- Vehicles
- 41,477
- Built between
- Mar 2002 – Jun 2003
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 8 April 2004
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between March 2002 and June 2003. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2003 Chevrolet AstroBuilt March 2002 to June 2003
- 2003 GMC SafariBuilt March 2002 to June 2003
What the defect is
Certain minivans have an interference condition between the lower ball joint rubber boot and the steering knuckle (both left/right sides), which could result in cutting of the boot that is intended to seal the ball joint. If the lower ball joint boot were cut, contamination from the road (salt, dirt, water, etc.) could enter the ball socket area of the ball joint causing the joint to wear out too quickly.
What could happen
The steering knuckle could separate from the lower control arm, dropping down the affected corner of the vehicle. The coil spring would push the control arm down into contact with the ground, creating a drag that would slow the vehicle. The driver could have difficulty in maintaining the directional control of the vehicle. In addition, the affected wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle if forces resulting from the wheel's dragging action were sufficient to fracture the tie rod end and upper ball joint connections. Separation of the wheel assembly would also sever that wheel's hydraulic brake hose, resulting in lost braking performance from the front brake system. Vehicle stopping distance would increase, which could result in a crash.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING KNUCKLES. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON APRIL 8, 2004.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtMarch 2002 to June 2003
- Recall reported to NHTSA12 September 2003
- Owners notified8 April 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 12 September 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 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 03044
- Recalling manufacturer
- GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
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. 03044.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.