- Vehicles
- 22,268
- Built between
- Nov 1977 – Dec 1977
- Models
- 6
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 23 January 1978
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 1977 and December 1977. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1978 Buick SkyhawkBuilt November 1977 to December 1977
- 1978 Chevrolet MonzaBuilt November 1977 to December 1977
- 1978 Chevrolet P30Built November 1977 to December 1977
- 1978 GMC P30Built November 1977 to December 1977
- 1978 Oldsmobile StarfireBuilt November 1977 to December 1977
- 1978 Pontiac SunbirdBuilt November 1977 to December 1977
What the defect is
The intermediate shaft coupling on the involved vehicles may have been machined oversized in the serration area where it attaches to the steering column. This would prevent the coupling from properly tightening on the shaft when the clamp and pinch bolt were installed.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL REPLACE THE SHAFT COUPLING, IF NECESSARY, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 1977 to December 1977
- Recall reported to NHTSA24 January 1978
- Owners notified23 January 1978
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 24 January 1978.
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.
Official source
- 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
Vehicle description: trucks and buses.system: steering; shaft coupling.consequeces of defect: the coupling may slip on the shaft when the steeringwheel is turned. Under continued operation, the pinch bolt may bypass the notchin the steering shaft under high steering effort. Loss of steering control andan accident may result.note: a raspy noise, accompanied by increased free play in the steering wheel,may indicate the defect.
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.