- Vehicles
- 5,821,160
- Built between
- Aug 1977 – Dec 1980
- Models
- 9
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 9 March 1981
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1977 and December 1980. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1978-1981 Buick CenturyBuilt August 1977 to December 1980
- 1978-1981 Buick RegalBuilt August 1977 to December 1980
- 1978-1981 Chevrolet EL CaminoBuilt August 1977 to December 1980
- 1978-1981 Chevrolet MalibuBuilt August 1977 to December 1980
- 1978-1981 Chevrolet Monte CarloBuilt August 1977 to December 1980
- 1978-1981 GMC CaballeroBuilt August 1977 to December 1980
- 1978-1981 Oldsmobile CutlassBuilt August 1977 to December 1980
- 1978-1981 Pontiac Grand PrixBuilt August 1977 to December 1980
- 1978-1981 Pontiac LemansBuilt August 1977 to December 1980
What the defect is
The bolts that attach the lower rear control arm to the frame may fracture. The rear control arm supports and positions the rear axle. Fracture of the bolts would allow the control arm to drop free.
What gets fixed
BOTH REAR CONTROL ARM ATTACHMENT BOLTS WILL BE REPLACED WITHOUT CHARGE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1977 to December 1980
- Recall reported to NHTSA25 February 1981
- Owners notified9 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 25 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
- 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
System: suspension; rear control arm attaching bolts.vehicle description: passenger vehicles and light trucks.consequences of defect: if the fracture occurs when the vehicle is in motion,it could result in 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.