Saturn Electrical System: Switch

Saturn is recalling about 319 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. The ignition key must be reinserted in the ignition cylinder to turn the engine off.

Campaign
97V055000
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Reported
8 April 1997
Vehicles
319
Built between
Jan 1997 – Feb 1997
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
9 April 1997
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between January 1997 and February 1997. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1997 Saturn ZBuilt January 1997 to February 1997

What the defect is

It is possible to remove the ignition key while the cylinder is in the run position. This does not comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 114, "theft protection."

What could happen

The ignition key must be reinserted in the ignition cylinder to turn the engine off.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL PERFORM A FUNCTIONAL CHECK OF THE IGNITION CYLINDER AND, IF NECESSARY, TO HAVE THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION CYLINDER RE-CODED. OWNERS CAN PERFORM THIS FUNCTIONAL CHECK THEMSELVES IF THEY SO DESIRE.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJanuary 1997 to February 1997
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA8 April 1997
  3. Owners notified9 April 1997

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 8 April 1997.

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.
Safety standard
FMVSS 114
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

Owner notification:owner notification is expected to begin during april 1997. Note:owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact saturn at 1-800-553-6000.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.

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.

Same component

Same brand