NHTSA campaign 02V070000 · Manufacturer campaign 02008

GENERAL MOTORS CORP. Recall 02V-070: GM/IGNITION SWITCH

  • Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

NHTSA recall 02V070000 (Manufacturer campaign 02008) was reported by GENERAL MOTORS CORP. on March 6, 2002, with 1,589,948 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire, Buick Skylark and more for model years 1995–1997 (try.vin imports model years 1995 and later). Owners were notified on March 27, 2002, per NHTSA.

Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files

Is my vehicle included?

This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 02V070000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.

To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign
02V070000 (also written 02V-070 or 02V070)
Filed by
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Manufacturer campaign number
02008
Report received
Potentially affected
1,589,948 vehicles (per NHTSA)
Component
Electrical System — Ignition — Switch
Owners notified
NHTSA investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE02-001 (per NHTSA's investigations file)

Vehicles listed for this recall

NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 02V070000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.

Buick

  • Buick Skylark

    • 1996 · Vehicles built April 1, 1995 – July 31, 1996 (per NHTSA)
    • 1997 · Vehicles built June 1, 1996 – July 31, 1997 (per NHTSA)
All Buick recalls

Chevrolet

  • Chevrolet Cavalier

    • 1995 · Vehicles built March 1, 1994 – August 31, 1995 (per NHTSA)
    • 1996 · Vehicles built November 1, 1994 – August 31, 1996 (per NHTSA)
    • 1997 · Vehicles built July 1, 1996 – July 31, 1997 (per NHTSA)
All Chevrolet recalls

Oldsmobile

  • Oldsmobile Achieva

    • 1996 · Vehicles built May 1, 1995 – July 31, 1996 (per NHTSA)
    • 1997 · Vehicles built June 1, 1996 – July 31, 1997 (per NHTSA)
All Oldsmobile recalls

Pontiac

  • Pontiac Grand Am

    • 1996 · Vehicles built May 1, 1995 – July 31, 1996 (per NHTSA)
    • 1997 · Vehicles built June 1, 1996 – July 31, 1997 (per NHTSA)
  • Pontiac Sunfire

    • 1995 · Vehicles built April 1, 1994 – August 31, 1995 (per NHTSA)
    • 1996 · Vehicles built April 1, 1995 – August 31, 1996 (per NHTSA)
    • 1997 · Vehicles built July 1, 1996 – July 31, 1997 (per NHTSA)
All Pontiac recalls

NHTSA's recall notice

As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 02V070000.

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

IF THE SWITCH IS DAMAGED, A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN, EVEN WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED.

Manufacturer remedy

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).

Sources

Official NHTSA notice for recall 02V070000

Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.