- Vehicles
- 28,975
- Built between
- Sep 1974 – Jan 1977
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 15 December 1978
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1974 and January 1977. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1975-1977 Fiat 131Built September 1974 to January 1977
What the defect is
The drive shaft front centering spline may experience excessive wear due to insufficient lubrication. This can result in transmission jamming, a sudden elimination of power and handling difficulties. Excessive wear could also result in rear transmission housing damage.
What gets fixed
THE DRIVE SHAFT WILL BE REPLACED IF EVIDENCE OF PREMATURE WEAR IS FOUND. ALSO, THE REAR HOUSING AND OUTPUT YOKE WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW TYPE THAT WILL PERMIT SUFFICIENT LUBRICATION OF THE SPLINE. THIS WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1974 to January 1977
- Recall reported to NHTSA23 October 1978
- Owners notified15 December 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 23 October 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
- FIAT MOTORS OF N.A., INC.
- 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: passenger vehicles equipped with standard transmission.system: powertrain; drive shaft (transmission).consequences of defect: loss of vehicle control and an accident could occur.
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.