NHTSA campaign 04V273000 · Manufacturer campaign 04043
Cadillac and Chevrolet Recall 04V-273: GM/LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL NUT/WASHER
NHTSA recall 04V273000 (Manufacturer campaign 04043) was reported by GENERAL MOTORS CORP. on June 9, 2004, with 41,928 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Cadillac CTS, Cadillac SRX, Cadillac XLR and more for the 2004 model year. Owners were notified on August 25, 2004, 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 04V273000 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
- 04V273000 (also written 04V-273 or 04V273)
- Filed by
- GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
- Manufacturer campaign number
- 04043
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 41,928 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Steering — Linkages
- Owners notified
Vehicles listed for this recall
NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 04V273000. 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.
Cadillac
Cadillac CTS
- 2004 · Vehicles built January 1, 2004 – April 30, 2004 (per NHTSA)
Cadillac SRX
- 2004 · Vehicles built January 1, 2004 – April 30, 2004 (per NHTSA)
Cadillac XLR
- 2004 · Vehicles built January 1, 2004 – April 30, 2004 (per NHTSA)
Chevrolet
Chevrolet Corvette
- 2004 · Vehicles built January 1, 2004 – April 30, 2004 (per NHTSA)
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 04V273000.
Defect description
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THIS CAMPAIGN, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL STUD NUT/WASHER ASSEMBLIES WITH WASHERS WERE MADE OF THE WRONG MATERIAL. THE WASHERS MAY FRACTURE AND BECOME LOOSE OR FALL AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE, REDUCING CLAMP LOAD. SEPARATION OF THE CONTROL ARM BALL STUD AND STEERING KNUCKLE, DUE TO DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TAPERED ATTACHMENT AND RETAINING NUT, IS POSSIBLE.
Safety consequence
IF THE CONTROL ARM SEPARATES FROM THE KNUCKLE, THE AFFECTED CORNER OF THE VEHICLE WILL DROP AND THE CONTROL ARM WOULD BE FORCED DOWNWARD, CONTACTING THE WHEEL. THE AFFECTED WHEEL COULD TILT OUTWARD AND CREATE A DRAGGING ACTION THAT WOULD TEND TO SLOW THE VEHICLE AND CREATE A TENDENCY FOR THE VEHICLE TO TURN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AFFECTED WHEEL. IN EXTREME SITUATIONS, THE AFFECTED WHEEL ASSEMBLY COULD SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. SEPARATION OF THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY WOULD ALSO SEVER THAT WHEEL;S HYDRAULIC BRAKE HOSE AND RESULT IN DIMINISHED BRAKING PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BALL STUD JOINTS AND MEASURE THE TORQUE OF THE NUT FOR ALL FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS IN ALL MODELS AFFECTED AS WELL AS THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON THE XLR AND CORVETTE. IF THE TORQUE IS NOT AT SPECIFICATION, THE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BALL STUD, THE KNUCKLE, AND THE NUT. IF THE TORQUE IS AT SPECIFICATION, THE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE NUT/WASHER ASSEMBLY ONLY. THE RECALL WILL BEGIN ON AUGUST 25, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339 OR CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.
Notes
GM RECALL NO. 04043. 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 04V273000
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.