try.vin
Log in

NHTSA campaign 98V146000

Chevrolet and Pontiac Recall 98V-146: GM/AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT

  • Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

NHTSA recall 98V146000 was reported by GENERAL MOTORS CORP. on June 29, 1998, with 675,302 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire for model years 1996–1997. Owners were notified on August 11, 1998, 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 98V146000 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
98V146000 (also written 98V-146 or 98V146)
Filed by
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Report received
Potentially affected
675,302 vehicles (per NHTSA)
Component
Air Bags
Owners notified
NHTSA investigations
Engineering Analysis EA98-001, Recall Query RQ98-013 (per NHTSA's investigations file)

Vehicles listed for this recall

NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 98V146000. 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.

Chevrolet

  • Chevrolet Cavalier

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

Pontiac

  • Pontiac Sunfire

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

NHTSA's recall notice

As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 98V146000.

Defect description

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. BECAUSE OF CERTAIN CALIBRATIONS IN THE AIR BAG'S SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE, AN INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT COULD OCCUR IN A LOW SPEED CRASH OR WHEN AN OBJECT STRIKES THE FLOOR PAN.

Safety consequence

AIR BAGS DEPLOY WITH GREAT FORCE AND CAN SERIOUSLY INJURE UNRESTRAINED OCCUPANTS WHO ARE TOO CLOSE TO THEM.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL RECALIBRATE THE AIR BAG SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE.

Notes

OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DURING AUGUST 1998.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 1-800-222-1022 OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737.ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4326).

Sources

Official NHTSA notice for recall 98V146000

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.