1997 Mitsubishi Galant Engine cooling Problems
- Complaints
- 9about this part
- Share
- 11%of 80 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 72,544miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the engine cooling of the 1997 Mitsubishi Galant, 11% of the 80 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 72,544 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“While driving at 20 MPH consumer saw smoke coming from under the dashboard and under the hood. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop, and mechanic informed consumer that all of the electrical wires melted. On another occasion while driving at about 15 MPH vehicle completely shut down. Vehicle was taken to the mechanic, who discovered that the flywheel and associated pulleys had to be replaced. Also, radiator hose split.”
NHTSA complaint #10048058, filed 2003-11, 50,000 miles“Dt: the harmonic balance failed. When the part was taken off the motor, it fell apart in the owner's hands. The pulley separated from harmonic balancer, and caused failure of the belts. It resulted in car being now inoperable. The driver was at a low speed of 10-15 MPH. If this would happen at a higher speed it would been extremely dangerous. This was very sudden ,and there were no problems before. Also, there were no warning signs. The owner is replacing the harmonic balancer.”
NHTSA complaint #10123756, filed 2005-06, 95,087 miles“While driving vehicle will consume over one quart of oil every thousand miles. Consumer has noted that this has been an ongoing problem since vehicle had 23 thousand miles on it. Please provide any further details.”
NHTSA complaint #895390, filed 2001-08“Harmonic balancer failed, disconnecting belt pully from crankshaft. Belts all became drailed. If not in parking lot at 5mph not sure what engine damage might have occurred.”
NHTSA complaint #758848, filed 2002-03“The engine has an uneven idle and hesistates at 2200 RPM. Four lifters were replaced under warranty at 23k miles. The engine was remanufactured under warranty to fix an oil consumption problem at 28k miles. The car now has 75k miles and is again burning oil at 1 quart/1k miles. The caster alignment is off by 1.2 degrees and cannot be fixed. The front bumper is falling off because the thin metal plate that holds it on has rusted off. The horn has stopped working seven different times, due to a problem with the ground and wiring in general.”
NHTSA complaint #10000048, filed 2002-12Related service bulletins
- 10170074Aug 28, 2015This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
- 10170071Jul 22, 2015This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
- 10170086Nov 1, 2012This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
Engine cooling: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 | 4% |
| 2006 | 1 | 4% |
| 2005 | 2 | 8% |
| 2004 | 5 | 8% |
| 2003 | 16 | 13% |
| 2002 | 13 | 10% |
| 2001 | 21 | 14% |
| 2000 | 19 | 14% |
| 1999 | 13 | 6% |
| 1998 | 4 | 8% |
| 1997 | 9 | 11% |
| 1996 | 16 | 12% |
| 1995 | 15 | 7% |
| 1994 | 17 | 9% |
| 1993 | 2 | 22% |
| 1992 | 4 | 10% |
| 1991 | 8 | 13% |
| 1990 | 6 | 29% |
| 1989 | 1 | 5% |
| 1988 | 1 | 14% |
Other parts of the 1997 Mitsubishi Galant
18 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
15 complaintsBrakes
13 complaintsElectrical system
9 complaintsSteering
9 complaintsAir bags
8 complaintsEquipment
2 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
2 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsSeat belts
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Mitsubishi Galant
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology