General Motors Corp.: Service Brakes, Hydraulic
General Motors Corp. reported this defect to federal regulators on Jun 23, 2004 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 47,991. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH LOWER THAN SPECIFIED TORQUE ON BOTH FRONT BRAKE CALIPER TO STEERING KNUCKLE ATTACHMENT BOLTS. WITH IMPROPER TORQUE, THE CLAMP LOAD AT THE JOINT MAY NOT BE ADEQUATE TO PREVENT MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE CALIPER BRACKET AND KNUCKLE.
The risk
DEPENDING ON WHETHER ONE OR BOTH BOLTS BACKS OUT OR FRACTURES, THE RESULT CAN BE LOCKING OF THE AFFECTED WHEEL DURING BRAKING AND AN ABRUPT STEERING INPUT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LOCKED WHEEL, REDUCED BRAKING AND NOISE FROM THE AFFECTED WHEEL, OR SEVERING OF A BRAKE HOSE, INCREASED BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL, AND REDUCED STEERING CONTROL. REDUCED BRAKING OR STEERING CONTROL COULD CAUSE A CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS ARE TO TIGHTEN BOTH BOLTS TO THE SPECIFIED TORQUE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 28, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET 1-800-630-2438 OR PONTIAC 1-800-620-7668.
3 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Chevrolet Impala | 1,074 | 7 | 21 | 44 |
| 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 230 | 7 | 11 | 5 |
| 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix | 454 | 9 | 58 | 46 |
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 04V287000.
Full record for the 2004 Chevrolet Impala → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →