has had issues since I bought it (which the dealership brushed off). The car has 82,000 miles on it. As a single mom in grad school- I'm not going to be able to afford a new car anytime soon. Does anyone have any idea how we can get the manufacturer to recognize this problem and take ownership over it?
  • kotucekotuce Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2003 Galant that I purchased brand new. At 1800 miles the transmission went. I have been experiencing problems with the heater/air conditioning since I purchased the vehicle. I had to have the repair shop permanetly open the flap so I have heat. It would either stick on air or stick on heat. I have taken it to so many repair shops and no one can figure out what the problem is, but it appears other people have experienced the same problems with their heating/air conditioning system, is that correct? About 6 or 7 months ago I noticed that my paint was started to fade. At first I thought it was just salt marks from the roads because it in the winter time. After I washed it, I realized that it wasn't salt. The clear coat is actually coming off of the car! It is spreading like cancer! I wrote a letter to Mitsubishi Motors to let them know all of the problems that myself and many others are experiencing with the heating/air conditioning system and the paint. I did receive a call from Mitsubishi letting me know a Case Manager would be contacting me the next day, but I never received a call. After researching this problem on the internet, I came to find out that 10's of thousands of people are having the same problems. I saw pics of other people's Galants and the paint is fading exactly like mine! The Mitsubishi Dealership took pictures of my car and sent them to the District Rep. I got a call the other day from the dealership letting me know that I had to provide them with all of my maintenance records for the Galant since I purchased it. Luckily I kept a lot of it! I am piecing it together right now. The Service Manager for the dealership said after the District Manager takes a look at the service records (since I took the vehicle to other repair places...not just the dealership), he will determine whether or not they will pay for the paint job to be fixed. Has anyone had their Galant repainted?
  • juls621juls621 Member Posts: 5
    Keep me posted on what they say. I have the exact same problem you have with your AC/Heater. I also had to have the thermostat replaced last year since it was sticking which wasn't that big of a job- but it was inconvenient.
    From what I understand about the paint, we aren't going to get very far b/c we won't be able to prove that by not keeping it in a garage, environmental issues, not waxing the car enough, etc this caused the problem. We know better, but they'll fight to the end. One thing I know for sure, I will NEVER buy a Mitsubishi again and I certainly would never recommend one to anyone.
  • kotucekotuce Member Posts: 6
    I am an owner of a 2003 black Galant. As many of you have experienced, the paint has been fading on my car for the past year. It's spreading like cancer and Mitsubishi is doing nothing about it! I was told by an insurance adjuster to take my vehicle to my local Mitsubishi Dealership for them to take pictures of the vehicle because they are aware of the problem and they may fix it. I jumped through so many hoops, provided maintenance records on the vehicle since the day I purchased it just to get a call from Mitsubishi telling me they were not going to fix it! This is BS! Something has to be done! There has to be something we can do to get this recalled! Does anyone have any ideas? I just paid my car off within the past year and it looks like garbage! This is so unfair! There has to be something we can all do considering how many of us (Galant owners) are experiencing the same issue!
  • kotucekotuce Member Posts: 6
    I am an owner of a 2003 Mitsubishi Galant (black). My paint started fading/oxidizing about a year ago. I went to the dealership, they took pictures and had me submit my maintenance records and jump through a bunch of hoops just to tell me my vehicle was out of warranty and they weren't going to do anything to help me! This needs to be recalled, but enough people have to file a complaint first! If you are having paint issues with your Galant, PLEASE file a complaint at the following website: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/index.cfm If enough people file a complaint, we may all be able to get our paint issues fixed! Keep your fingers crossed...and keep complaining! We deserve to be treated fairly. This is a manufacturers defect that MUST be fixed! We didn't pay all that money for a vehicle to look like garbage! I am actually embarassed to drive around in my vehicle because of the paint! PLEASE HELP ME GET A RECALL!!!!
  • rokaroka Member Posts: 1
    I have a question regarding valves and my Galant 92` (diesel). Should there be a distance between distance from valve head to heaver (i know that for some older cars there must be one)?
  • pukiee13pukiee13 Member Posts: 1
    This problem happened to me as well on my black 2001 galant... my wife was skeptical until I told her I'd prove it... on a random drive to the mall, we cruzed around the parking lot and i swore to her we'd find another black galant with the same problem... she laughed at me but sure enough after 3 minuets we spotted a 2002 black galant with major clear coat cracking WOW everyone has this problem.... but according to Mitsubishi we must be crazy... screw them ripoffs... buy American... wait nevermind, they make ugly and boring cars :)
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    I believe Galants are made in Illinois so they're pretty much just as American as anything else (my qualification for American-made is manufactured in the US. Brand matters not; what matters to me is which workers get paid).

