General Motors Corp.: Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood
General Motors Corp. reported this defect to federal regulators on Apr 8, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 3,464. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
THE PROTECTIVE COVER FOR THE UNDERHOOD FUSE CENTER WAS OMITTED. WITHOUT THIS COVER, THE POSITIVE TERMINAL BOLT ON THE FUSE BLOCK IS EXPOSED AND CAN CONTACT THE INSULATED NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE. IF THE INSULATION ON THE NEGATIVE CABLE BECOMES SUFFICIENTLY WORN, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT CAN OCCUR BETWEEN THE POSITIVE TERMINAL AND NEGATIVE CABLE RESULTING IN EXTREMELY HIGH CURRENT FLOW.
The risk
THIS HIGH CURRENT FLOW CAN CAUSE ARCING AND RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE PROTECTIVE COVER AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER TO THE UNDERHOOD FUSE CENTER.
3 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Buick Skylark | 79 | 5 | 0 | 8 |
| 1997 Oldsmobile Achieva | 63 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 1997 Pontiac Grand AM | 383 | 4 | 12 | 32 |
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 97V059000.
Full record for the 1997 Buick Skylark → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →