Recall - Front Seat Back Recliner Replacement: Overview
REPLACEMENT OF FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINERS# 99-C-01 - (Aug 9, 2004)
REPLACEMENT OF FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINERS 1994 and 1995 SATURN VEHICLES (ALL MODELS)
TO: ALL SATURN RETAILERS and AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS
The Highway Safety Act, as amended, provides that each vehicle which is subject to a recall campaign 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 (60) 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 to provide 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. As you will see in reading the copy of the divisional letter (shown in this bulletin) that is being sent to customers, the customers are being instructed to contact the appropriate Customer Assistance Center if their dealer does not remedy the condition within five (5) days of the mutually agreed upon service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, they are instructed on how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
DEFECT INVOLVED
Saturn has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1994 and 1995 model year Saturn vehicles. Some front seat back recliners were made with a part that failed to meet Saturn's stringent quality standards. The recliner gear teeth may wear excessively through repeated use, and may cause the seat back to slip partially rearward when force is applied. If left unrepaired, the wear will continue and may result in the seat back fully reclining when force is applied. If this happens while the vehicle is being driven, it could cause a loss of control and a crash. To correct this condition, Saturn will replace both the driver and front passenger seat back recliner mechanisms.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
ALL 1994 and 1995 Saturn vehicles within the following VIN range will require this campaign:
RZ244006 through SZ125162
You must verify campaign involvement through your AS400 system. It is important to note that campaign claims will only he paid on involved vehicles.
OWNER NOTIFICATION
Owners of all involved vehicles will be notified of this campaign by Saturn. (Refer to the owner letters shown in this bulletin.)
FACILITY VIN LISTING
The Facility VIN Listing (with owner information) is furnished to involved Retailers with the Product Campaign Bulletin. Although these vehicles are assigned to your facility, it is important to note that owners may elect to have their vehicle serviced at the Saturn Retail Facility of their choice.
Those retailers not involved initially in this campaign will receive a message at the top of the blank Facility VIN Listing that states: NO VEHICLES ASSIGNED AT THIS TIME FOR CAMPAIGN 99C01.
These listings may contain owner names and addresses obtained from State Motor Vehicle Registration Records. The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any other purpose is a violation of the law in several states. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this listing to the follow-up necessary to complete this campaign. Those records updated with California DMV registration information will have the following message printed adjacent to the appropriate VIN: "OWNER INFORMATION UPDATED BY CALIFORNIA DMV; PUBLICATION PROHIBITED."
Retailer Responsibility
All unsold vehicles in Retailers' possession and subject to this campaign must be held at the retail facility and repaired per the service procedure of this campaign bulletin before owners take possession of these vehicles.
Retailers are to service all vehicles subject to this campaign at no charge to owners, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership, from this time forward. Owners of vehicles recently sold from your vehicle inventory are to be contacted by the Retailer and arrangements made to make the required correction according to the procedure contained in this bulletin.
In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign enters your vehicle inventor, or is in your retail facility for service in the future, please take the steps necessary to be sure the campaign correction has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.
Transfer of Campaign Responsibility
Saturn vehicles that have been sold by you, which may be closer in proximity to another Saturn Retailer, may still appear on your Facility VIN Listing. If either you or the vehicle owner determines that it is more desirable for a vehicle on your Facility VIN Listing to be serviced by another Saturn Retailer, or if the customer's address has recently changed, campaign responsibility may be transferred by completing the following:
^ Submit a Campaign Vehicle Action Report to your Customer Assistance Manager (CAM) at the Saturn Customer Assistance Center. OR
^ Submit an update in owner information to the Saturn Owner of Record system, via SERVICELINE XL, for Saturn Customer Assistance Center review and approval.
A copy of the Campaign Vehicle Action Report can be ordered from Saturn Publications. All changes to campaign responsibility will be reflected in your next Unfixed VIN Report.
All other changes in vehicle status (e.g. scrapped, stolen, etc.) are to be made in accordance with section 4.4.3 of the Retail Service Reference Guide, "Notifying Saturn of Vehicle Status Change."
PARTS INFORMATION
CAMPAIGN COMPLETION LABEL
Upon completion of the campaign, a Campaign Completion label and a Clear Protective Cover should be affixed on a clean, dry surface of the radiator core support in an area clearly visible when the hood is raised. Each label provides a space to print in ink (or type) the campaign number (99C01) and the five (5) digit facility code of the Retailer performing the campaign service.
As a reminder, additional labels may be ordered from Saturn publications.
Credit
99-C-01 GOODWILL WORKSHEET
As stated in the "Credit" section of this bulletin. Retailers are empowered to use good judgement regarding loaner/rental cars or other goodwill expenses that might become necessary for customer satisfaction.
Complete this worksheet and attach it to the hard copy of the Customer Service Order (CSO) to document all campaign goodwill claims submitted to Saturn. You will not need to contact the Saturn Assistance Center for Authorization of goodwill expenditures associated with this campaign.