Mitsubishi›3000GT›1996›3.0L/mitsubishi/3000gt/1996/3-0l/

1996 Mitsubishi 3000GT — 3.0L

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1996 3000GT 3.0L. Covers both the standard and High Output 3.0L.

Engine 3.0LTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1996 Mitsubishi 3000GT 3.0L features a 3.0L engine that requires a 4.9‑quart oil capacity and is compatible with 20W‑40 to 5W‑30 API‑rated lubricants, paired with an automatic 4‑speed transmission and EPA‑rated fuel economy of 16/22/18 mpg. In its model‑year reliability record the vehicle registers 25 total owner complaints, with the power‑train accounting for the majority and only a single recall, placing its complaint level near the lower end of the 1991‑2002 span where the peak 1992 year recorded 117 complaints and the best year 2001 recorded just one. This suggests that the 1996 model offers a relatively stable performance history within the broader 3000GT lineage.

Model year1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.9 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type20W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque87-101 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy16/22/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 25 · 520 CCA battery, OE oil filter MD136790. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 25 · 520 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnOFFOEM · verified

Tire size245-40ZR18OEM · verified

Wheel / rim8.5-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	MD136790
Engine air filter	MR571471
Fuel filter	MB658136
Spark plug	MS851336
Front wiper blades	8250A174 alt MR300876
Serpentine belt	MZ690263 alt MD172376
Thermostat	1305A603

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	16 / 22 / 18 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent published road-test results.

5.4–5.8 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.40 sec — 1996 VR-4 Spyder

320 hpHorsepower (as tested)

315 lb-ftTorque (as tested)

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1996	VR-4 Spyder 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6	5.40 sec	14.00 sec	320 hp	AWD
1996	VR-4 Coupe 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6	5.70 sec	14.30 sec	320 hp	AWD
1996	VR-4 Spyder 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6	5.80 sec	14.40 sec	320 hp	AWD
1995	VR-4 Coupe 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6	5.40 sec	13.50 sec	320 hp	AWD
1997	VR-4 Coupe 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6	4.80 sec	13.60 sec	320 hp	AWD
1994	VR-4 Coupe 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6	4.90 sec	13.50 sec	320 hp	AWD
1993	VR-4 Coupe 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6	5.60 sec	14.10 sec	300 hp	AWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.9 qt of 20W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil, 85W-90 · 80W-90 in the differential, DOT 3 · DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 87-101 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 29.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3 · DOT 4
Differential Gear Oil	85W-90 · 80W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	2.8 Pints
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	20W-40 · API · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	4.9 qt
Engine Oil	10W-30 · API · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	130-137 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	54 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	13 ft-lbs
Main Bearings	Turbo: 67 ft-lbs; Non-Turbo: 54 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	29.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	10 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	87-101 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	166 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	166 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	166 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	203 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	100 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance	.67-.81 DOHC ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	11,300-15,300 ohms
Spark Plug Gap	0.039-0.0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	15.0-21.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing	5, Not adjustable degrees

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.63-1.75 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	56
Oil Capacity	4.73-7.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	25
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	520 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	23 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	11-15 psi
Engine Compression	127-171 psi
Engine Oil Pressure	11.4 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM	Idle rpm
Intake Valve Lash	Hydraulic in
Exhaust Valve Lash	Hydraulic in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	20 ft-lbs / 65 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	40 ft-lbs / 87-101 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	65 ft-lbs / 40 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket	32 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.080; Rear: 0.080 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0024 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.945 in / 0.709 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	0.945 in / 0.709 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

25 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

25 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	80 ft. lbs.	80 ft. lbs
2	Loosen all bolts completely.
3	80

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	91 ft. lbs.	91 ft. lbs
2	Loosen all bolts completely.
3	91

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

36 ft. lbs., step 2: loosen-step 3: 22

36 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 7,500 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Clutch Master Cylinder (inspect fluid level) · Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 10,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 mi	Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Balance Shaft Drive Belt (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Timing Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

In 1996, the Mitsubishi 3000GT received 25 complaints and 1 recall, a sharp decline from the 57 complaints in 1995 and the 75 complaints in 1994, indicating an improvement trend in that generation. The recall count remained low across the decade, with only one recall each year from 1995 through 1998, suggesting that most of the 1996 model’s issues were not tied to major safety defects. The top complaint areas for 1996—Power Train (10) and Seat Belts (9)—were specific but not linked to any recall, and the single crash complaint and zero fire complaints point to a relatively clean safety record. Compared to the higher complaint spikes of 1992 (117 complaints) and the later plateau of 1999–2002, the 1996 model sits near the bottom of the complaint curve, implying better reliability for that year. Therefore, a 1996 Mitsubishi 3000GT appears to be a more dependable choice within its generation, making it a good year to consider for purchase.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’91 ’92 ’94 ’95’96’97 ’98 ’99 ’01 ’02

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 25 complaints on record, top 7 components.

Power Train10

Seat Belts9

Vehicle Speed Control2

Seat Belts,Equipment,Child Seat1

Power Train,Equipment1

Wheels1

Structure1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

02V143001Power Train:Transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive)Reported 14/05/2002

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A CONDITION EXISTS THAT ALLOWS OIL TO LEAK FROM THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE TRANSFER CASE. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TRANSFER CASE FOR INDICATIONS OF OIL LEAKAGE OR DAMAGE. VEHICLES THAT HAVE OIL LEAKAGE WILL HAVE THE TRANSFER CASE RESEALED AND RE-FILL THE TRANSFER CASE…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 39 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
TSB-22-54-003	2022-04-07	Exterior Lighting	This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between…
TT253	2019-11-26	Equipment	This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TSB-19-00-008	2019-07-30	Equipment	This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes…
TT237	2018-02-26	Equipment	This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT218	2015-08-28	Engine And Engine Cooling	This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific 3000GT. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 25 battery Vehicles taking 4.9 qt Engine oil filter MD136790 Engine air filter MR571471 Fuel filter MB658136 Spark plug MS851336

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1996 3000GT 3.0L take?

4.9 qt of ABOVE 32 degrees F: 20W-40 API, ABOVE -10 degrees F: 10W-30 API, BELOW 60 degrees F 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1996 3000GT have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 3.0L get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 22 highway / 18 combined mpg.