Mitsubishi Galant

mckinro2 · July 2004

I have a '00 at 75K miles. Last week i started experiencing a loss of power as I gave it gas in 1st gear. This only happens when i'm going uphill (out of my driveway), and only for the first 10-15 minutes of my drive. It hasn't completely stalled on me yet, but it's come dangerously close in the driveway. Any thoughts?

lngtonge18 · July 2004

We need a more in depth description of what the car is doing. If the tranny is shifting fine and there is only a loss of power, then I would say its not a tranny problem. It might be as simple as bad spark plug wires since that can cause a loss of power only under certain circumstances.

hwahwa · July 2004

you said you are going uphill from the driveway??
what happens when it rains a lot??

cb_near_la · July 2004

Have you replaced the timing belt?

dennis3 · July 2004

this is the deal. my 01 galant is leased. seven payments left. the dealer is buying my car. under the retention program....the dealer will make money on the 01.... but it gets me out of the car sooner and that means i walk away from it. not responsible for anything...... mileage, wear and tear and buying a 04 gts with cold package for $250 under invoice... plus $3000 in rebates not taking the zero financing... i thought this was a good deal.....i never planned on buying the 01....buy i am buying the 04.. not a lease

slj930 · July 2004

I have a 2000 Galant ES with 63K miles on that was purchased used 8 months ago. Except for some minor electrical problems (radio occasionally won't come on, once wipers didn't work for a couple of minutes) car has been fine.
Today, without warning, car will only go in reverse. No warning of pending problem whatsoever. How are the tranny in these cars in general and has this happened to anyone else?

lngtonge18 · July 2004

Mitsu trannies in general are good if they are cared for. They are quite sensitive to fluid changes though. Did you have the tranny fluid changed after you bought it? If it's never been changed or the wrong fluid was used in it, then a tranny problem can show up real fast. It's also a possibility that the tranny control module failed. Good luck and let us know what the problem was.

hwahwa · July 2004

dennis3,
you know dealer does not like to lose money.
It sounds like you are paying them well to walk away from the '01 and own an '04.
You know '05 is just round the corner??
if i were you,i will try to see if i can get a better deal,when will the '05 models arrive in the show room??

mckinro2 · July 2004

OK. the problem became serious yesterday. I was accelerating up a hill at about 25mph and I lost all acceleration and my steering column locked up. got it towed to nearest Mitsu dealer and they said my intake hose had come loose (?!?!) and that they had fixed the problem (no charge i guess). they then suggested i replace my timing belt for $450. I know this should have been replaced before now (i'm at 80K), but is this a reasonable price?

fushigi · July 2004

The belt itself isn't very expensive. It's the labor as it takes serious effort to get to the timing belt to do the change. The engine is basically partially dismantled.

My advise: Change it. Either there or at another shop. If the timing belt fails, you'll be out WAY more than $450 on repairs.

BTW, have the shop change the other belts out while they're in there. There shouldn't be any extra labor cost; just another $45 or so for the belts themselves.

My 99LS just passed the 90K mark the other day. It's still the most trouble-free car I've ever owned.

sandman46 · July 2004

It would also be a good idea to also change the water pump as the labor should be almost nill with all the belts off. I did this when they changed my timing belt.
Give it some serious thought, or better yet, ask your mechanic

The Sandman :-)

oskwi · July 2004

I purposely dug out my old Mitsubishi bills and found the timing belt one. I paid $485.14 (total) at an authorized dealership for timing belt replacement on my previously owned 1996 Galant in November 2000. Granted this was four years ago, but the pricing should be fairly similar.

Also as sandman46 mentioned, replace the water pump while you're at it. I didn't replace it at the 60,000 mile mark, but ended up replacing it later. All in all, I can't complain about the Galant. I got over 185,000 miles on mine in four years time. I didn't even have to recharge the air conditioning during that time! The Mitsu sold me on buying "foreign" and now I have a Mazda.

