- Vehicles
- 140,000
- Built between
- Not published
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 19 December 1981
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.
- 1970-1974 Fiat 124
What the defect is
Vehicles may be susceptable to heavy rusting in structurally significant areas of the undercarriage. This condition may impair the attachment to the body of: 1) the front upper control arms, 2) the front cross member to which the front lower control arms are attached, 3) the steering box and idler arm mounting and 4) the rear trailing arm which is attached to the internal cross member below the rear seat and to the rear axle. Undercarriage corrosion is accelerated by exposure to de-icing salts.
What gets fixed
ALL OWNERS OF 1970-71 VEHICLES WILL BE SENT LETTERS ADVISING THEM OF THE PROBLEM. DUE TO THE AGE OF THESE VEHICLES OWNERS ARE NOT ENTITLED TO FREE INSPECTION OR REMEDY. 1972-74 VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED WITHIN 120 DAYS OF OWNER NOTIFICATION. IF DAMAGE FROM RUSTING IS DETERMINED TO IMPAIR ATTACHMENTS IN ANY OF THE FOUR CRITICAL UNDERBODY LOCATIONS, DEALER WILL OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE.
Timeline
- Recall reported to NHTSA20 July 1981
- Owners notified19 December 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 20 July 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
- FIAT MOTORS OF N.A., INC.
- 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.system: structure; frame corrosion.consequences of defect: the corrosion weakens the metal and may result inseparation of critical steering and suspension components, possibly causingloss of vehicle control and an accident.note: impending separation of these components could be indicated by unusualnoise, tire wear, vibration, or steering wheel play.
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.