General Motors Corp.: Electrical System › Starter Assembly
General Motors Corp. reported this defect to federal regulators on Oct 2, 2000 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 699,617. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE STARTER FAILS TO ENGAGE AND THE DRIVER HOLD THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, PRODUCING HEAT THAT CAN MELT SWITCH PARTS.
The risk
A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT AND VERIFY THAT THE VEHICLE WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION (ADEQUATE RESERVE CAPACITY, OR COLD CRANKING AMPS). THIS CAMPAIGN DOES NOT COVER BATTERY REPLACEMENT OR UNRELATED STARTING SYSTEM OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPAIRS.
6 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 Buick Skylark | 85 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 1995 Oldsmobile Achieva | 70 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 1995 Pontiac Grand AM | 409 | 1 | 42 | 59 |
| 1994 Buick Skylark | 68 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 1994 Oldsmobile Achieva | 62 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| 1994 Pontiac Grand AM | 377 | 2 | 29 | 59 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 00V287000.
Full record for the 1995 Buick Skylark → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →