Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | ||||||||||||||||
| 02V070000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 03/01/1994 to 08/31/1995 | V (Vehicle) | 1589948 | 03/27/2002 | ODI | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/06/2002 | 03/25/2002 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If the switch is damaged, a fire could occur in the steering column, even with the engine off and the key removed. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||||
| 010849009 | 06/01/2001 | 622716 | Subject regarding revised instrument panel cluster (ipc) replacement. nlm | 10/22/2001 | |
| 536403 | 05/01/1995 | 43010 | Unknown | 11/01/1995 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE02001 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 01/03/2002 | 03/15/2002 | FIRE IN STEERING COLUMN AREA | 02V070000 | |
| Alleged electrical fires from steering column/dashboard area | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 05/17/2004 | 48000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1995 chevrolet cavalier. when the vehicle was started, the battery light illuminated on the instrument panel. while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle stalled. later that day, the contact drove to the dealer and they stated that the thermostat was defective. the mechanic claimed that the vehicle was repaired, but immediately following, the battery light illuminated on the instrument control panel. the vehicle was then taken to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the battery was defective and made the replacement. the following day, the contact returned to the dealer due to the same failure, but they could not determine the cause. the vehicle has not been repaired since the most recent failure. the manufacturer has not been notified. the current mileage was 50,000 and failure mileage was 48,000. | |||
| 04/15/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1999 | |
| Front and rear turn signals and brake lights do not work. to get turn signal to work, consumer has to turn on hazard lights first.*ak possible electrical problem. *tt | |||
| 08/20/1996 | |||
| Electrical short, causing vehicle to lose power and the steering wheel to lockup on wet surfaces intermittently.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 08/14/2002 | 85000 | 5 | 09/13/2001 |
| Since the end of august 2002, my car has been falling apart. it all started when my air conditioner stopped working. i had freon put back into it, but after a few days, the freon was gone. the mechanic put a dye into the system to see if there was a leak, but he couldn't see any problem. my car has always overheated in traffic. oil is leaking from my head gaskets. now, it is having trouble starting periodically. i was in camden when it wouldn't start. now i'm afraid to drive it. when i start the car, a clicking noise comes from the starter. oh yeah, i had the starter fixed a year ago because of the recall. there is a noise coming from my alternator. i don't know if it is the alternator or the starter that's keeping the car from starting. from what i've seen in my car and the complaints from others, this is not a reliable car. *jb | |||
| 09/25/2000 | 2 | 09/01/1996 | |
| On 10/2/00 i had my 95 chevy cavalier towed to 2 dealers, bryner chevrolet (they would not accept the warranty) and then to the dealer i purchased the vehicle, ne auto outlet because the car would not start. on 09/25/00 my car began to start with a hesitation. each day thereafter it got worse. on 09/25/00 i replaced the battery thinking that the battery may have been the problem. that did not help. by thursday the problem worsened so i called bryner chevrolet and made an appointment. i could not get an appointment until 10/3/00. on 9/30/00 the car would no longer start at all. on 10/2/00 i had the car towed to bryner and then to ne auto outlet as i stated before. i was told that ne auto outlet could not look at the car until 10/3/00. i received a call at 11:30am from joe didonato at ne that i needed an ignition switch and an alternator. i was told that the bad components were draining the battery. i was also told that i needed a new serpentine belt. i had the serpentine belt replaced twice before at bryner chevrolet on 5sep97 and 6feb98. it seems to be highly unusual that i would need to replace the belt almost every year on a 1995 vehicle with only 27961 miles on it. i don't even drive 5,000 miles a year. i feel the same about having to replace the ignition switch and the alternator/generator. i have had 3 recalls since i purchased the vehicle. hazard lamp, leaking cylinder (head gasket was replaced), and pcm assy. the problem with the belt has been ongoing with noise in the pulley area of the belt. the noise began again a few days after the recalls on the head gasket and pcm assy. | |||
| 04/23/1998 | 1 | 09/01/1995 | |
| Alternator failed. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 10/13/1995 | 3 | ||
| Battery failed twice. *dsh | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 5 | 11/17/1995 | ||
| Fuse blew to lighter and horn. *et | |||
| 07/12/1995 | 2 | ||
| The horn apparatus is located near lower part of bumper. when water is on area of bumper, the wires for horn short out. at dealer twice for problem. horn fails to work when wires are wet. *ak | |||
| 01/02/1996 | 6 | 07/20/1995 | |
| Wiring harness for the horn has been replaced twice. after repairs, it works for about two weeks and then quits. | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1996 | ||
| Starter fuse failed, allowing starter to engage itself. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 04/05/2007 | 60000 | 20 | 01/26/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1995 chevrolet cavalier. while turning the vehicle at various speeds, the ignition and engine completely failed. the vehicle takes several minutes before it can be restarted. the contact called the dealer and they stated that the vehicle was not under a recall. the current mileage was 78,340 and failure mileage was 60,000. | |||
| 03/28/2004 | 168006 | 1 | 12/17/1999 |
| Fire under hood - had the recall ignition work done on 09/23/2003 while getting the fifth alternator replaced since march of 2002. on 03/28/2004 car would not start for 20 minutes. finally started, drove approx. 2 miles when smoke poured out from under hood, parked and raised hood, flames. fire was put out by extinguisher. this is the same problem i read about in the recall notice before i got the recall work done on the ignition. called dealer that did the recall work who stated he had never heard of a fire after the recall work had been done.*ak | |||
| 06/11/2003 | |||
| Vehicle caught on fire due to a short circuit in the ignition. *ak | |||
| 02/12/2003 | 93000 | 1 | 06/01/1995 |
| The ignition failed which caused the steering column and key to get hot while in use. *jb..*ak | |||
| After recall o1v070000 repairs were done and while driving smoke started coming from dashboard area, causing vehicle to stall out. cause of smoke has not been determined.*ak | |||
| 02/25/2002 | |||
| Due to ignition failure vehicle had stalled. *ak | |||
| 03/27/2002 | 1 | ||
| It is hard to start vehicle.*ak. consumer states there is a recall for the vehicle, however the problem can not be fixed until the end of june due to the parts not being available.*jb | |||
| 03/05/2002 | 2 | ||
| My wife drive this car. it was taken into the dealer 4-5 times to get a stalling problem fixed. during one trip the replaced a head gasket at 77,764 miles on a bulletin from gm. the didnt check the head for defects. the dealer told us gm only let them replace the head gasket. it is now 15 months later and 14,000 miles on it, the head gasket has failed again. gm said it is not covered and the dealership want 1, 100 to fix it. seems to me gm has a problem with bad head gaskets and instead of fixing the head and gasket right the first time, the just change the gasket and when it is out of warrenty stick it to the customer.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Spark plugs failed. nlm | |||
| 02/03/2001 | 3 | 01/01/1995 | |
| While driving on highway doing 60mph car suddenly and without any warning lost all power and stalled. car would not restart & had to be towed. this has happened 2 other times before. car was taken to dealer and they said that nothing is wrong. this is a very unsafe condition. *ak | |||
| Was driving at highway speed and then dropped to city speed. came upon a stop light and vehicle stalled out without any warning. took to independent mechanic, and problem could not be located for stalling. *ak | |||
| 09/25/2000 | 2 | 09/01/1996 | |
| On 10/2/00 i had my 95 chevy cavalier towed to 2 dealers, bryner chevrolet (they would not accept the warranty) and then to the dealer i purchased the vehicle, ne auto outlet because the car would not start. on 09/25/00 my car began to start with a hesitation. each day thereafter it got worse. on 09/25/00 i replaced the battery thinking that the battery may have been the problem. that did not help. by thursday the problem worsened so i called bryner chevrolet and made an appointment. i could not get an appointment until 10/3/00. on 9/30/00 the car would no longer start at all. on 10/2/00 i had the car towed to bryner and then to ne auto outlet as i stated before. i was told that ne auto outlet could not look at the car until 10/3/00. i received a call at 11:30am from joe didonato at ne that i needed an ignition switch and an alternator. i was told that the bad components were draining the battery. i was also told that i needed a new serpentine belt. i had the serpentine belt replaced twice before at bryner chevrolet on 5sep97 and 6feb98. it seems to be highly unusual that i would need to replace the belt almost every year on a 1995 vehicle with only 27961 miles on it. i don't even drive 5,000 miles a year. i feel the same about having to replace the ignition switch and the alternator/generator. i have had 3 recalls since i purchased the vehicle. hazard lamp, leaking cylinder (head gasket was replaced), and pcm assy. the problem with the belt has been ongoing with noise in the pulley area of the belt. the noise began again a few days after the recalls on the head gasket and pcm assy. | |||
| 6 | |||
| While driving the engine shuts down, causing the vehicle to stall. *ak | |||
| 07/15/1995 | |||
| Vehicle stalls intermittently in traffic. dealer states it's a problem with the ignition. *ak | |||
| When driving sometimes i loss power . tt | |||
| 02/14/1995 | |||
| Ask for jonnie. when reaching speeds around 50mph vehicle stalls. tt | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||
| 04/27/2000 | 02/01/1999 | ||
| This 95 cavalier was taken in to the dealer for recall #99088 concerning the pcm. they performed a vehicle inspection at that time and noted under major service that it has a bad head gasket leak. we have kept it under control using aftermarket stop-leak type products, but it is only a temporary fix. if this is such a common failure, does a recall exist to cover the replacement? i have read about this being a common defect in this vehicle. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1995 | |||
| Feb 2000,slowing down at toll booth,car stalls.restarted only after numerous attempts. after that every time slowing down for lights,turns,etc. the car stalls.called dealer,first told it wouldn't do that. next day received recall notice in the mail for computer malfunction and not being properly shielded. was told computer was replaced,it was a remanufactured unit. after it was replaced,stopping at light and car stalled again,but was restarted somewhat quickly. has happened repeatly since then. *ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| On 2 occasions computer became defective, causing vehicle to hesitate. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 10/22/2002 | |||
| Per the dealership bob bell chevrolet;bel air md;410-877-9800. the recall for the ignition switch 02 v 070 000 was already done on consumers vehicle, but the consumer never brought the vehicle in for service prior to the present time. the dealership is refusing to honor the recall. please provide more details. ts | |||
| 11/03/1997 | 1 | ||
| The ignition switch failed. the bypass switch was disconnected and the ignition replaced at consumers expense. the consumer is requesting refund for the repair cost of defective parts. the vehicle would not start at times only a clicking sound is heard. the starter was replaced, but the problem still exists. also, the engine light stayed illuminated and it intermittently runs rough at idle. *j's *yh | |||
| 10/29/2001 | 1 | ||
| The ignition switch failed prior to recall notification 02v-070, the consumr is requesting reimbursement for the repairs made. *yh | |||
| 05/16/2002 | 113000 | 1 | 02/01/1998 |
| The consumer received recall 02v-070 in april but was informed by the technician that the parts would not be available until july. two weeks later smoke started coming from the steering column while the vehicle was being driven. the technician informed the consumer that wires had burned destroying the computer system. the consumer had to pay for all repairs. the manufacturer refused to reimburse the consumer for the repairs. *mr *nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer was notified of a safety recall regarding the problems experienced with starting the vehicle. as a result the vehicle was repaired at a cost to the consumer. the repairs fall under the product safety recall and consumer wishes to be reimbursed, 02v07. *jg | |||
| 04/23/2001 | 1 | ||
| Prior to recall notification (02v070000) consumer went in for a tune up, after the tune up the vehicle seemed as though it did not want to start, however the following day as consumer was leaving from work, she tried to start the vehicle and it did not respond, she waited at least 15 minutes before trying to start the vehicle again, then all of a sudden the steering column began smoking and was making a loud noise, consumer then had the vehicle towed and the dealership replaced the ignition switch, consumer is requesting reimbursement for the repairs that were made.*jb | |||
| 07/06/2002 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| Consumer received recall notification (02v070000) in april 2002, the letter stated the parts would not be available until july 2002, consumer called on july 5, 2002 and was informed to come in after the holiday weekend, however on july 6, 2002 while driving, smoke began coming out of the steering column and the entire vehicle was destroyed.*jb | |||
| 07/31/2002 | |||
| Dealer denied vehicle to be serviced for the ignition switch recall 02-v-070-000/ manufacturer's recall id 02008. recall letter was received in april 2002.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2001 | 3 | ||
| Prior to recall notification (02v07000), vehicle would not start, a new starter was installed, on the second occasion consumer had difficulty starting the vehicle and it would click several times before turning over, then on july 20, 2001 while attempting to start the vehicle, the passenger compartment became filled with smoke which was emitting from the steering column which resulted in a fire, consumer is now seeking restitution for the damages incurred.(attorney timothy hill on behalf of client)*jb | |||
| 04/04/2002 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle's ignition switch failed 2 days prior to receiving recall notice. ignition switch was replaced by personal mechanic. however, gm refuses to reimburse consumer. *tt | |||
| 10/12/2001 | 1 | ||
| Prior to receiving recall notification, the engine and steering wheel were smoking and it would not start, dealer replaced starter and battery. consumer is requesting a refund, recall #02008-s, nhtsa campaign id # 02v070000. *yd | |||
| Consumer received recall 02 v 070 000 in mail. however, consumer had repairs done prior to receiving recall letter. chevrolet did not want to reimburse consumer the money spent on the repairs. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| Ignition has gone out. however, there is recall 02v070000on this defect. please provide any further information, and vehicle identification number.*ak | |||
| 04/03/2002 | |||
| Engine failed to start. consume r had to hold key in start position for a long time to start vehicle. dealer contacted.*ak | |||
| 04/08/2000 | |||
| Nhtsa recall 02 v 070 000/ manufacturer's recall 02008 concerning ignition switch. dealer:kin dickson chevrolet; waldorf, md; phone# 301/645-700) wanted to charge for a diagnostic check before recall repairs could be performed. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 11/17/1995 | |||
