Recall - Seat Belt Buckle Replacement: Overview
Noncompliance - Seat Belt Buckle Compliance # 04025 - (05/06/2004)04025 -- Seat Belt Buckle Compliance
2004 Chevrolet Express
2004 GMC Savana
Condition
General Motors has decided that certain 2004 model year Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles fail to conform to Federal/Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 209, Seat Belt Assemblies. These vehicles may have been produced with seat belt buckle assemblies containing a latch with a brittle condition that could cause the assemblies to fail the strength tests specified in the standard. As a result, the safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash and could result in injury to the occupant.
Correction
Dealers are to replace all of the safety belt buckles.
Vehicles Involved
Involved are certain 2004 model year Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles built within the VIN breakpoints shown.
Important
Dealers should confirm vehicle eligibility through GMVIS (GM Vehicle Inquiry System) before beginning recall repairs. [Not all vehicles within the above breakpoints may be involved.]
For US
For dealers with involved vehicles, a Campaign Initiation Detail Report containing the complete Vehicle Identification Number, customer name and address data has been prepared and will be loaded to the GM DealerWorld, Recall Information website. Dealers that have no involved vehicles currently assigned will not have a report available in GM DealerWorld.
For Canada & IPC
For dealers with involved vehicles, a Campaign Initiation Detail Report containing the complete Vehicle Identification Number, customer name and address data has been prepared and is being furnished to involved dealers. Dealers that have no involved vehicles currently assigned will not receive a report with the recall bulletin.
The Campaign Initiation Detail Report may contain customer names and addresses obtained from Motor Vehicle Registration Records. The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any other purpose is a violation of law in several states/provinces/countries. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this report to the follow-up necessary to complete this program.
Parts Information
Parts required to complete this recall are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). Please refer to your "involved vehicles listing" before ordering parts. Normal orders should be placed on a DRO = Daily Replenishment Order. In an emergency situation, parts should be ordered on a CSO = Customer Special Order.
Courtesy Transportation
The General Motors Courtesy Transportation program is intended to minimize customer inconvenience when a vehicle requires a repair that is covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. The availability of courtesy transportation to customers whose vehicles are within the warranty coverage period and involved in a product recall is very important in maintaining customer satisfaction. Dealers are to ensure that these customers understand that shuttle service or some other form of courtesy transportation is available and will be provided at no charge. Dealers should refer to the General Motors Service Policies and Procedures Manual for Courtesy Transportation guidelines.
Claim Information
Customer Notification - For US and Canada
General Motors will notify customers of this recall on their vehicle (see copy of customer letter shown in this bulletin).
Customer Notification -- For IPC
Letters will be sent to known owners of record located within areas covered by the US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. For owners outside these areas, dealers should notify customers using the suggested dealer letter.
Dealer Recall Responsibility -- FOR US AND IPC (US States Territories and Possessions)
The US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act provides that each vehicle that is subject to a recall of this type must be adequately repaired within a reasonable time after the customer has tendered it for repair. A failure to repair within sixty days after tender of a vehicle is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time. If the condition is not adequately repaired within a reasonable time, the customer may be entitled to an identical or reasonably equivalent vehicle at no charge or to a refund of the purchase price less a reasonable allowance for depreciation. To avoid having these burdensome remedies, every effort must be made to promptly schedule an appointment with each customer and to repair their vehicle as soon as possible. In the recall notification letters, customers are told how to contact the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if the recall is not completed within a reasonable time.
This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this recall may not comply with the standard identified above. Under Title 49, Section 30112 of the United States Code it is illegal for a dealer to sell a new motor vehicle which the dealer knows does not comply with an applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. As a consequence if you sell any of these motor vehicles without first performing the recall correction your dealership may he subject to a civil penalty for each such sale.
Dealer Recall Responsibility -- ALL
All unsold new vehicles in dealers' possession and subject to this recall MUST be held and inspected/repaired per the service procedure of this recall bulletin BEFORE customers take possession of these vehicles.
Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this recall at no charge to customers, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership, from this time forward.
Customers who have recently purchased vehicles sold from your vehicle inventory, and for which there is no customer information indicated on the dealer listing, are to be contacted by the dealer. Arrangements are to be made to make the required correction according to the instructions contained in this bulletin. This could be done by mailing to such customers a copy of the customer letter shown in this bulletin. Recall follow-up cards should not be used for this purpose, since the customer may not as yet have received the notification letter.
In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this recall enters your vehicle inventory, or is in your dealership for service in the future, please take the steps necessary to be sure the recall correction has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.
Disclaimer