- Vehicles
- 1,326,404
- Built between
- Sep 1978 – Oct 1979
- Models
- 11
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 12 November 1979
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1978 and October 1979. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1979 Buick ElectraBuilt September 1978 to October 1979
- 1979 Buick LesabreBuilt September 1978 to October 1979
- 1979 Cadillac DevilleBuilt September 1978 to October 1979
- 1979 Cadillac FleetwoodBuilt September 1978 to October 1979
- 1979 Cadillac LimousineBuilt September 1978 to October 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet CapriceBuilt September 1978 to October 1979
- 1979 Chevrolet ImpalaBuilt September 1978 to October 1979
- 1979-1980 Oldsmobile 88Built September 1978 to October 1979
- 1979-1980 Oldsmobile 98Built September 1978 to October 1979
- 1979 Pontiac BonnevilleBuilt September 1978 to October 1979
- 1979 Pontiac CatalinaBuilt September 1978 to October 1979
What the defect is
The heads may break off the front outboard seat belt anchor bolts during normal vehicle operation even under no load conditions. This is due to the combination of bolts used, high installation torque and arrangement of the body anchorage.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL REPLACE ALL ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FRONT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT ANCHOR BOLTS ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES AT NO COST TO OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1978 to October 1979
- Recall reported to NHTSA13 November 1979
- Owners notified12 November 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 13 November 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: interior; seat belt anchors.consequences of defect: in the event of an accident, failure of a seat beltanchorage will increase the risk of injury to the wearer.
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.