The defect
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.
The risk
AIR BAGS DEPLOY WITH GREAT FORCE AND CAN SERIOUSLY INJURE UNRESTRAINED OCCUPANTS WHO ARE TOO CLOSE TO THEM.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL RECALIBRATE THE AIR BAG SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Cavalier | 1996, 1997 |
| Pontiac Sunfire | 1996, 1997 |
Components: AIR BAGS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Cavalier | 1996 | 503 | 7 |
| Chevrolet Cavalier | 1997 | 540 | 7 |
| Pontiac Sunfire | 1996 | 201 | 7 |
| Pontiac Sunfire | 1997 | 190 | 6 |
Other air bags recalls in 1998
10 of the 367 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1998 concerned the air bags; GENERAL MOTORS CORP. filed 1,195 campaigns in all.
| 98V315000 11 Dec 1998 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. |
| 98V303000 1 Dec 1998 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 98V089001 27 Nov 1998 | PORSCHE CARS N.A. INC. |
| 98V256000 14 Oct 1998 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, INC. |
| 98V249000 8 Oct 1998 | MAZDA (NORTH AMERICA),INC |
| 98V188000 6 Aug 1998 | TOYOTA MOTOR CO., LTD. |
| 98V115000 26 May 1998 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 98V046000 10 Mar 1998 | CHRYSLER CORPORATION |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1998