General Motors Corp.: Electrical System › Ignition › Anti-theft › Control Module
General Motors Corp. reported this defect to federal regulators on Oct 23, 1995 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 32,869. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH A MALFUNCTION ALARM, LIGHTING AND LOCKING (MALL) MODULE THAT CAN CONTAIN A DAMAGED CAPACITOR. IF THE CAPACITOR IS DAMAGED, THE "KEY IN THE IGNITION" WARNING CHIME AND THE DRIVER SEAT BELT UNBUCKLED WARNING CHIME AND INDICATOR LAMP MAY NOT WORK. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 114, "THEFT PROTECTION" AND FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." IN ADDITION, OTHER CHIME REMINDER FUNCTIONS, INTERIOR LIGHTING CONTROLS, AND POWER DOOR LOCKING FEATURES ARE ALSO AFFECTED.
The risk
CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE; THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT THE KEY WAS LEFT IN THE IGNITION OR THAT THE SAFETY BELT WAS NOT BUCKLED.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF REQUIRED, REPLACE THE MALL MODULE.
7 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Buick Lesabre | 98 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 1996 Buick Park Avenue | 59 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 1996 Buick Riviera | 44 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 Oldsmobile 88 | 92 | 2 | 9 | 5 |
| 1996 Oldsmobile 98 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Oldsmobile Aurora | 100 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| 1996 Pontiac Bonneville | 150 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
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 95V204000.
Full record for the 1996 Buick Lesabre → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →