General Motors Corp.: Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
General Motors Corp. reported this defect to federal regulators on Mar 6, 2002 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 1,589,948. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS.
The risk
IF THE SWITCH IS DAMAGED, A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN, EVEN WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 27, 2002. 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 CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737, BUICK AT 1-800-521-7300, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
12 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Buick Skylark | 79 | 5 | 0 | 8 |
| 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier | 540 | 13 | 25 | 70 |
| 1997 Oldsmobile Achieva | 63 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 1997 Pontiac Grand AM | 383 | 4 | 12 | 32 |
| 1997 Pontiac Sunfire | 190 | 9 | 8 | 29 |
| 1996 Buick Skylark | 85 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier | 503 | 13 | 10 | 58 |
| 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva | 87 | 6 | 3 | 10 |
| 1996 Pontiac Grand AM | 450 | 6 | 14 | 33 |
| 1996 Pontiac Sunfire | 201 | 10 | 11 | 30 |
| 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier | 270 | 9 | 10 | 32 |
| 1995 Pontiac Sunfire | 119 | 7 | 11 | 11 |
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 02V070000.
Full record for the 1997 Buick Skylark → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →