General Motors, LLC: Safety Recalls in 1977

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES ARE IN NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207, "ANCHORAGE OF SEATS", DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY FOR THE FRONT SEATS TO SEPARATE FROM THE SEAT ADJUSTER TRACKS. THE SEPARATION MAY OCCUR BECAUSE THE NUTS ON THE SEAT FRAME CAN BE PULLED TOTALLY OR PARTIALLY THROUGH THE SEAT FRAME SINCE THE SPACERS USED BETWEEN THE ADJUSTER AND THE SEAT FRAMES DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE SUPPORT OF THE NUT MOUNTING SURFACES.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207, "ANCHORAGE OF SEATS", DUE TO POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE SEAT POST ATTACHMENT AT THE FLOOR IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THESE VEHICLES HAVE OVERSIZED BOLT HOLES IN THE FLOOR PAN WHICH MAY ALLOW THE SEAT ATTACHING NUTS TO PASS THROUGH THEM AND THUS TIGHTEN AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT BASE INSTEAD OF THE LONGITUDINAL SILL.

THE REAR WHEEL MOUNTING BOLTS ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, ARE BRITTLE AND THEREFORE MAY FRACTURE. THIS BRITTLENESS IS DUE TO IMPROPER HEAT TREATMENT DURING MANUFACTURE. IF THE BOLTS BREAK, THE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY MAY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, CERTAIN FUEL HOSE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND THE ENGINE FUEL RAIL MAY LEAK DUE TO FUEL HOSE DETERIORATION.

THE REAR BRAKE WHEEL CYLINDER RETAINER ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED. SHOULD THE WHEEL CYLINDER RETAINER BECOME COMPLETELY DISENGAGED, THE WHEEL CYLINDER COULD MOVE OUTBOARD CAUSING A LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID AND A LOSS OF REAR BRAKING ACTION.

THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ROD IN COMBINATION WITH THE PEDAL INSTALLED ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY CUT THROUGH THE FLOOR PAN RUBBER MAT OR CARPET INTO THE THICK RESILIENT INSULATION PAD UNDERNEATH DURING HEAVY OR REPEATED FULL THROTTLE APPLICATIONS. AS A RESULT, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ROD MAY CATCH IN THE MAT OR CARPET, PREVENTING THE THROTTLE FROM RETURNING TO IDLE WHEN THE DRIVER"S FOOT IS REMOVED FROM THE PEDAL.

THE FRONT AXLE ALUMINUM HUBS ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY CONTAIN A DEFICIENCY IN THE BARREL AREA BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER BEARINGS WHICH MAY RESULT IN CRACKS WHICH COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO HUB FAILURE.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH A STANDARD FRONT SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY, INSTEAD OF THE SPECIFIED HEAVY-DUTY FRONT SUSPENSION. OPERATION OF VEHICLE WHILE CARRYING THE MAXIMUM RATED LOAD MAY LEAD TO DETERIORATION AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS.

THE REAR AXLE SHAFTS ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE A FLAW IN THE METAL. AS A RESULT, THE SHAFT MAY BREAK, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.

SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 104, "WINDSHIELD WIPING AND WASHING SYSTEMS". THE WINDSHIELD WASHER BOTTLE ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY CRACK AND ALLOW WASHER FLUID TO DRAIN OUT.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 121, "AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS". THE TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL AIR LINE WAS CONNECTED TO THE FRONT BRAKE DOUBLE CHECK VALVE RATHER THAN THE STOP LAMP SWITCH DOUBLE CHECK VALVE, SUCH THAT IN THE EVENT OF A FAILURE OF THE TRUCK FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM THE TRAILER BRAKES CANNOT BE APPLIED USING THE SERVICE BRAKE CONTROL (TREADLE VALVE).

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE 110 VOLT AC CONDUIT ON THE GENERATOR MAY CONTACT THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL, OR THE STARTER SOLENOID POST, CAUSING A SHORT TO GROUND OF BATTERY POWER. ALSO, THE 110 VOLT AC CONDUIT AND CABLE INSULATION MAY CHAFE AGAINST THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL, CAUSING A SHORT TO GROUND OF 110 VOLT AC POWER.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE NUTS WHICH ATTACH THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE HYDRO-BOOST UNIT MAY HAVE BEEN OVER-TIGHTENED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED STRIPPED THREADS AND CRACKED ATTACHING FLANGES. SHOULD THESE NUTS FAIL, THE PARTS MAY SEPARATE AND LOSS OF SERVICE BRAKES WOULD RESULT.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES HAVE STEERING WHEEL CENTER HUBS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 107, "REFLECTING SURFACES". THE HORN BUTTON CAP AND THE LOCK LEVER HAVE A BRUSHED CHROME FINISH. THE SURFACE REFLECTIVITY OF THIS FINISH ON SOME OF THESE HORN BUTTON CAPS AND LOCK LEVERS IS APPROXIMATELY TWICE THE MAXIMUM REFLECTIVITY ALLOWED BY THE STANDARD.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER MAY HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED WITH RESERVOIR MOUNTING BOLTS THAT WERE IMPROPERLY PROCESSED. THIS COULD MAKE THESE BOLTS BRITTLE AND SUBJECT TO BREAKING. IF BREAKAGE OCCURS, A BRAKE FLUID LEAK MAY DEVELOP BETWEEN THE RESERVOIR AND MASTER CYLINDER. LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT VEHICLE BRAKING CAPABILITY.

THE FRONT SUSPENSION CONTROL ARMS WERE ASSEMBLED WITH BALL JOINTS WHICH MAY CONTAIN SOCKETS THAT WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT-TREATED. THIS MAY CAUSE THE SOCKET TO WEAR RAPIDLY AND ALLOW THE BALL JOINT STUD TO SEPARATE FROM THE SOCKET, CAUSING EITHER THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEEL SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 204, "STEERING CONTROL REARWARD DISPLACEMENT". THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET COULD PERMIT REARWARD DISPLACEMENT OF STEERING CONTROL INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT IN EXCESS OF THAT ALLOWABLE BY THE STANDARD DURING THE 30 MPH BARRIER CRASH TEST.

THE CENTER (SPIDER) SECTION OF WHEELS INSTALLED ON THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED FROM AN INCORRECT GRADE OF STEEL. THE CENTER SECTION MAY FATIGUE AND SEPARATE FROM THE WHEEL RIM.

THE WHEELS ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH AN IMPROPERLY FORMED SPIDER IN THE AREA WHERE THE SPIDER ATTACHES TO THE RIM. CONSEQUENTLY, THE CENTER SECTION OF THE WHEEL MAY DEVELOP CRACKS AND SEPARATE FROM THE WHEEL RIM.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE INCORRECT FUEL HOSE PIPE WAS INSTALLED. CONSEQUENTLY, THE NEEDED SPECIAL REINFORCEMENT, USED TO HELP PREVENT RUPTURE OF THE HOSE AND SPILLAGE OF FUEL RESULTING FROM AN IMPACT FROM THE SIDE, WAS OMITTED. THIS WOULD CONSTITUTE A NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 310, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY".

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE INCORRECT STEERING LINKAGE ASSEMBLY MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. AS A RESULT, THE RIGHT-HAND STEERING TIE ROD MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THE INTERMEDIATE ROD. THIS COULD CAUSE THE CONNECTION TO FAIL DUE TO EXCESSIVE STRESS AT THAT POINT.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE COTTER PIN MAY HAVE BEEN OMITTED AND THE RETAINING NUT IMPROPERLY SECURED. CONSEQUENTLY, THE STEERING LINKAGE COULD DETACH FROM THE PITMAN ARM.