    You should repeat your mall experience with a camera in hand. Park your car next to theirs & take a picture. Send it in a written letter to Mitsu customer service citing your case number and tell them that since you can find a car with similar issues in just 3 minutes, they're the crazy ones.

    Anyway, I'm sorry you've got the paint problem. My '99 "Barcelona Red", i.e. burgundy, Galant has a number of paint chips i the hood from rocks etc. and the requisite door dings but the finish is otherwise undamaged. 10 years and 150K miles (any day now). I'm considering an Outlander to replace it but am finding it (and every other vehicle I've looked at) a bit of sticker shock as I haven't had a car payment since 2001.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • kotucekotuce Member Posts: 6
    It is a shame that everyone with a Galant manufactured during that 3-year period has that problem, but they do. I contacted my local Mitsubishi dealer as well as Mitsubishi Corp. and they didn't do anything. I have posted links to the Better Business Bureau as well as the link to the site where you submit auto defects for recall, but if enough people don't do it....Mitsubishi won't do anything because they won't have to. If you haven't done so already, I would urge you to file a complaint with the BBB and also file a complaint with the Office of Defects Investigation at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/. If enough people file with them Mitsubishi will have no choice but to recall the vehicles and fix the defect, which is obviously is! Pass this information on if you contribute to other blogs which refer to this problem. I ran into a guy the other day at a gas station that asked me if he could take a look at my paint. He said that the clear coat was actually 'chalking' and that it may possibly be able to be buffed out. I have contacted a local auto detail shop and they are going to take a look at my vehicle today after work. If they ARE to buff these spots out (of course as a temporary fix), I will make sure I update this blog so everyone else that has this problem can be made aware! It's going to probably cost me around $200 to get it done, but that's a lot cheaper than $1000 to get it repainted (that's the estimate the dealer gave me) It really stinks that we all have these vehicles that we have taken care of that look like this and they are not even that old! My vehicle is in great condition, but the exterior looks like garbage because of these 'blemishes'!

    I was going to hold on to my vehicle for a little while to see if enough people submit complaints and Mitsubishi recalls this defect, but I am in desperate need of a 4-wheel drive vehicle, so I may sell my vehicle sooner than later.

    If anyone hears of a way this defect can be fixed, please let me know!
  • chuckdeechuckdee Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Gallant ES. The paint job is absolutely awful. I’m am noticing dis coloration in the paint. Rockville Mitsubishi dearlership :( in Maryland is the worse in getting help with the matter. I’m going to just bite the bullet and take it to an after market body shop and have the entire car repainted.
  • kotucekotuce Member Posts: 6
    Did you get an estimate on how much it's going to cost to repaint your car? Have you tried to see if the discoloration/blemishes can be buffed out? That's my first step....I'm going to do that before I even think of putting the money into the car to get it repainted! Have you tried to file a complaint with the BBB and the office of defects for a recall? Just like I previously posted, if enough people complain about this issues, Mitsubishi will have no choice but to fix the cars! Will all need to work together on this! We didn't pay all of this money for these cars just for them to look like garbage!
  • hakathyohakathyo Member Posts: 1
    My Black car has heavy oxidation on the roof, trunk and hood. The top coat is peeling and it's spreading quickly! I was also going to "bite the bullet" However, the estimates for repainting are absoultely ridiculous. Macco estimate was $1459.00 oh considering the $249.00 paint special which was BS. Earl Schieb(Comments, you get what you pay for) $849.00 TJ Auto in Arlington, VA quote was $1,500.00 (Great reviews) www.yelp.com

