Chevrolet Exterior Lighting: Switch

Chevrolet is recalling about 670,740 vehicles over a problem with the exterior lighting. When the turn signals are inoperative, the driver cannot use them to signal intent to turn that could result in a crash.

Campaign
03V327000
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Reported
28 August 2003
Vehicles
670,740
Built between
Feb 2000 – May 2001
Models
3
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
NHTSA investigation
Owners notified
5 February 2004
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between February 2000 and May 2001. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2000-2001 Chevrolet MalibuBuilt February 2000 to May 2001
  • 2000-2001 Oldsmobile AleroBuilt February 2000 to May 2001
  • 2000-2001 Pontiac Grand AMBuilt February 2000 to May 2001

What the defect is

Certain passenger vehicles have hazard warning switches that may experience solder joint cracking caused by rapid temperature transitions and the soldering process. If solder joint cracking occurs and results in an open circuit, the turn signals/hazard lamps become intermittent or inoperative.

What could happen

When the turn signals are inoperative, the driver cannot use them to signal intent to turn that could result in a crash.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HAZARD WARNING SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 5, 2004.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtFebruary 2000 to May 2001
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA28 August 2003
  3. Owners notified5 February 2004

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 28 August 2003.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
03043
Recalling manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Recall initiated by
ODI

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

GM recall no. 03043.CUSTOMERS can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand