GM Agrees to Fix Vapor Problems on Some ’81 Autos

WASHINGTON — General Motors Corp. has agreed to remedy a pollution problem on 82,600 of its 1981 cars and is dropping its legal challenge to a government-ordered recall, the Environmental Protection Agency said Monday.

The cars affected are 8-cylinder, 4.3-liter-engine versions of the Pontiac LeMans, LeMans Wagon, Grand Prix, Catalina, Bonneville and Firebird and the Buick Regal, Century and Century Wagon.

The EPA found in 1985 that the cars fell short of government standards on hydrocarbon vapor leaks from the fuel system. The EPA advised that owners wait to receive a letter from GM before they contact dealers about the repairs.