Check engine light suddenly came on and the vehicle lost all engine power and driving capabilities while driving at a low speed, turning a corner. There had been no other issues or indication of a failure of any kind. The car was pulled over on the roadside out of traffic and was able to be restarted with no problem. It was taken to a nearby auto parts store where they performed a free diagnostic check. The result that came back was generally regarding a vacuum issue in fuel system or lines. The gas cap lid and door were checked for proper closure and it was established they had been closed and sealed properly at the time the engine power failure occurred.
2003 Mitsubishi Galant electrical problems
17 complaints (13% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 48,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 17
- of this car's complaints
- 13%
- typical mileage
- 48,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Horn4
- Wiring: interior/under dash3
- Wiring3
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Mitsubishi Galant electrical problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Mitsubishi Galant electrical
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Passenger door fire
In response to this investigation, mitsubishi motors north america (mmna) initiated a special program on july 31, 2009, to extend the warranty coverage on model year (my) 2001-2003 galant vehicle passenger side window switches to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first.notification of this special coverage program to all registered vehicle owners is scheduled to begin in late-september 2009.owners who have experienced a problem with the power window switch (blown fuse, intermittent operation or power window malfunction) or who spilled liquids or beverages onto the front passenger door window switch will be entitled to have the switch replaced and any related repairs performed at no charge.the agency is aware of 35 alleged front passenger door panel heat, smoke or fire incidents, including three reported minor burns or bruises.there are no reported crashes or fatalities.there are 307 warranty claims of switch malfunctions or short circuits without any reported heat, smoke or fire.mmna inspection and analysis of fire-damaged door panels/switches found evidence of spilled liquids with high sugar content on the power window switches.mmna claims the residue of these liquids LED to a shorting/smoke/ fire condition inside the switch/door panel assembly.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see document file for additional information.
EA08011
Passenger door fire
Complaints allege that a fire erupted in the front passenger door.in mitsubishi's response to odi's march 12, 2008 information request, mitsubishi asserts that the alleged defect may occur when large amounts of liquids, more than 100cc (3.4 oz), like a soft drink were spilled directly over the power window switch area, all at once and at one time.mitsubishi found that as the liquid dries off, electrolytes and carbonized particles accumulate between the terminals in the power window switch and become a conductive material.as a result, the switch may start to heat up and melt or ignite the plastic components.however, mitsubishi also asserts that the alleged defect is very rare and that burning damage will not occur unless liquids enter into the power window switch.odi upgraded this preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis, ea08-011, to further evaluate this issue.
PE08014
What 2003 Mitsubishi Galant owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Check engine light came on and the car quit on me when I was driving it
The horn which is part of the airbag stayed on when I used my keyless entry remote to lock the car. I had to hit the horn button in the steering wheel to make it stop. The horn once again became stuck the next day when I honked my horn on the freeway to prevent a car from colliding with me as they tried to switch lanes. I could not get the horn to shut off this time and had to pull over to pull out the fuse. I plugged in the fuse when I arrived home and the horn came right back on. I then used a rubber mallet to tap around the horn button and steering wheel which finally stopped the horn. This is a huge safety concern as my horn will now not sound at all.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi galant. The contact stated that while traveling at approximately 40 MPH, the defroster failed to activate. The contact attempted to use the temperature controls and suddenly there was an abnormal noise. The failure occurred when the defroster, A/C, or heater was activated. As a result, the contact's visibility was impaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.
I started my car in the afternoon, then I turned on my radio 3 minutes later. Then, I smelled like something burnt, that's when I saw smoke came out of the front right passenger seat door. I stopped in a random tire shop to see what was going on. A few minutes later, I saw fire coming out of the loudspeaker on the front right door. A guy from the tire shop helped me to extinguish the fire. After I made sure that it was safe enough for me to drive, I drove my car to my regular auto shop to get it checked. The inside of the door was melted (halfway melted, because the fire was handled early) and blew the fuse.
Turned heat on and heard a ratteling noise under dash, when heat came on noise stopped. Turned heat on a week later, nothing, only cold air. Independent mechanic says heater core, after replacing thermostat and coolant sensor. Dealership says heater control valve, either way, with seeing how many people are complaining about the same thing, there is clearly a problem at the manufacturing level. Maybe mitsubishi should look at doing something like accepting full responsibility and repairing these cars. With the economy what it is there are few people who are able to afford this expense, myself included. Somebody please help us! Why should the consumer always get the short end of the stick?
Heat stopped working due to a faulty heat control valve. First it started making a clicking noise and now I have no heat at all.
The problem started about a year ago. The constant rattling sound behind the dashboard when you first turn on the heat. After about 10-15 secs it stops. Then eventually the rattling sound stops completely when you turn on the heat and so does the heat and the defroster. I lost heat the first time back around december of 2008. It came back on within two weeks and stayed on during the winter. Around the first of may, I lost heat again and it has not been back on since.
In 2007, horn would just blow on it's own at random times. Even though the battery was only one year old at the time, I replaced it again. Last week, 8/09/08 the horn just started blaring again while driving. It nearly caused an accident due to another car swerving out of the lane next to my vehicle and into my rear driver's side quarter-panel. Since the first instance, there seems to be electrical problems, as the radio and clock always reset, the trip odometer resets to zero, and the interior lights do not work. There are no blown fuses, and no damage to the electrical system. No one or business can seem to find the source of the problem. It will take over $5000 to rewire the car. As a working class citizen, and unemployed veteran, I don't have that kind of money, nor access to it. I have no choice but to drive an unsafe vehicle. I have also had problems with warping on the rotors (twice).
Heater in car stopped working due to a problem with the control motor mr958603.
Questions about the 2003 Mitsubishi Galant electrical
Does the 2003 Mitsubishi Galant have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 17 complaints about the electrical of the 2003 Mitsubishi Galant, 13% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2003 Mitsubishi Galant electrical problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 48,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Mitsubishi Galant electrical?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Mitsubishi Galant have the most electrical problems?
The Mitsubishi Galant model years with the most electrical complaints are 2002 (26 complaints), 2000 (21 complaints) and 1999 (19 complaints).
Other 2003 Mitsubishi Galant problems
Visibility 46Body 21Engine 18Brakes 14Airbags 11Transmission 6Seats 5Fuel system 4Suspension 4Lights 2Acceleration 1Locks 1Seat belts 1Tires 1
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