Has anyone had a problem with 04's with "seperation of the ball stud and steering knuckle"? That definately sounds real bad. Saw it listed with manufacturer info on Auto Trader. Please fill me in. Thanks

 

im thinking that was a recall,,? i could be mistaken,, it was last summer i had my 04 in for lof,,and they mentioned the recall/bulliten to me so i had the problem fixed before it became a problem,, im pretty sure thats what it was,, later rj

 

This was a recall. I had it done on my 2004 in the summer of 04.

 

Anybody else know for sure. Does this affect all 04's? I haven't heard about it, but would like to know more about it.

 

I had that recall done in June 2004, to my 2004 coupe.
It is RC 04043

 

I have an '04 and GM's site shows no open recalls on my vehicle and my service history does not list this as being done as I thought it might have been done during some other service.

Anyone have the bulletin that lists the vin numbers applicable?

 

Found it myself.

Number Potentially Involved: 41,928

Dates of Manufacture: January - April 2004

[NHTSA Recall No. 04V273/GM Recall No. 04043]

Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, the washers in the lower control arm ball stud nut/washer assemblies were made of the wrong material. The washers may fracture and become loose or fall away from the vehicle, reducing clamp load. Separation of the control arm ball stud and steering knuckle, due to disengagement of the tapered attachment and retaining nut, is possible. If the control arm separates from the knuckle, the affected corner of the vehicle will drop and the control arm would be forced downward, contacting the wheel. The affected wheel could tilt outward and create a dragging action that would tend to slow the vehicle and create a tendency for the vehicle to turn in the direction of the affected wheel. In extreme situations, the affected wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle. Separation of the wheel assembly would also sever that wheel's hydraulic brake hose and result in diminished braking performance of the vehicle, which could result in a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the ball stud joints and measure the torque of the nut for all front lower control arms in all models affected as well as the rear lower control arms on the XLR and Corvette. If the torque is not at specification, the dealers will replace the ball stud, the knuckle, and the nut. If the torque is at specification, the dealers will replace the nut/washer assembly only. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during August or September 2004. Owners may contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339 or Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.

 

Thanks.