- Vehicles
- 1,896,222
- Built between
- Aug 1977 – Jul 1978
- Models
- 8
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 24 August 1979
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1977 and July 1978. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1978 Buick CenturyBuilt August 1977 to July 1978
- 1978 Buick RegalBuilt August 1977 to July 1978
- 1978 Chevrolet MalibuBuilt August 1977 to July 1978
- 1978 Chevrolet Monte CarloBuilt August 1977 to July 1978
- 1978 GMC CaballeroBuilt August 1977 to July 1978
- 1978 Oldsmobile CutlassBuilt August 1977 to July 1978
- 1978 Pontiac Grand PrixBuilt August 1977 to July 1978
- 1978 Pontiac LemansBuilt August 1977 to July 1978
What the defect is
Under certain driving conditions, these vehicles can experience temperatures in the front wheel outer bearing area which can affect the wheel bearing grease. This can result in inadequate lubrication of the bearing. This condition may be further aggravated by improper adjustment of the front wheel spindle nut.
What gets fixed
THE DEALER WILL INSTALL NEW FRONT WHEEL OUTER BEARINGS PACKED WITH GREASE AND THE SPINDLE WILL BE COATED WITH LUBRICANT. NEW GREASE RETAINER CAPS WILL ALSO BE INSTALLED TO MAINTAIN GREASE IN OUTER BEARING. THIS WILL BE DONE FREE OF CHARGE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1977 to July 1978
- Recall reported to NHTSA23 July 1979
- Owners notified24 August 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 23 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
- ODI
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: suspension; wheels; bearing grease.consequences of defect: continued operation of the vehicle along withinadequate lubrication may cause failure of the front wheel outer bearing andthe spindle. Loss of vehicle control and an accident may result.note: bearing and spindle failure may be preceded by a noticeable vibration andnoise coming from the front end of the vehicle.
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.