- Vehicles
- 47,371
- Built between
- Aug 1978 – Aug 1979
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 25 August 1981
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1978 and August 1979. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1980 Buick SkylarkBuilt August 1978 to August 1979
- 1980 Chevrolet CitationBuilt August 1978 to August 1979
- 1980 Oldsmobile OmegaBuilt August 1978 to August 1979
- 1980 Pontiac PhoenixBuilt August 1978 to August 1979
What the defect is
Under certain conditions, the rear brakes could lock up without prior warning during high deceleration braking. The problem may be caused by defective proportioner valves in the braking system.
What gets fixed
THE DEALER WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE SYSTEM PROPORTIONER VALVES AND IF NECESSARY INSTALL NEW VALVES.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1978 to August 1979
- Recall reported to NHTSA10 August 1981
- Owners notified25 August 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 10 August 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 with manual transmissions.system: service brakes; rear brakes.consequences of defect: rear brake lockup could cause a loss of vehicle controland 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.