- Vehicles
- 105,130
- Built between
- Oct 1980 – Dec 1980
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 31 March 1981
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between October 1980 and December 1980. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1981 Buick SkylarkBuilt October 1980 to December 1980
- 1981 Chevrolet CitationBuilt October 1980 to December 1980
- 1981 Oldsmobile OmegaBuilt October 1980 to December 1980
- 1981 Pontiac PhoenixBuilt October 1980 to December 1980
What the defect is
The engine-to-body ground cable on certain vehicles may have been damaged during manufacture. The cable could eventually break due to the relative motion between the engine and body during vehicle operation.
What gets fixed
A NEW GROUND CABLE WILL BE INSTALLED FREE OF CHARGE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtOctober 1980 to December 1980
- Recall reported to NHTSA24 March 1981
- Owners notified31 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 24 March 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
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles.system: electrical; ground cable.consequences of defect: if the cable breaks when maximum electrical loads arebeing placed on vehicle, headlights could suddenly dim or wipers could slowdown. This would reduce visibility in severe weather or nighttime drivingconditions. An accident could result.note: if dimming occurs, restricting the use of other electrical accessoriescould partially restore some of the headlight brightness or wiper speed.
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.