- Vehicles
- 67,350
- Built between
- Jan 1979 – Dec 1979
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 13 March 1981
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 1979 and December 1979. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1979-1980 Buick CenturyBuilt January 1979 to December 1979
- 1979-1980 Chevrolet MalibuBuilt January 1979 to December 1979
- 1979-1980 Oldsmobile CutlassBuilt January 1979 to December 1979
- 1979-1980 Pontiac LemansBuilt January 1979 to December 1979
What the defect is
The electro-clear rear window defoggers contain a defect which causes the glass to shatter without impact during or some time after use of the defogger. Vertical electrical strips may deteriorate and cause hot spots that can result in breakage of the rear glass.
What gets fixed
VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED FOR PRESENCE OF A PARTICULAR WEATHERSTRIP. IF PRESENT, A LAYER OF A SPECIAL CONDUCTIVE EPOXY WILL BE ADDED TO THE VERTICAL BAR ON THE REAR WINDOW GLASS. THIS EPOXY IS A NEW CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL WHICH WILL NOT REACT WITH THE WEATHERSTRIP.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 1979 to December 1979
- Recall reported to NHTSA11 February 1981
- Owners notified13 March 1981
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 11 February 1981.
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 equipped with electro-clear rear windowdefoggers.system: defogger; rear window.consequences of defect: driver distraction from the explosion could result in avehicle accident. Broken or hot glass could cause personal injury to vehiclepassengers, other drivers, and nearby pedestrians.note: owners are advised not to use rear window defogger until vehicle isinspected.
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.