Good luck!

hwahwa · July 2004

i looked at my repair bill from my mechanic(not dealer) in 4/02,when my 97 Gallant ES has 62k miles,the timing belt is 64 dollars and labor for belt and others come to 220.

pierce · August 2004

New to this site

I'm looking at buying a 2000 Galant ES with 56K miles from a coworker, great shape, records, asking $7200.

Any thoughts - advice please, ie go for it, what to look for etc.

Thanks in advance.

hwahwa · August 2004

did you check online to see how much it is worth??
hard to find used car these days with such low mileage.

noleasegalant · August 2004

If you want the goods try autotrader.com...I used them for my used Camry purchase. It's easy to use and you should be in business in no time...

kdomingo · August 2004

hello everyone...

would like to solicit everyone/anyone's comments with regards to 2003 galant as well as 2003 outlander....since am thinking of buying a used galant/outlander...but find the price of the galant rather low compared to corollas etc..which is intriguing...

many thanks !

cracovian · August 2004

It will most likely be a former fleet car, so make sure you have some warranty left. It looks like the 2004s are following the same formula, so if you hold off you'll be able to get a nicer rental for cheap.

kdomingo · August 2004

thanks thanks for the feedback !

cheers

vlh5283 · August 2004

i just test drove a 2001 mitsubishi galant with 43K miles and it drove very smooth, this is the first time that i have ever driven one and i was just wondering for those of you who have owned one how they held up, and what you think of the cars.

joathlete · August 2004

39k miles on it----recently my temp nozle has been rising past halfway mark and settles down after a bit but its been going way past half point mark---any help would be great---i dont want to over heat on the road

cb_near_la · August 2004

Assuming you've got plenty of coolant, I'd check that the radiator fans are operating properly. Next thing to check would be the thermostat.

fushigi · September 2004

My 99 LS V6 has 92K miles and is going strong and I'm still averaging 25MPG in mostly city driving. I've mostly just done the scheduled maintenance. A couple of additional repairs, none to significant, have also been necessary. You can search back for my prior posts in this thread for details.

Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. Easily the best car I've ever owned.

gregoryc1 · September 2004

Why would you consider purchasing a vehicle from a dealer who treats customers in this fashion? What makes you think that you will be treated any better in their service department after the purchase? Look at a Toyota or a Honda! ----Just my opinion. ---Greg

aristotle · September 2004

Compared to the discussions of similar sedans ( Camry, Accord, Altima, Mazda6 ) why is this forum so quiet?

Are people beginning to accept the inevitable trek to bankruptcy land? If Mitsu Motors simply vanishes in a couple of years that would be a pity.

I used to own the 95 Galant and I thought it was a great car ( with stellar looks ) then in every respect except for the excessive road noise.
I have not driven the 04 Galant yet but would expect it to be a lot more refined.

People who have owned the 04 GTS or LS for a few months, how do you feel about the car?
Is it truly outstanding?
Is it worth the money?
Why is the car not selling well?
Why is it not being talked about much?

elgatoloco · September 2004

I don't own an 04 Galant but I have driven quite a few as I work at MMNA. I'm still plugging away in my 2000 Galant at 101,432 miles. In June I purchased an 04 Outlander for my wife that has the same 4 cyl. we drop in the Galant & my driving experience with it is very positive. The 6 cyl. Galant was just reviewed here in a comparison test & although it was 6 out of 10 it took first (I'm pretty sure) for power. Main drawbacks were trim concerns & safety features. It is a TIGHT market for sure but the overall review was positive, of course I am biased.

I talked to the local dealer today & he told me sales were up slightly for the Galant & Endeavor & doing even better for the Lancer. I have considered upgrading to the 04 but it is my work car & although the 04 is much roomier I don't really need it. My 1st Galant was a 91 & I traded at 249,000 so hopefully this 2000 will be as good or better. Truth is I am kinda waiting for the 06 Eclipse to be available soon. I won't be able to get one right away but they are extremely..... desirable!

So, is the 04 Galant outstanding? For the price, yes. Right now I would say pound per dollar it is the best deal going right now. The warranty is top notch & should generate more interest. The 2 engines & several trim lines give you a pretty good choice as to how much you want to invest. You should definitly test drive the V6 as that sportronic tranny is slicker then snot. My wife doesn't use it in her Outlander but I do when I drive it in the city & if it was my vehicle I could probably get about 150,000 miles on a set of brake pads by using the engine to slow me down. It's just plain fun!

Like I said though, I am pretty biased.

hwahwa · September 2004

Mitsu cars may be a good buy when new,but resale and tradein value sucks.
thats why.

elgatoloco · September 2004

Of course any new car loses substantial value as soon as it is purchased & driven off the lot. It is also true that resale value of a Mitsubishi may be less then Toyota or Nissan currently but I would wager it's as good or better then most models from GM or Ford. Remember what a used Hyundai was worth 5 years ago?

The current strategy concerning fleet sales of Mitsubishi cars is directly related to that issue. As is the new best-backed-cars warranty & free 3 year service agreement.

I am one of those people who buy a vehicle for the long term however. Resale or trade-in values don't concern me that much because as I stated before, I drove my 1st Galant 9 years & almost a 1/4 million miles before trading in. I purchased another hoping to emulate that same feat & simple upkeep such as regular oil/filter changes & tune-ups are getting me there. So, if someone was to purchase a new 4 cyl Galant today at these sale prices & was able to run it 8-10 years & several hundred thousand miles they would be getting a great value providing of course they were competent owners. My wife only has about 4000 miles on her new SUV but considering feedback from other owners on the MIVEC engine this Outlander should be good for a very long haul.

Thats the true test of value where I am concerned.

cracovian · September 2004

2004 Honda EX V6 - $23K
2005 Toyota SE V6 - 23.9K
2004 Mitsubishi Galant GTS - 21.2K (1 at this price, more at $22.2K)

Hondas and Toyotas are loaded plus they've got the 5-speed auto, nice leather and interior, and side curtains.

I'm all for driving a car for +10 years. Mitsu's shortfalls will stand out even more then. The upfront cost difference is so small that people don't even bother checking the Galant out and it shows.

elgatoloco · September 2004

No. Your so called "shortfalls" will stand out in the 3 vehicles you named depending on how thier owners serviced and drove them. Certainly not because of the brand name.

cracovian · September 2004

Personally, if I buy my vehicle today I want it to have side curtains and a decent gas mileage 10 years from now. To some $1-2K is worth sacrificing that and going with the underdog. Some can also value its unique looks, performance, the warranty, and free service. To me the looks and the warranty are questionable, the interior is of poor quality, the engine is loud, and the 3-year free service is worthless. The true "value" of Galant GTS will start showing at well under $20K.

Mitsubishi was trying to get away from the rebates for the most part of the year but it seems like upping them in September provided a nice sales boost - it was not the "best-backed" slogan or the long-term quality perception.

hightorque · September 2004

I just purchased a Galant GTS with heated seats and mirrors. let me start out by saying I had quite a rough time with cars. It started out late 2002 when I purchased a 2003 Honda Accord EX V6. I wanted something reliable and practical, so after reading reviews and owner comments I decided to buy the Accord. I liked the car at the begining but then the problems begain from poor interior quality such as the leather wrinkling, tearing at the seems and discoloring. The glove box, door control panel and lower front storage bin broke within weeks. The ride quality deteriorated after a years time and then emissions failed. Fortunately I took the car to AAA autoline and was refunded my money! After this experience, I wanted something different and ended up leasing a 2004 loaded Mazda RX8 GT. 6 speed. This was a great car in every way. The interior was flawless and much more high quality compared to the Honda and it reminded me a lot of Audi interiors. The build quality, workmanship, body integrity and just about everything else was top notch, and truly the best car I ever owned. My favorite part about the car was of course, it's handling. Unfortunately I got hurt and could not use the shifter and clutch so I ended up having someone assume the lease. After all of this, I had very little money to put down on a car but the Galant GTS was within my budget. I paid $23,000 out the door. This was thousands less then the Accord, Camry, Passat and the Altima. I test drove all the other cars and ended up liking the 2005 Altima slightly more then the Galant, but I could not justify paying $3000 more. The Galant is a very nice car period and at the price I paid I consider it a steal.The acceleration and handling are better than the Accord, not by a huge amount, but it is more fun to drive using the sportronic. The interior is not as bad as people make it seem. There is some good qualtiy material used but cheap material is used as well, but only in small areas such as the inside door handles and center control panel. Overall I think the Galant rides just as good as the Accord, offers more performance and is more fun to drive all the while being very smooth.I do hear the engine accelerate, but it's not a bad sound and overall the car is quiet, especially when driving sedate. I'm not knocking the Accord as I'm sure the Accord is problem free for most people but I'm glad I ignored some of the negative reviews on the Galant and test drove the car because it is in every way as good as the others in most regards, and discredits the bad reviews I read and more in line with the good reviews. But if you really want to know you will have to test drive one yourself.

