US vehicle recalls and complaint patterns, explained
Pontiac Catalina recalls and complaints by year
Comprehensive recall and complaint data for the Pontiac Catalina,
sourced from official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) records.
Stats focus on model years from 1960 onwards.
Earlier years appear in the detailed table below where data exists.
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Pontiac Catalina. Powered by AI, backed by NHTSA data.
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Important: This assistant provides context from aggregated NHTSA data.
Always check your specific VIN on
NHTSA.gov
for vehicle-specific recall information.
Key Takeaways
A quick scan of where recalls and complaints concentrate for the Pontiac Catalina,
based on aggregated NHTSA counts and campaign metadata.
Coverage spans model years 1965–1979 with 21 recall campaigns and 0 complaints in NHTSA data.
Years with the most recall activity: 1977 (3), 1975 (3), and 1978 (2).
Top recall themes: Other, Steering and suspension, and Structure.
Complaints are not proof of a defect, but repeated themes can be useful signals when researching a used vehicle.
Always check your specific VIN for open recalls (open recalls are VIN-specific and can change over time).
Recall Themes
Instead of listing long campaign narratives, this groups recall campaigns into a few recurring areas.
Each theme links back to official notices as evidence.
Other
5 campaigns · Years: 1971, 1975, 1978
These campaigns do not fit a single dominant theme, or the component taxonomy is broad.
Each row shows how often this model appears in NHTSA recalls and consumer
complaints for a given model year. These are counts of campaigns and
complaints, not risk predictions.
Model Year
Recalls
Complaints
Details
1979
1
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1978
2
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1977
3
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1976
1
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1975
3
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1974
1
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1973
1
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1972
2
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1971
2
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1969
2
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1966
2
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
1965
1
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
What to Do Next
Check open recalls by VIN on the official NHTSA site (open recalls are VIN-specific).
If buying used, ask for proof of recall remedy completion (dealer paperwork helps).
If symptoms match common complaint themes, consider a mechanic inspection before purchase or long trips.
A compact evidence view of recall campaigns that include this model.
The default text is an original summary line, with official notice text available on demand.
Most common areas involved:
Wheels
, Structure
and Steering
Show recall evidence by year
1979
Seat belts: Anchorage:
Safety recall involving the seat belts area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: The heads may break off the front outboard seat belt anchor bolts during normal vehicle operation even under no load conditions. This is due to the combination of bolts used, high installation torque and arrangement of the body anchorage.
1978
Wheels: Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs:
Safety recall involving the wheels area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: 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.
Engine and engine cooling: Fan:
Safety recall involving the engine and engine cooling area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: The hub portion of the fan blade assembly could crack due to high stress levels generated during engine operating conditions. Eventually, the blade could break apart at the hub and blade pieces could be propelled into the engine. If the hood is open while the engine is running, the fragments woul
1977
Steering: Steering wheel/handle bar:
Safety recall involving the steering area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: 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.
1976
Service brakes, hydraulic: Differential proportional valve:
Safety recall involving the service brakes area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: The possibility exists that driving on unpaved road surfaces, particularly roads which are heavily graveled and which are extremely wavy or filled with chuckholes, at speeds which cause the car to pitch excessively, the front crossmember may scoop up loose stones or gravel and could be thrown int
1971
Wheels:
Safety recall involving the wheels area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: The possibility exists that driving on unpaved road surfaces, particularly roads which are heavily graveled and which are extremely wavy or filled with chuckholes, at speeds which cause the car to pitch excessively, the front crossmember may scoop up loose stones or gravel and could be thrown int
1969
Structure: Underbody shields:
Safety recall involving the structure area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Service brakes, hydraulic: Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings:
Safety recall involving the service brakes area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Service brakes, hydraulic: Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings:
Safety recall involving the service brakes area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Recall Explained provides independent analysis of official NHTSA data.
This site does not replace the official NHTSA VIN lookup and should not be
treated as legal or safety advice for your specific vehicle.
For any safety concerns: Always check your VIN on the official
NHTSA site and contact an authorized dealer.
