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FaultScore report

2012 Mitsubishi Galant problems

Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2012 Mitsubishi Galant with NHTSA between 2012 and 2025. The largest single group is the wheels. Across this model's run it ranks 13 of 18 worst.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Mitsubishi Galant All 2012 cars
C

FaultScore 42/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Mitsubishi Galant.

How this is worked out

The numbers

11

Complaints

1

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

1

Injuries reported

47,000 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

33%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 4 vs 50 Severity 94 vs 50 Early failure 57 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 4
Against the median year of the Mitsubishi Galant. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 94
18.2% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 57
33% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2012 compares with every other Mitsubishi Galant

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2012 Mitsubishi Galant

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Wheels 3 27.3%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 33,650 mi

Engine & Cooling 2 18.2%

Median failure at 31,643 miles

Other & Unspecified 1 9.1%
Stability & Traction Control 1 9.1%

Median failure at 47,000 miles

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 1 9.1%

Median failure at 105,000 miles

Airbags 1 9.1%

Median failure at 200,000 miles

Electrical System 1 9.1%

Median failure at 105,000 miles

Transmission & Drivetrain 1 9.1%

Median failure at 70,000 miles

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

10,000 – 24,999 miles 1 11.1%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 4 44.4%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 1 11.1%
100,000 – 149,999 miles 2 22.2%
150,000+ miles 1 11.1%

NHTSA crash tests

The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own photographs and star ratings.

Configuration Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Mitsubishi Galant 4 DR FWD — — —
10.7% risk

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Sep 2012 peak 2 May 2025

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

at 200,000 miles Roanoke Rapids, NC 1 injured

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2012 Mitsubishi Galant. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's and passenger's side air bags unexpectedly deployed, cracking the windshield and injuring his arm. No warning light was illuminated. Medical attention was not received. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle that could have caused the air bags to deploy. The contact's husband drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA complaint #11661432 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Louisiana, MO Crash

WHEELS

Lug nuts on these tires begin to loosen them selves within 1000 miles. My lug nuts will randomly fall off and need replaced. I can always tell my tires about to fall off when you use the break and they sound like they are going out.

NHTSA complaint #11506163 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

at 200,000 miles Roanoke Rapids, NC 1 injured

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2012 Mitsubishi Galant. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's and passenger's side air bags unexpectedly deployed, cracking the windshield and injuring his arm. No warning light was illuminated. Medical attention was not received. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle that could have caused the air bags to deploy. The contact's husband drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA complaint #11661432 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Louisiana, MO Crash

WHEELS

Lug nuts on these tires begin to loosen them selves within 1000 miles. My lug nuts will randomly fall off and need replaced. I can always tell my tires about to fall off when you use the break and they sound like they are going out.

NHTSA complaint #11506163 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 105,000 miles Houston, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE DRIVER WINDOW IS BREAKING WITHOUT CAUSE. HAS HAPPENED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. DID NOT TAKE PICTURE. BUT INSURANCE FIXED THE MOST RECENT SHATTERING INCIDENT--SO IF PICTURE NEEDED CAN OBTAIN IN THE FUTURE. ONCE OCCURRENCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN MOTION. ANOTHER OCCURRENCE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION.

NHTSA complaint #11324572 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 105,000 miles Houston, TX

VISIBILITY

THE DRIVER WINDOW IS BREAKING WITHOUT CAUSE. HAS HAPPENED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. DID NOT TAKE PICTURE. BUT INSURANCE FIXED THE MOST RECENT SHATTERING INCIDENT--SO IF PICTURE NEEDED CAN OBTAIN IN THE FUTURE. ONCE OCCURRENCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN MOTION. ANOTHER OCCURRENCE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION.

NHTSA complaint #11324572 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Grand Island, NE

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHEN I ACCELERATE THERE IS A ELECTRIC RAZOR TYPE SOUND BUT STOPS WHEN I REACH CRUISING SPEED. THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN WE GET TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I HAD A TIRE REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 2017.

NHTSA complaint #11034256 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 70,000 miles Bolingbrook, IL

POWER TRAIN

I PULLED UP TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH 1 CAR AHEAD, I STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES. THE CAR STARTED REVVING UP AND I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT

NHTSA complaint #10838665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 47,000 miles Fall River, MA

WHEELS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MITSUBISHI GALLANT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL VIBRATION ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD THE TIRES RE-BALANCED APPROXIMATELY SIX TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

NHTSA complaint #10806468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 47,000 miles Fall River, MA

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MITSUBISHI GALLANT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL VIBRATION ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD THE TIRES RE-BALANCED APPROXIMATELY SIX TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

NHTSA complaint #10806468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 30,000 miles Laporte, TX

ENGINE

I HAVE A 2012 MISH. GALANTE AND ON MULTIPLE TIMES MY CAR HAS STALLED OUT WITH EXCELERATION FRON A DEAD STOP WHILE TRYING TO CROSS THROUGH INTERSECTION AND MAKING TURN. LAST TIME IN SHOP WAS A PROXY 3 2015 WHERE THEY COULD NOT FIND NOTHING WRONG.

NHTSA complaint #10726632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 33,286 miles Brentwood, MD

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MITSUBISHI GALANT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ACCELERATING AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, HOWEVER THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,286.

NHTSA complaint #10631115 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 20,300 miles Marietta, GA

WHEELS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MITSUBISHI GALANT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A TUMBLING SOUND FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT ONE OF THE LUG NUTS WAS MISSING ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. ALL OF THE LUG NUTS ON THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES WERE FOUND TO BE LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,300.

NHTSA complaint #10476998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.