Known Recalls

Model year record

1998 Buick Skylark

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 34 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 04V036000

Electrical system: ignition: switch

Component
Electrical system: ignition: switch
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Vehicles affected
1,415,231
Reported to NHTSA
2004-01-27
Owners notified
2004-03-01

Defect description

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS.

Safety risk

IF THE SWITCH IS DAMAGED, A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN, EVEN WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED. THE FIRE COULD SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR, WHICH COULD INJURE OCCUPANTS OR CAUSE DAMAGE TO ADJOINING STRUCTURES.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND CHECK THAT YOUR CAR WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BEGIN ON MARCH 1, 2004. 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 1-800-630-2438, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537. CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CHECK THEIR VEHICLE ONLINE BY GOING TO WWW.MYGMLINK.COM AND ENTERING THE VEHICLE'S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Vehicle speed control5—
Air bags496,000 mi
Electrical system: ignition: switch282,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline2—
Seat belts: front: anchorage2—
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip2—
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator1—
Electrical system: ignition193,000 mi
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: control module1138,000 mi
Electrical system: starter assembly1138,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling1185,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system1—
Equipment: other: owners/service/other manual1—
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery1—
Seats1—
Service brakes, air: disc: rotor1—
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: pads1—
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar1—
Structure146,000 mi
Structure: body: trunk lid1—
Suspension: front: control arm: lower arm1—
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal1—
Visibility: power window devices and controls1—

The 1997 model has about a third as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.