elgatoloco · September 2004

I wouldn't call the 3 year free service plan "worthless" although it certainly is a sales gimmick that admittedly may inspire contempt by owners used to working on thier own cars. The truth is that ALL auto brands use sales gimmicks to lure customers back to the dealerships for routine service, especially since they are losing millions to oil & lube specialty centers & muffler/brake stores.

It's a fact nowadays that engines, and most other areas of maintainance require much less attention then 30 or even 20 years ago so the competition for the mundane (oil/filters/rotations) is getting pretty intense. Toyota, GM & Ford lead the way in sending tons of junk mail to customers about the fantastic "specials" good only for X amount of days. Naturally Mitsubishi dealers want this business also so the 3 year 45000 mile plan is a hook to get you into the dealership where you also get that "complimentary" service check. Personally I don't blame the dealers for wanting to keep tabs on customers as the levels of ignorance on even the most simple maintainance procedures are incredible. I don't consider myself an ace mechanic but I do know the basic rudiments of car-care. I have taught them to my son also & when talking to some of his friends I am surprised to hear how clueless they are about mechanics. I'm afraid that the cliched shadetree mechanic gearhead is a thing of the past. Too bad.

Anyway, the 3 year plan is really a way to get the customer into the dealership so the vehicle can be given the service it needs. It's worth a few hundred dollars in parts & service so you might as well use it because you can't cash it in. Also, it's better then chopping down millions of trees to send you service "specials" every 6 weeks in the mailbox isn't it?

The 5 year/60,000 bumper-to-bumper however is a real bar raiser. That is no gimmick.

portknoxxa · September 2004

Where are you seeing those prices for those cars. I do not see them that low here on Long Island, NY, not even my beloved GTS. Which I may add has 18,200 miles and no problems except for a dirty chrome tipped exhaust(HA HA HA!).

cracovian · September 2004

For Mitsu prices I usually check my local carmax.com in Atlanta. Also, Wisconsin is good too. These seem to be benchmarks (more often than not) for the lowest Mitsubishi prices.

For Hondas and Toyotas I go to carsdirect.com for decent pricing, especially during the 2004 Honda clearance that just ended. My friend was able to beat that listed price though and just got the loaded (sans the NAVI), 6-speed EX-6 coupe for $21K.

cracovian · September 2004

I now know why the prices at the Atlanta Carmax were so good for a couple of weeks prior to Sept. 20. It was their "going-out-of-business" sale since they just got rid of that franchise yesterday.

Will there be anyone left to sell (or to show, rather) the redesigned Mitsubishi Raider pickup truck (Dodge Dakota) and the new Eclipse next year?

hightorque · September 2004

Those prices reflect all of Carmax's Galant sales, in which the others aren't going out of business!And $21,000. for a Accord EX is quite excellent, was it the V6? That's $5000 less than I paid for the EXV6 sedan when it first came out. I would print a copy of Carmax's price on the Galant GTS and bring it up to the New Jersey dealerships, you should be able to get it in that price range. If not, fly to a Carmax Mitsu dealer and drive back with the new car, if the savings is significant and you have the time!

rtolentino2 · October 2004

This 2005-Galant was shown last week on NBC-4 regarding the side-impact test & was rated as GOOD as well as other mid-size sedans. It was told that the side-curtain airbags is now a standard feature on all 2005 Galant that's why it was rated as one of the best or good cars. Am glad to know that this added feature will boost their sales & in terms of the mivec engine & the GTS-V6 engines, it's really under-rated - & you'll see the difference, plus the powerful torque at 250@4000rpm as compared to others 245-249 @4500-5000rpm.

