NHTSA campaign 96V249000

Buick and Pontiac Recall 96V-249: GENERAL MOTORS/STEERING COLUMN

NHTSA recall 96V249000 was reported by GENERAL MOTORS CORP. on December 17, 1996, with 424 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Buick Skylark and Pontiac Grand Am for the 1996 model year. Owners were notified on January 6, 1997, 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 96V249000 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: 96V249000 (also written 96V-249 or 96V249)
Filed by: GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Report received: December 17, 1996
Potentially affected: 424 vehicles (per NHTSA)
Component: Steering — Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Owners notified: January 6, 1997

Vehicles listed for this recall

NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 96V249000. 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 July 1, 1996 – July 31, 1996 (per NHTSA)

All Buick recalls

Pontiac

Pontiac Grand Am
- 1996 · Vehicles built July 1, 1996 – July 31, 1996 (per NHTSA)

All Pontiac recalls

NHTSA's recall notice

As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 96V249000.

Defect description

THE STEERING COLUMN LOWER PINCH BOLT WAS NOT PROPERLY TIGHTENED DURING ASSEMBLY.

Safety consequence

AN UNDERTORQUED PINCH BOLT CAN RATTLE AND CAUSE LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING SYSTEM. IF THE PINCH BOLT BACKED OUT OF THE JOINT COMPLETELY, ROTATION OF THE STEERING SHAFT AGAINST THE CONNECTOR COULD CAUSE INCREASING LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING SYSTEM AND RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING AND AN ACCIDENT.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING COLUMN PINCH BOLT FOR CORRECT TORQUE AND, IF NECESSARY, TIGHTEN THE BOLT TO THE SPECIFIED TORQUE.

Notes

OWNER NOTIFICATION:OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BEGIN DURING JANUARY 1997. NOTE: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 BUICK AT 1-800-521-7300 OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737.ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-800-424-9393.

Sources

Official NHTSA notice for recall 96V249000

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.