Owner Letter
May, 1991
Dear Pontiac Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
REASON FOR THIS RECALL
General Motors has determined that some 1991 Pontiac Firebird model vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies." If you no longer own a 1991 Firebird, please help us by completing and mailing the postage paid reply card that you will find with this letter. If you do have a 1991 Firebird, please read on.
One or more of the seat belts in the car might not latch properly, so that if there is a crash, the person wearing that belt would not have the protection that a seat belt can give.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Please check each safety belt in your Firebird. It takes only a few seconds, or your Pontiac dealer can check your safety belts for you if you prefer.
Without sitting in the seat, buckle each belt. You should hear an audible click which indicates that the latch is buckled.
Then, push the red release button. The latch plate should pop right out.
There's a problem if:
* You can't buckle up the belt at all; or
* When you push the red release button, the latch plate doesn't pop right out.
If either of these things is true for any of your safety belts we want to fix your car right away.
Please call your Pontiac dealer now and schedule a time to go in. Be sure to give your car's model and interior color, so they can be sure to have the correct color safety belts for your car when you get there.
WHAT WE WILL DO
In cars that have either of the problems described above, we will replace the retractor assembly for the safety belt(s) with the problem at no charge.
Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your Pontiac dealer and parts are available. The labor time necessary to perform this service correction is about fifteen (15) minutes to two (2) hours depending on the number of belts which require replacement. However, this doesn't include time for scheduling and processing. Please ask your dealer if you want to know how much extra time they will need to schedule and process your vehicle on the day you bring it in.
Your Pontiac dealer is best able to get parts and provide service to make sure your vehicle is corrected as quickly as possible. However, if you take your vehicle to your dealer on the agreed service date, but the dealer doesn't remedy this condition on that date, or within five (5) days, you should contact the Pontiac Customer Assistance Center by calling: 1-800-762-2737.
If you contact your dealer and the Pontiac Customer Assistance Center, but still aren't satisfied that we've done our best to remedy this condition, without charge and within a reasonable time, you may wish to write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S. W., Washington, DC 20590 or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington, DC residents use 366-0123).
The enclosed Campaign Owner Reply Card identifies your vehicle. Giving this card to your dealer will help them correct your car in the shortest possible time.
If none of your car's safety belts have any one of these problems, you don't need to call your dealer. Please check the red box on your postage paid reply card and return it to us. This will help to make us aware of your vehicles status in this recall.
We are sorry to cause you this inconvenience; however, we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and continued satisfaction with our products.