- Vehicles
- 35,411
- Built between
- Jun 1975 – Sep 1980
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Equipment
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 10 October 1980
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between June 1975 and September 1980. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- Dana DanaBuilt June 1975 to September 1980
What the defect is
Ball joints may contain a 35/64 inch thick castellated nut instead of the correct 23/32 inch thick nut. Due to the incorrect size, the nut may loosen until it comes into contact with the cotter pin. Corresponding loosening of the tapered ball stud could lead to fracture of the ball joint stud. This would result in separation of the ball joint to steering knuckle connection and collapse of the lower part of the wheel assembly.
What gets fixed
UPON INSPECTION, DEALER WILL INSTALL THE PROPER NUT IN THE BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJune 1975 to September 1980
- Recall reported to NHTSA24 September 1980
- Owners notified10 October 1980
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 24 September 1980.
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
- DANA CORPORATION
- 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 category: passenger vehicles.system: suspension; ball joints (replacement), part nos. JB-538 and JB-587.CONSEQUENCES of defect: collapse of the lower part of the wheel assembly maycause loss of vehicle control and an accident.note: prior to failure the vehicle operator may experience these warningsignals: abnormal noise in the front suspension, improper front end alignment,and lack of steering stability.
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.