Recall - Installation Of Shoulder Belt Bolts: Overview
NO: 99-C-02NON-COMPLIANCE
GROUP: BDSB
DATE: October, 1999
SUBJECT:
Verification of Proper Installation and Torque of Front Shoulder Belt Upper Bolt(S)
YEAR and MODEL:
1999 AND 2000 SATURN S-SERIES SEDANS, COUPES, AND WAGONS
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 owner 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 owner 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 owner and to repair their vehicle as soon as possible. As you will see in reading the copy of the owner letter, the owners are being instructed to contact the Saturn Customer Assistance Center if their Retailer is unable to schedule a service date within a reasonable time. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, owners are instructed on how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
DEFECT INVOLVED
Saturn has decided that certain 1999 and 2000 model year S-Series vehicles produced before August 16, 1999 fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages." Some vehicles were produced with seatbelt shoulder guide anchor bolts that were not adequately tightened at the center pillar and could fall out, making the seat belt inoperative and increasing the occupant's risk of injury in a crash. Also, if these bolts were not adequately tightened, they would not withstand the load requirements of FMVSS 210, and if one failed in a crash, the front seat occupant would not be properly restrained and could have an increased risk of injury.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
All 1999 model year and 2000 model year S-Series Saturn vehicles within the following VIN ranges will require this campaign:
1999 Model Year: XZ1OOOO2 - XZ376583
2000 Model Year: YZ1OOOO1 - YZ112520
OWNER NOTIFICATION
Owners of all involved vehicles will be notified of this campaign by Saturn.
FACILITY VIN LISTING
A list of vehicles assigned to you (Facility VIN Listing), which our records indicate are unsold and shipped to you, or are sold and located in close proximity to your facility are provided in your Retailer Campaign Package.
This listing contains:
^ Owner's name with address and telephone number;
^ Complete vehicle identification number (VIN); and
^ VINs of vehicles, which according to Saturn records, are in retail stock.
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 a blank Facility VIN Listing that states: NO VEHICLES ASSIGNED AT THIS TIME FOR CAMPAIGN 99-C-02.
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 inventory, 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.
This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this campaign may not comply with FMVSS 210. Under 49 U.S.C. section 30112 of the Highway Safety Act as amended, it is illegal for a retailer to sell a new motor vehicle which the retailer 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 campaign correction, your retail facility may be subject to a civil penalty up to $1,100 for each such sale.
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 is included for your reference. Additional copies can be ordered from Saturn Publications (1-800-828-2112, prompt 3, Item # S0397050). 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 Retailer Service Reference Guide, "Notifying Saturn of Vehicle Status Change".
PARTS INFORMATION
NO -- parts are required to perform this campaign.
Note:
If a loose bolt is found, an appropriate amount of Loctite 242(R) Threadlocker is required, as indicated in the service procedure. Your facility should already have an adequate supply on hand.
However; if required, Loctite 242(R) Threadlocker (P/N 21485277) may be ordered from Saturn Service Parts Operations (SSPO).
SUGGESTIONS FOR ENSURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
As you know, Saturn's success hinges upon our ability to execute superior customer support throughout the ownership experience, especially when important corrective actions such as this are required.
It is imperative that every effort is made to accommodate the affected owners. Additionally, priority should be given to customer vehicles over retail inventory vehicles. If you have any questions, please coordinate with the Saturn Customer Assistance Center to help ensure customer satisfaction.
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 (99 C 02) and the five (5) digit facility code of the Retailer performing the campaign service
CREDIT
As a reminder, additional labels may be ordered from Saturn publications (1-800-828-2112, prompt 3, Item # S03 00013A for the Campaign Completion Label, and Item # S03 00013B for the Clear Protective Cover).
99-C-02 GOODWILL WORKSHEET