Feel the difference.............VVVVRRROOOMMMMM!!!!

cracovian · October 2004

...that will be nice. BUT, to my knowledge it's only side air bags that Mitsubishi is offering. That's a big difference.

1racefan · October 2004

I saw the same test. I believe it was on Dateline this past weekend, but I'm not sure. I believe the crash test administrator said that the 2004 Galant did not have the side curtains, and did not fare that well in the side crash test, BUT the 2005 did have them standard, and received the rating of GOOD. I also believe i remembered him saying the 2005 Galant got the same GOOD rating as the Volvo they tested. Don't hold me to this as I am recalling all of this from memory, and I beleive I saw this episode after a day of watching football and tossing back a few cold ones!!!

1racefan · October 2004

ACTUALLY - I am now looking at Dateline's report on MSNBC.com and they say the 2005 Galant has "side airbags with head protection". The test administrator says that the 2004 model received a Poor rating (worst possible), but the 2005 model with this addition got a GOOD rating.

alpha01 · October 2004

Mitsubishi should be commended for making seat-mounted side impact airbags standard in the 2005 Galant. These airbags protect the driver and front passenger's head and chest. However, the vehcile still does not offer the desirable side curtain setup, which offers protection to the rear passenger. The Galant with the side airbags scored a "Good" in the IIHS side impact, because it has an excellent structure. If the Galant had a side curtain for the rear passengers, it would have not only gotten a "Good", but likely also a "Best Pick".

~alpha

sean3 · October 2004

Hi I was hoping to find a fellow 2004 Galant owner, I have an ES which I like, I am a younger guy, but think the galant provides better styling,other than the ungodly booring camry,accord,I previously had a 91 galant which was pretty much trouble free for its 193,000miles.I have noticed that even till the day i got rid of it it had a more solid feal than my 04.maybe it's just me, but anybody wanna talk about there 04 gal , I have a few concerns
PS I have found a bulliten number if anybody has noticed a gap in glove box....My email zack463@webtv.net

lngtonge18 · October 2004

I think the Galant's structure is impressively strong. The fact the Galant did better structurally in the side impact test then Volvo, Mercedes, and Lexus says a lot. Kudos to Mitsu for designing a safe car and for making side airbags standard. They still need to add curtain airbags to be fully competitive. Once those are added, they could stand out as having one of the safest family sedans on the road. Mitsu is definitely on the right track with the 05 improvements.

sean3 · October 2004

Hi I was wondering if anybody has noticed (if i can find a fellow owner ES 4cyl)has noticed a couple quirks? in there galants,
1) spark Knock chugging noise when
accelerating, and steady lower speeds.
2)transmission shift characteristics
3)Glove box I (i do dhave a tsb # for this
4) Missing various bolts on fluid pan/ and or bell housing according to oil change shop ? this one really kinda concerns me
if mitsu simply forgot to install certain bolts i crawled under there and it does look like there is a couple places where they skipped a bolt oil or tranny pan,and bell housing.
anyway, I really enjoy my galant, unfortunetly i got it before the new mitsu dude started his hyndai like long haul warranty, I get compliments on it all the time, It has been mistaken for a Chrysler 300 and M. new Maxima/the new pontaic G6,and a better looking altima from the rear,Did you all know the galant is bigger in every dimension lenght/height/width/wheeelbase. then the camry or accord, closer to altimas size i think,I just realized the wipers are speed sensitive on the galant after thousands of miles, A few people said they are deffinetly checking out galant.cause i hardly see any around here, i mean hardly ever,but moe so recently, later folks thanks,sean

alpha01 · October 2004

Well, thats great that Mitsu made side airbags standard. Too bad its now IMPOSSIBLE to get ABS on the car without also ordering the Leather Plus Pkg., which then requires the Sunroof Package, which in turn requires the Diamond Plus Package.

Want a 4 cylinder Galant with ABS? No problem, as long as the MSRP of $23,646+ $595 dest (meaning $24,241) doesnt bother you.

The Accord has side curtains and ABS standard on all models, the Camry has ABS standard on all models and side curtains are a $650 stand alone option on all models.

Your basic Galant ES would compared to the Camry LE (w/side curtains and dest at $21,324) and the Accord LX ($20,990). (And those come with fold down rear seat, and the Camry with 10 way power drivers seat as well as steering wheel audio controls).

Mitsubishi: Can't take a step forward without also taking one backward. The Galant, despite its good score in the IIHS test, is still an also ran because of the Mitsu-imposed exclusivity of ABS.

~alpha

portknoxxa · October 2004

O.K. guys, the dealer where I purchased my GTS, is giving like a $2000+ factory rebate, a $2000+ dealer rebate, and a $500 customer loyalty rebate. They advertised a GTS in the newspaper for something like $21,997. I did not read the fine print or anything. It was either nolease or cracovian who said months ago that the GTS would dip to about $20-21K. I personally did not believe it but it's true. I also did not believe that the Red Sox would win 4 straight. It's a sad day in NY, and I still love my GTS, 21,909 miles and no problems to report.

sean3 · October 2004

fleet sale of all mitsu was drastically cut to sometging like under 15%. I think at the begining of '04 maybe. Hope mitsu is serious about cleaning things up. I read a article (several) and mitsus problems are unlike hyndais sed to be mitsu doesn't have the quality problems and in general there products are very durable& trustworthy. The defaulted loans cost them $500+million dollars. and Marketing problems,recall scandals (not the North America mitssubishi motors). But as a whole company like a ripple affect. Mitsu motors has quite a few sister company's, ships,trucks,alluminum,electronics,Bank.
I think with the new dude that cleaned up hyndai's bad public image has a good plan in place,Im by hardly any means a marketing expert or stratagy, but I dont thingk mitsu is going anywhere, hyndai survived, and they were KOrean,mitsu is Japan, Mitsu shot its own foot, they have and always had potential to increase North Am sales, as I ve said they buid trustworthy products, When I turned sixteen i got my dads 1990 Galant which already had tons of miles, when I wrecked it 2 1/2 years later had 206,000 miles and I was less than carefull in maintaning it, but it always took care of me. Most major thing it needed was front struts.and normal maintnance.years later thru many cars I bought my 2004 Galant, im not a brand loyalist, but think mitsu offers a good mix of styling,uniqueness,price,options.let me say Mitsu was pretty strict with my credit. my credit isnt the best or worst but I got 15.99% interest as expected with a sizable chunk down. i bought mine when the '04 galant came out in Nov '03
so compared to now i could have gotten a 04 camry or accord just as easily, but still cant stand them, Im sorry people who drive the '02-05 camry or '03 -'05 accord are boring and sheeplike, no imajination, anyone wanna talk about there galant let me know. later sean

chuck1 · October 2004

. Mitsu motors has quite a few sister company's, ships,trucks,aluminum,electronics,Bank.

You can do a "google search" on what I am about to tell you. A few months back some of these "sister companies" did indeed kick in some bucks. However, the "sister companies" stated in public via a press conference that there would be no more monies forthcoming, Mitsubishi would have to "go it alone" here on out!

sean3 · October 2004

enjyoying my galant, now has 16k + miles,and its looks and performance are even stronger, I receive many compliments friends think Its a $25,000 + car because of its looks.and its only an ES model.The pontiac-ish.front end has kinda grown on me

. I and many think for a sedan it has a very aggresive look to it especially from the side how the body is tailored from front to back. to date it had been mistaken or misidentified as a VW passat/chrysler M/volvo? not sure which model. nissans new maxima/ I think It has a more german look from the side angle. when I see a camry i wonder how could you conciously choose a Camry so odd and boring. Looks like a scaled down taurus. And acoord so typical they already look dated.just my 2cents. later sean

Mitsubishi Galant

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