| Ignition switch failed. *et | |||
| 07/09/2000 | |||
| Driver noticed smoke coming from steering column , driver pulled over and took key out of igniton, but vehicle kept running ,would not turn off. towed truck came to pick up vehicle, and notice that steering wheel was locked and would not unlock. also, could not put vehicle into neutral. defect possibly caused by ignition burning out. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/14/2002 | 85000 | 5 | 09/13/2001 |
| Since the end of august 2002, my car has been falling apart. it all started when my air conditioner stopped working. i had freon put back into it, but after a few days, the freon was gone. the mechanic put a dye into the system to see if there was a leak, but he couldn't see any problem. my car has always overheated in traffic. oil is leaking from my head gaskets. now, it is having trouble starting periodically. i was in camden when it wouldn't start. now i'm afraid to drive it. when i start the car, a clicking noise comes from the starter. oh yeah, i had the starter fixed a year ago because of the recall. there is a noise coming from my alternator. i don't know if it is the alternator or the starter that's keeping the car from starting. from what i've seen in my car and the complaints from others, this is not a reliable car. *jb | |||
| 11/03/1997 | 1 | ||
| The ignition switch failed. the bypass switch was disconnected and the ignition replaced at consumers expense. the consumer is requesting refund for the repair cost of defective parts. the vehicle would not start at times only a clicking sound is heard. the starter was replaced, but the problem still exists. also, the engine light stayed illuminated and it intermittently runs rough at idle. *j's *yh | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| When driving 40-50 mph vehicle would hesitate and cut off, causing loss of all power, consumer has contacted dealer, dealer linked the problem to electrical wires within the engine compartment which have melted inside and outside. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 04/15/1994 | |||
| While driving with headlights on high beam, lost headlight illumination, instrument panel lights; only hazard lights worked; rainy/dry weather. tt | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 11/01/2001 | |||
| Vehicle was parked inside of garage. and without prior warning vehicle blew up inside of garage. fire started inside of steering column.*ak | |||
| 01/19/2002 | 10/01/2001 | ||
| Total loss of vehicle. went to start my car, wouldn't start. turned key, starter clicked, but engine didn't turn over. turned key again, engine did not turn over. turned key to off position, then the engine began to turn over, with the key in the off position. removed key and went into house. app. 15 minutes later car was completely engulfed in flames. fire department stated electrical malfunction was cause of fire. prior to this fire have had several experiences of car not starting for a week at a time and then suddenly will start. this all began after having recall work done appx. 2 years ago on pcm.*ak | |||
| 02/09/2000 | 2 | 02/01/2000 | |
| Before putting my down payment on this car the salesman assured me that this car ran great i took it for a spin and it was a pretty good car and i even looked under the hood. not even a week later after bringing the car home i was on the highway and a light came on reading that i needed water in the car so i hurried up and tried to make the next exit when all of a sudden out of my steering wheel comes smoke i made the first exit and came to a shell station openend my hood and a hose was busted and antifreeze was leaking out. i called billy bob's and they were nice about having someone pick it up and they sent it to one of there shops and i came back the next day to get my car. the problem was supposedly my fan on the car and they fixed the hose. days later the guage on my car red that the car was still hott so i got it checked out by my mechanic after a thorough look he found that my fan had been riged with a speaker wire and that it needed to be rewired at that point i didn't have much cash so i didn't get it fixed. i took it to billy bob's however and they had someone check it out and the rewired my fan at billy bob's expense. while the mechanics checked out my car they found that my engine had a crack in it and that the work would cost me roughly 800 dollars. after dishing out all of my money to billy bob's for repairs and for my car notes that left me broke so i couldn't get the job done. the mechanics told me to keep water in the car and get the job done asap or my engine will go out. i spoke with billy bob's and asked if they could help but they said no because i still owe them on the transmission job that i had done. i feel like i was taken advantage of because i am woman and they sold me a lemon that car has costs me alot of money and it still runs terrilbly. within the first month of getting this car i had to invest thousands to make it drivable . i just took the salesman's word that i had a good car and that it ran good i didn't realize that i w | |||
| 05/05/1996 | 1 | 08/29/1995 | |
| Under hood fire, suspected to have been electrical in origin. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 08/20/2001 | |||
| Consumer tried to start vehicle up after being parked for an hour. vehicle failed to start. consumer left to make a call, came back, and found smoke coming from dashboard. electrical wires were burned. consumer didn't smell anything prior to last time when vehicle was driven.*ak | |||