- Vehicles
- 4,028
- Built between
- Jun 1987 – Dec 1988
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 17 June 1991
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between June 1987 and December 1988. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1987-1988 Sterling 825Built June 1987 to December 1988
What the defect is
Automatic shoulder belt assembly may malfunction during abrupt braking or cornering. The assembly may tighten against the occupant restricting movement. Also, the retractor driver unit may stall in any position, leaving the belt loose. In either case, the belt would not retract when the door is opened.
What could happen
The automatic shoulder restraint system would not allowseat occupant to exit the vehicle without disconnecting the safety belt.
What gets fixed
REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLIES.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJune 1987 to December 1988
- Recall reported to NHTSA14 May 1991
- Owners notified17 June 1991
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 14 May 1991.
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
- STERLING MOTOR CARS.
- 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
System: automatic front safety belt assemblies equipped with a retractor havingweb and vehicle sensitive lock-up mechanisms.vehicle description: passenger cars with automatic shoulder belt systems.
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.