- Vehicles
- 47,991
- Built between
- Mar 2004 – Apr 2004
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 28 June 2004
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between March 2004 and April 2004. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2004 Chevrolet ImpalaBuilt March 2004 to April 2004
- 2004 Chevrolet Monte CarloBuilt March 2004 to April 2004
- 2004 Pontiac Grand PrixBuilt March 2004 to April 2004
What the defect is
Certain passenger vehicles were produced with lower than specified torque on both front brake caliper to steering knuckle attachment bolts. With improper torque, the clamp load at the joint may not be adequate to prevent movement between the caliper bracket and knuckle.
What could happen
Depending on whether one or both bolts backs out or fractures, the result can be locking of the affected wheel during braking and an abrupt steering input in the direction of the locked wheel, reduced braking and noise from the affected wheel, or severing of a brake hose, increased brake pedal travel, and reduced steering control. Reduced braking or steering control could cause a crash.
What gets fixed
DEALERS ARE TO TIGHTEN BOTH BOLTS TO THE SPECIFIED TORQUE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 28, 2004.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtMarch 2004 to April 2004
- Recall reported to NHTSA23 June 2004
- Owners notified28 June 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 23 June 2004.
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 1-800-630-2438 or pontiac 1-800-620-7668.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 04049
- 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
Recall no. 04049.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.