- Vehicles
- 161,225
- Built between
- Jan 1979 – Jun 1979
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 8 October 1979
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 1979 and June 1979. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1980 Buick SkylarkBuilt January 1979 to June 1979
- 1980 Chevrolet CitationBuilt January 1979 to June 1979
- 1980 Oldsmobile OmegaBuilt January 1979 to June 1979
- 1980 Pontiac PhoenixBuilt January 1979 to June 1979
What the defect is
The steering gear mounting plate on the involved vehicles may develop fatigue cracks at high mileage which would allow the steering gear attachment to become loose. If this condition exists, the driver may notice considerable "free play" in the steering wheel.
What gets fixed
THE DEALER WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED TYPE OF STEERING GEAR MOUNTING BRACKET WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 1979 to June 1979
- Recall reported to NHTSA17 October 1979
- Owners notified8 October 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 17 October 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: steering; gear mounting bracket.consequences of defect: this condition may result in degradation of steeringcontrol, which could lead to loss of vehicle control and an accident.
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.