- Vehicles
- 476,245
- Built between
- Aug 1977 – Feb 1979
- Models
- 7
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 3 July 1979
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1977 and February 1979. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1977-1979 Buick EstateBuilt August 1977 to February 1979
- 1977-1979 Buick Estate WagonBuilt August 1977 to February 1979
- 1977-1979 Chevrolet CapriceBuilt August 1977 to February 1979
- 1977-1979 Chevrolet ImpalaBuilt August 1977 to February 1979
- 1977-1979 Oldsmobile Custom CruiserBuilt August 1977 to February 1979
- 1977-1979 Pontiac Grand SafariBuilt August 1977 to February 1979
- 1977-1979 Pontiac SafariBuilt August 1977 to February 1979
What the defect is
A child could open the rear side compartment door and enter this compartment. The child could become entrapped if the door were to close, as it cannot be unlatched from the inside.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL REPLACE THE ORIGINAL COMPARTMENT DOOR LATCH, WHICH CAN BE LATCHED WITHOUT A KEY, WITH A NEW ASSEMBLY THAT REQUIRES A KEY TO LATCH AS WELL AS LOCK THE DOOR.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1977 to February 1979
- Recall reported to NHTSA2 July 1979
- Owners notified3 July 1979
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 2 July 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: structure; storage compartment.consequences of defect: in the absence of outside help, the child wouldsuffocate.note: the owner is advised to keep this compartment locked except while eitherloading or unloading it.
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.