- Vehicles
- 15,328
- Built between
- Dec 1978 – Jan 1979
- Models
- 22
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- Not yet
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between December 1978 and January 1979. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1979 Buick CenturyBuilt December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Buick ElectraBuilt December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Buick LesabreBuilt December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Buick RegalBuilt December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet C20Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet C30Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet CamaroBuilt December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet CapriceBuilt December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet G20Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet G30Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet ImpalaBuilt December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet K20Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet K30Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet Monte CarloBuilt December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 GMC C20Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 GMC C30Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 GMC G20Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 GMC G30Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 GMC K20Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 GMC K30Built December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Oldsmobile CutlassBuilt December 1978 to January 1979
- 1979 Pontiac FirebirdBuilt December 1978 to January 1979
What the defect is
On the involved vehicles the brake stoplight and cruise control switch which is operated by the brake pedal may have been assembled with an incorrect lubricant on the actuating plunger. This can cause the rear brake stoplights to become inoperative and the cruise control, if activated, to stay electrically engaged.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE BRAKE STOPLIGHT AND CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH AT NO COST TO OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtDecember 1978 to January 1979
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 June 1979
No owner-notification date has been published yet. Manufacturers normally write to registered owners within 60 days of reporting a recall.
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 6 June 1979.
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: passenger vehicles.system: lighting and communications; switch button ring, brake lights.consequences of defect: with inoperative brake lights, a vehicle approachingfrom the rear would not be aware that brakes were being applied. Also, if thecruise control fails to automatically disengage through brake pedal operation,vehicle may accelerate when the brake pedal is released. Either condition couldresult in loss of vehicle control and an accident.note: owner is advised not to engage the cruise control until it has beeninspected by dealer.
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.