Judge Bars Recall of ’80 X-Cars

A federal judge today rejected government claims that General Motors Corp.’s 1980 X-cars have defective brakes and refused to order a recall of 1.1 million of the cars.

In ruling on a case filed Aug. 3, 1983, that took 14 months to hear at trial, U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Jackson said in ruling for the No. 1 U.S. auto maker, “The court concludes the government has failed to meet its burden of showing that current configuration 1980 X-cars now present or have ever presented ‘an unreasonable risk’ of accidents due to a ‘defect’ that causes ‘premature rear-brake lock-up.’ ”