    Go figure, this was a manufacturing error Mitsubishi should flip the bill. How long will I have to wait for them to decide it's their fault? Who knows, but I'm caught between getting my debt paid off and not wanting a car note right now, mechancially everything else is in good shape.
  • licia109licia109 Member Posts: 1
    I am having the same paint problem on my 2004 Galant and I contacted the corp office who told me to take it by a dealership for them to take pics and send to them. I have done that and now I have to take it back to the dealership this coming Friday for the insurance company to review my car along with others that have been brought in to make a decision.
  • kotucekotuce Member Posts: 6
    Mitsubishi's corporate office had me do the same thing, then they had me provide them with all of my maintenance records since I owned the car, which I did. I also provided them with 1000's of blog and articles involving this issue and it did not help a bit. They assigned my case to someone a Mitsubishi Corporate and two weeks later I got a call and they told me that my car was out of warranty and they were covering nothing!

    What insurance company is reviewing your car? I originally contacted my auto insurance company because I thought that 'oxidation' was due to the parking garage that I used to work in, but the claims adjuster told me 10's of 1000's of people with Mitsubishi's manufactured in the same time frame had the same problem. He is the one that instructed me to go to the dealer. You are the second person that posted to this blog that things are looking good for! Where are you located in the U.S. and who did you contact at Mitsubishi Corporate? If they are correcting damages to other owners with the same problem as I have and denied me, I am going to seek legal action. This is B.S.

    Any information you can give me would greatly be appreciated! I have gotten nowhere with Mitsubishi and if anyone can help me, please do! The problem on my Galant is spreading like cancer! Something needs to be done soon or my entire (black) car is going to end up white!
  • momo9099momo9099 Member Posts: 3
    OMG..I was so glad to hear that mine is not the only one doing this...I have a 2004 Galant Blk(actually the exact color from my purchase invoice is KALAPANA BLK) it started doing this about 8 mons. ago..started on the trunk...paint is now almost faded to white on the roof, hood and on the side panels...I'm am sick about this...its almost paid off and was going to trade it soon...won't be getting much with it this way.... I also purchased mine brand new and it has been garage kept for most of the time....I will contant the BBB and the other site that is mentioned also..hopefully more and more people will do the same.... so...Mitsibishi can fix THEIR problem....I am taking pictures also...wish I would have done this in the beginning..mine has progressed very rapidly!!!! Please let me know of any updates and I will do the same!!!!
  • momo9099momo9099 Member Posts: 3
    I think its time to contact an attorney and let them on to this issue...I would like to think with pictures from so many of our cars that are doing this... that Mitsibishi would have to take some responsibility!!!! Maybe not...but I do have a few attorney friends that I'm going to share this site with and see what they have to say...worth a shot??????
  • momo9099momo9099 Member Posts: 3
    I just talked with my dealership that i purchased my 2004 Galant with and they are having me bring my car into them to take pis...they have also had others...that they have submitted pics to...to corporate and a few have gotten new paint jobs on them...Will post an update as soon as I can to let you know what happens!!!!
  • momtothreemomtothree Member Posts: 1
  • dkispisseddkispissed Member Posts: 2
    Yeah, We Need To Talk To Someone on Channel 10 about this issue. They Need to come out and look at our cars . I Have A 2006 Gallant and it looks outrageous !! I Went to four places and the lowest was $1300 and they highest was $3500 , Mitsubishi only want to give you $300 to $500 . We need to take them to court .
  • dkispisseddkispissed Member Posts: 2
    Mitsubishi Needs to go to court ! We all Driving around with cars looking like garbage and they laughing in our faces giving us only $300 .
  • sugar81sugar81 Member Posts: 1

    I have a silver 2003 Galant, that I bought new and have very low miles on it (under 60k) the car runs great, the maintenance is next to nothing. The problem is the PAINT IS HORRIBLE! Peeling, white, oxidation-YUCK!

    I called for a paint estimate, they range from $2500 to $7000, the car isn't worth that much. The other issue is no one wants to touch a car older than 10, it appears that parts break and they are not easily replaced. I had planned to have this car for 20 years, now I'm not so sure.

    Any home remedies anyone can share. I hate to give up on this car.; Thanks

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