The Chevrolet Citation has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1981–1985. On average a defect was admitted 5.63 years after the car was built, the slowest took 22 years. The most recalled system is Fuel System, Gasoline (3 campaigns). Owners also filed 5 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Chevrolet Citation
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Fuel System, Gasoline 3 Read
What's wrong. Certain replacement fuel filters, fram brand name p/n g3727, with date codes x52911 through x60801 sequentially or x600141 and a mexico country or origin marking on the fuel filter housing manufactured from october 18, 2005, through march 21, 2006, sold for use on the vehicles listed above and on certain school buses. (to see the school bus engine sizes, click on "document search" and then "bus applications"). The connector on the fuel filter was not manufactured to honeywell's specification. As a result, the o-ring may not seat correctly on the fuel line
Risk. This condition may cause an inadequate seal at the connection, potentially leading to a fuel leak. In the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur
Fix. Honeywell will notify owners and replace the fuel filters free of charge. The recall began on october 18, 2006. Owners may contact fram customer service at 1-800-890-2075 (option 1)
What's wrong. Certain replacement fuel filters, fram brand name p/n g3727, with date codes x52911 through x60801 sequentially or x600141 and a mexico country or origin marking on the fuel filter housing manufactured from october 18, 2005, through march 21, 2006, sold for use on the vehicles listed above and on certain school buses. (to see the school bus engine sizes, click on "document search" and then "bus applications"). The connector on the fuel filter was not manufactured to honeywell's specification. As a result, the o-ring may not seat correctly on the fuel line
Risk. This condition may cause an inadequate seal at the connection, potentially leading to a fuel leak. In the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur
Fix. Honeywell will notify owners and replace the fuel filters free of charge. The recall began on october 18, 2006. Owners may contact fram customer service at 1-800-890-2075 (option 1)
What's wrong. The fuel system may leak at the throttle body injection fuel feed pipe connection. Consequence of defect: this leakage could result in an underhood fire which could spread to the passenger compartment and cause burn injuries to occupants
Fix. Replace the fuel feed pipe
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 2 Read
What's wrong. The brake proportioner valves may break and separate from the master cylinder. This would allow brake fluid to leak and would result in a partial loss of the brake system
Fix. The dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace all suspect valves
What's wrong. Rear brake hoses may have been manufactured incorrectly when the metal end fittings were installed. Some rear brake hoses may separate from the metal end fittings when subjected to the pulling force specified by federal motor vehicle safety standard 106, "brake hoses"
Fix. The dealer will inspect and replace, if necessary, the rear brake hoses at no charge to owners
Power Train 1 Read
What's wrong. The clutch cable may rub against the master cylinder brake pipe when the clutch pedal is operated. Continued operation of the vehicle may result in wear through of the insulation on the clutch cable. The resulting metal on metal contact could lead to failure of the brake pipe, loss of brake fluid, and partial loss of brake action
Fix. Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, correct system by providing a minimum 1/2 inch clearance between clutch cable and brake pipe to avoid metal on metal contact
Steering 1 Read
What's wrong. The involved vehicles may have been assembled with the power steering hose incorrectly routed. The power steering hose may then contact the exhaust manifold, resulting in deterioration and eventual failure of the hose and leakage of power steering fluid onto the exhaust manifold
Fix. The dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the hoses and inlet pipe and add a clip at no charge to owner
Electrical System 1 Read
What's wrong. The engine-to-body ground cable on certain vehicles may have been damaged during manufacture. The cable could eventually break due to the relative motion between the engine and body during vehicle operation
Fix. A new ground cable will be installed free of charge
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 5.63 years |
| Slowest campaign | 22 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 25% |
| Campaigns on record | 8 |
Which Citation years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1984 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1983 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 1982 | Power Train | |
| 1981 | Steering |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Citation have?
8 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1981–1985. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Citation still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 5.63 years, and the slowest campaign came 22 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.