General Motors Corp.: Structure › Body
General Motors Corp. reported this defect to federal regulators on Feb 25, 1998 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 8. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH MIS-LOCATED WELDS AT THE JOINT BETWEEN THE LEFT ROCKER PANEL INNER REINFORCEMENT AND THE BODY SIDE RING. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 214, "SIDE DOOR STRENGTH."
The risk
IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE SHEET METAL STRUCTURE WOULD NOT PERFORM AS DESIRED INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WELDS AND, IF NECESSARY, PLACE FIVE WELDS BETWEEN THE INVOLVED PANELS AND APPLY PRIMER AND TOPCOAT FINISH MATERIALS.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier | 540 | 13 | 25 | 70 |
| 1997 Pontiac Sunfire | 190 | 9 | 8 | 29 |
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 98V032000.
Full record for the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →