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Mitsubishi Galant

2502 messages,  Last post on Nov 24, 2012 at 8:04 PM

You are in the Mitsubishi Galant Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mitsubishi Galant, Sedan

Messages Page 133 of 251

#1317 of 2502 Dumped my Galant by lawman1967

Nov 23, 2003 (10:33 am)

Well after constant brake problems, rattles and now a busted axle halfshaft (pothole), I have gotten rid of my 2002 Galant ES.
 
At 38,700 miles the car, no longer under warranty, felt looser than my wife's 2001 Saturn L200 which has 50,000, or the Nissan Sentra I traded to buy the Galant two-years-ago, which at the time at 84,000.
 
As predicted, resale value was horrid, and I was only able to replace this P.O.S. because of the very aggress rebates on Mazda Proteges.
 
I will never buy a Mitsubishi again, no matter how attractive the price or the offer.

#1318 of 2502 Lawman by sandman46

Nov 23, 2003 (2:08 pm)

I had looked at the Protege also, but ended up buying the Sentra. Wish the gas mileage was better, my only complaint actually. Really prefered the P5, but they weren't as aggressive to sell it.
 
The Sandman

#1319 of 2502 lawman1967 by lngtonge18

Nov 23, 2003 (2:21 pm)

May I ask why you would trade in your Galant after wasting $1000 on totaling replacing the problematic brake system, the only major issue you had with the car? And to make matters worse you traded a low resale car for another! That to me is like throwing money right out the window. Sounds to me like your desire for a new car simply took over.

#1320 of 2502 04 Galant impressions by lngtonge18

Nov 23, 2003 (2:32 pm)

I went down to the dealer today and sat in an unlocked 04 Galant ES. I was definitely impressed. The seats front and rear are very comfortable and the legroom in back is amazing. The doors closed with a more pleasing sound then the last gen Galant and there are nice wide flat armrests in each door. The beltline is a little high in the rear seat area which could feel claustrophobic for shorter people. The interior design is pleasing (except for the rough steering wheel surface). The trunk is plenty big and it has the articulating hinges that don't infringe on luggage space. I still wish you could fold down the rear seat though. The front end styling looks better in person then in photos, but the rear looks a little too plain and square shaped. Overall, I liked the car better then I thought I would.

#1321 of 2502 Resale and the Galant by lawman1967

Nov 23, 2003 (2:42 pm)

My Galant has had many problems over the two years I owned it. The brakes were the only one that was directly related to safety or performance (the low MPG was caused by brake friction). The car also had many rattles, had problems with the driver's door skin separating from the impact beam (repaired twice under waranty and very loud when broken) and the dashboard moved visibly when pushed. Four dealers insisted that these problems were normal for my car's age, but I've owned many cars, and NEVER has one felt this loose after only 38,700 miles.
 
As for resale on the Protege, well had I bought a Protege in 2001 that car would have been worth $900 more than my Galant was, at a $2000 lower purchase price. The low resale on this Protege is something I simly can't avoid as the hit I took on the Galant meant that I couldn't spend more than $12,000 on a car, and I didn't want to buy used.
 
Finally, I'll be getting the $1000 back from Mitsubishi in small claims court. This was an issue from day one with the Galant, and by failing to repair it, Mitsubishi violated the terms of the warranty.
 
Mazda does things differently. I had a 1994 Mazda 323, and after 60,000 miles the AC stopped working; bad condensor. The car was 10,000 miles out of warranty, but the dealer made a quick phone call and then the Mazda area rep simply stated "Our cars don't do that" and performed the repair at Mazda's expense. I kept that an additional 24,000 miles and when I sold it, it was as tight, rattle-free and solid as the day I bought it.

#1322 of 2502 Brake Problems-Lawman1967 by rtolentino2

Nov 25, 2003 (5:08 pm)

To lawman1967 - just like to ask regarding your 2002 ES Galant. I just bought a 2002 ES Galant(certified pre-owned) 4 mths. ago from a reliable car dealer-at Cerritos Nissan, ....I am also experiencing some brake problems on my right front wheels. When it gets hot, there's a squeeling sound but my mechanic told me brake pads are still 50%good & adviced me to replace them w/ a ceramic pads which will cost around $90.00 per pair for the front brakes. Rotors are not to be resurfaced since this will only cause a major problem in the future,better replace them rather resurfacing them. My total mileage now is 31,000 and do you think I will also exprerience the same problems that you had before?? Or maybe it depends on the road conditions you're driving?? Am residing here in Orange county and actually, my '02 ES Galant drives fast at 110 mph & powertrain is so strong. I'm also planning to trade in my '02 sometime next year for an '04 Galant LS or GTS since this V6 3.8L 230hp has a positive review as compared to the DE & ES models. My second option is Nissan Maxima and 3rd is Honda Accord Coupe and last-Camry V6 XLE. The Mivec engines on '04 Galant DE & ES models are so noisy even at idle position - maybe bec. of the support pads under the car hood - which is less thinner than the previous models BUT acc. to their salesman, it is "fire proof" as protection to your engine.
What can you say on this?? Please give me some insights too !!!

#1323 of 2502 instead by alpha01

Nov 25, 2003 (5:15 pm)

of the XLE V6 Camry, you should look at the SE V6.
The cars you are looking at are very different in nature- the Accord coupe, a 30K Nissan, and the very vanilla XLE V6 Camry? If you knew youd want the 04 Galant why did you purchase an 02? I'm afraid you might take a hit on such a transaction.
 
~alpha

#1324 of 2502 I am sorry, but by lawman1967

Nov 25, 2003 (5:29 pm)

after my Galant experience, I cannot in any way, shape or form recommend another Mitsubishi product. Its not the car itself, even Mercedes can make a lemon, but rather the way the company handled it. I made them aware, in writing, of my brake problems and VERY poor MPG from the beginning, and even after four sets of pads and two sets of rotors, with all wear only on the right side, they still insisted nothing was wrong wiht my car. That is inexcuseable, and they have lost my business forever.
 
rtolentino2, I like new cars, so I'd cross off the Maxima right away. The Maxima is a class above the other cars you mentioned, and if you are comfortable buying use I have little doubt that you will enjoy driving it more than the others. For my money, I'd get either the Accord or the Camry. I'd check out Subaru too, and if the Mazda 6 has been reliable (haven't really looked into it) I'd put that on my list as well. At least with Accord and Camry, you KNOW you are buying top quality, and when you do eventually trade, you won't get hosed on th resale value.
 
As for your 02 Galant, I'd have the dealer run the car's service history. If the pads are worn and making noise at 30K and they are the original pads, I'd say you are doing fine. Mine wore out at 7K, which is a very different story.
 
I had no complaints about how the Galant went down the road. I too found the car (4 cylinder ES) fast, VERY quiet, comfortable and stable, and like many here, I also considered it one of the best-looking cars on the road when I bought it. I drive a lot of miles (38,700 in 23 months) and except for the hassles of frequent trips to the dealer, they were very comfortable miles. My friend has a 2003 Toyota Avalon, and honestly, my Galant was every bit as smooth and quiet as his car. I got rid of it because I just couldn't stand worrying about how expensive the next problem would be now that the warranty had expired, I still liked the car itself, though I had come to hate my particular (lemony) example.
 
By the way, the Protege is quite a blast to drive. Its nowhere near as luxurious (crank windows even), but it feels much better screwed together (in Japan, by Japanese workers using 97% Japanese parts).

#1325 of 2502 Edmunds Road Test by pat

Nov 26, 2003 (9:27 am)

See what Edmunds thinks of the 2004 Galant. Read the article in the Helpful Links box on the left side of the page.

#1326 of 2502 lawman1967 by lngtonge18

Nov 26, 2003 (10:02 am)

I can understand your disgust. I just don't know whether I would have gone about it the same way. The Protege's resale has tumbled rapidly, especially since all the rebates kicked in. Mazda's resale isn't any better then Mitsubishi's, except for the Miata. And then you went from a well equipped car to a car with manual everything?? The DX model takes the hardest hit at resale time. If your motive was cheaper payments due to financial troubles, I could understand. But three years down the road, you will be in just as bad of shape come trade in time once you are tired of the loud firm highway ride and lack of amenities. I would have kept the Galant and got my money's worth out of the solid reliable powertrain. There is no doubt in my mind it would have got you to and from work reliably for at least 150k.
 
p.s. Experiences like yours do make me pause in considering Mitsu cars built in Normal, Illinois. There build quality just doesn't seem as good as the Japanese built ones. My 02 Lancer has over 30k and is tight, solid, and rattle free. No dealer repairs at all and mine was bought after the car was only on the market for 2 months tops. Mine was built in Japan like the Protege.

Messages Page 133 of 251

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