1994 Mitsubishi 3000GT Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1994 Mitsubishi 3000GT most often report front seat belts that will not retract, leaving slack in the belt, and drivetrain problems including automatic transmission failures, gear grinding, and transfer case oil leaks. Many complaints were filed long after purchase, on cars with well over 100,000 miles, though seat belt reports appear across a wide mileage range.

1. 1
   Seat belts

   Seat belts will not retract (slack in belt)

   • 36 complaints (50%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 12.5 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • filed 2000–2010

   Owners describe front seat belts that, once pulled out, do not retract and stay slack against the occupant, sometimes requiring the driver to feed the belt back in by hand. Several note the belts feel loose when buckled or fail to lock under rapid deceleration, and some say the problem gets worse in cold or humid weather. Complaints describe dealer and mechanic responses as out of warranty, with no recall; some owners paid to have the belt assemblies replaced. Reported from roughly 15,000 to 172,000 miles, in cars of many ages, including long after the original warranty ran out.

   What to check: Pull each front and rear belt out fully and let go, checking that it retracts fully and locks when tugged sharply; also ask whether any belt assemblies were replaced and keep the receipts.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Since I've owned my Mitsubishi 3000GT at 147,000 miles, the seat belts have not retracted properly in the front two seats. The rear seat belts both work correctly and belts in my truck work correctly as well, which is a 1978 ford f150 with several hundred thousand miles on it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10166030, filed 2006-08, 147,000 miles

   “During december I almost had an accident when a vehicle cut me off on the highway. I immediately pressed my brake pedal but my seat belt did not work. Later on I realized my seat belt doesn't retract when the weather is humid.”

   NHTSA complaint #10177818, filed 2007-01, 85,850 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission leaks, grinding, and gear failure

   • 15 complaints (21%)
   • median 141,950 mi at 11.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1996–2006

   Complaints describe automatic transmissions that leak fluid, grind or jerk at road speed, and eventually lose gears; one owner reported losing power intermittently because the transmission would not shift into fourth. Others describe fifth gear jumping out and failing synchronizers, and several say the dealer's only option was a replacement unit. Transfer case oil leaks are also described, with owners worrying that losing all the fluid can lock the wheels. Commonly reported above 100,000 miles, often around 140,000, with some failures noted earlier in the car's life.

   Recall 02V143001

   What to check: Check for fluid leaks under the transmission and transfer case, drive at highway speed to feel for grinding or delayed shifts, and ask whether the transfer case recall work (02V143001) was ever performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Under normal driving conditions, vehicle lost all power and engine raced wildly when accelerator was pressed. This condition continued until vehicle slowed to around 20 MPH when power was regained until speed reached 40 MPH when failure occurred again. Traffic was backed up behind me with angry motorists passing in dangerous areas because of my limited speed. Fault was traced to the end clutch assembly inside the transmission that prevented transmission from shifting into 4th gear. I don't have the old parts.”

   NHTSA complaint #10149658, filed 2006-02, 172,521 miles

   “My transmmission is leaking and when I go 45mph it jerks and grinds I spoke to mistubishi dealer in baytown, texas and the service manager said yes we can fix it at no charge that she would call me when part gets in so I waited for two weeks then I called back and I asked if part can in and she said that her manger told her that my car has already been don and I told her taht it was not done so she said that she was going to look into it again and call me back and I have called several time and left message and VIN# and they will not return …”

   NHTSA complaint #10127794, filed 2005-07, 141,950 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   ABS light and brake hose cracking

   • 5 complaints (7%)
   • typically at 3.1 yrs old
   • filed 1995–2000

   Owners report the ABS warning light coming on intermittently, sometimes after driving through snow or water, and staying on; one dealer quoted a high replacement estimate for the ABS unit. Others describe front rotors warping repeatedly, and one complaint says a recall for front brake hoses that can crack and leak fluid could not be completed at the dealer. Reported at various mileages, in some cases during or after winter driving, with rotor complaints following repeated replacement.

   Recall 96V143001Recall 96V143002

   What to check: Confirm the brake hose recalls (96V143001 and 96V143002) were completed, inspect the front hoses for cracks, and check whether the ABS light stays off after a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Dealership replaced 5th gear under warranty and now 3rd gear synchros are going out. Also front disc brakes get warped every 6 months or so of driving, have to replace/resurface rotors before brake pads need replacing every time. Have replaced rotors 4 times in 3 years.”

   NHTSA complaint #723538, filed 2000-06

   “Abs light came on intermittently, especially while driving through mushy snow during winter times. This happened over the past few years, in as early as one year after new ownership. In the past, the light went away after restarting the vehicle or after a few days. However, this time, few days after driving over a few inches of flood water, the ABS light has came on and stayed on for more than a month now. Dealer estimated replacement cost is about $3641.32. …”

   NHTSA complaint #706454, filed 1999-05
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Cooling system leaks damaging engine

   • 14 complaints (19%)
   • median 157,235 mi at 11.9 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1996–2011

   Owners report coolant leaks traced to the water pump, in one case leading to timing belt and valve damage. Complaints describe the repair as costly and see it as a maintenance-related failure rather than a routine wear item. Reported on older, higher-mileage cars; the sample gives no consistent mileage figure.

   What to check: Look for coolant residue or staining around the water pump area, check the timing belt service history, and watch the temperature gauge during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Engine transfer case is leaking approximately enough amount to empty the engine in 3 weeks. There was a recall that was never done by previous owners. Requesting a claim for a recall that was closed in 2002. I discovered the recall and the failed parts after I purchased it from a private sell 04/21/11. Failed transfer case still exists on this vehicle. My safety concerns due to a failed transfer case are as follows: hot running engine, poor performance, difficult shifting, faulty sensors, poor mileage, environmental safety, etc.”

   NHTSA complaint #10403945, filed 2011-06

   “When driving vehicle, for no apparent reason, vehicle suddenly would accelerate, tried applying the brakes, to no avail, brakes would not slow/stop vehicle, would double in speed”

   NHTSA complaint #800925, filed 1996-08

Buying note. These are now old cars, so condition and service history matter more than the model year itself. Before buying, test every seat belt for retraction and locking, drive at highway speed to check the transmission and transfer case, and verify whether the transfer case and brake hose recalls were completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 58 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.