CAMPAIGN: ENGINE CRADLE ASSEMBLY
MODELS AFFECTED: 1988 CENTURY
The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle 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 solutions, 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 attached copy of the letter that is being sent to owners, the owners are being instructed to contact the Buick 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.
CONDITION
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety may exist in certain 1988 Buick Century model vehicles. Some of these vehicles may have been assembled with a front suspension lower control am bracket that could develop metal cracks and eventually may result in disengagement of the lower control arm. If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, it could result in a loss of steering control and a vehicle crash could occur withour prior warning.
DEALER ACTION
To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, it will be necessary to inspect the engine cradle assembly date code stamp on all involved vehicles for suspect codes. Vehicles found with suspect date codes will require engine cradle replacement.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Involved are certain 1988 Buick Century model vehicles produced within the following VIN breakpoints:
PLANT FROM THROUGH & INCLUDING ----- ---- ------------------- Oklahoma City J6417636 J6417852 Tarrytown JT418465 JT421206
DEALER MATERIAL
If your dealership has vehicles involved in this campaign, you will receive the following items:
- List of all vehicles involved in this campaign shipped to your dealership.
- One (1) Campaign Identification Label per vehicle involved.
Involved vehicles have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number computer listings. Computer listings contain the complete Vehicle Identification Number, owner name and address data, and are furnished to involved dealers with the campaign bulletin. Owner name and address data furnished will enable dealers to follow up with owners involved in this campaign.
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 law in several states. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this listing to the follow up necessary to complete this campaign. Any dealer not receiving a computer listing with the campaign bulletin has no involved vehicles currently assigned.
OWNER NOTIFICATION
Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by Buick Motor Division (see copy of owner letter included with this bulletin).
DEALER CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY
Dealers 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.
Whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign is taken into your new or used vehicle inventory, or it is in your dealership for service in the future, you should take the steps necessary to be sure the campaign correction has been made before reselling or releasing the vehicle.
Owners of vehicles recently sold from your new vehicle inventory are to be contacted by the dealer, and arrangements made to make the required correction according to instructions contained in this bulletin.
PARTS INFORMATION
Parts, if required, are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). To ensure these parts will be obtained as soon as possible, they should be ordered from GMSPO on a "C.I.O." order with NO special instruction code, but on an advise code (2).
Part Number Usage Description Quantity/Vehicle ----------- ----- ------------ ---------------- 10046837 W/V-6 Engine Frame (Cradle) - Drive Train 1 and Front Suspension
10046838 W/L-4 Engine Frame (Cradle) - Drive Train 1 and Front Suspension
It is estimated that 91% will require engine cradle replacement. Order parts accordingly based on involved vehicle listing.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
1. Raise vehicle on hoist to make underside of engine cradle accessible to read run date.
2. Underside of engine mounting bracket (attached to right hand side rail and front cross member of cradle as arrow indicates on Figure 1) should be cleaned using naphtha or paint thinner to remove wax coating.
3. Locate engine cradle run date which is stamped on underside of engine mounting bracket per detail drawing (See Figure 2).
Dates of suspect cradles include 10 NO 87, 11 NO 87, 12 NO 87, and 13 NO 87. Vehicles with cradles produced on these dates must be replaced. Reference the 1988 Buick Century Service Manual, Section 2A, and 1987 Buick Chassis Service Manual, Section 2A for cradle replacement.
4. Vehicles equipped with cradles with non-suspect dates (dates other than November 10, 11, 12, or 13, 1987) should be resealed with GM approved wax or undercoating as replacement of the cradle is not required.
5. Install Campaign Identification Label.
CAMPAIGN IDENTIFICATION LABEL
Each vehicle corrected in accordance with the instructions outlined in this Product Campaign Bulletin will require a "Campaign Identification Label" (See Figure 3). Each label provides a space to include the five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or a ball point pen.
Each "Campaign Identification Label" is to be located on the radiator core support in an area which will be visible when the vehicle is brought in for periodic servicing by the owner. Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean dry surface.
DISPOSITION OF PARTS
Replaced parts must be held for disposition by Buick Zone or Branch contact personnel. Parts must have a claim tag attached showing the repair order and the VIN of the vehicle from which they were removed.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
List one applicable labor operation. A separate repair order must be used for each vehicle. A complete warranty claim is to be kept as a permanent record of completion. SUBLET*** PART FAILED PARTS FAILURE LABOR LABOR OTHER DEALER OPER COUNT PART NO ALLOW CODE OP NO HOURS HOURS MTL TWG ---- ----- ------- ----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- - Inspect Cradle Date Code -- -- -- 96 V4610 0.2 *O.l $0.10
- Inspect Cradle Date Code and Replace Cradle Assembly 1 10046837 ** 96 V4611 2.9 *O.l $0.10 or 10046838
* Campaign Administrative Allowance ** The "Parts Allowance" should be the sum total of the current GMSPO Dealer Net Price of installed parts, plus 30%. *** The $0.10 identified in the "Sublet" column represents the cost, plus 30% for materials used in conjunction with labor operations V4610 and V4611.
Dear Buick 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 a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety may exist in certain 1988 Buick Century model vehicles. Some of these vehicles may have been assembled with a front suspension lower control arm bracket that could develop metal cracks which eventually may result in disengagement of the lower control arm. If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, it could result in a loss of steering control and a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.
WHAT WE WILL DO
To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, it will be necessary to inspect the engine cradle assembly date code stamp on your vehicle. If your vehicle is equipped with an engine cradle assembly containing a suspect date code (indicating a lower control arm bracket that could crack), we will replace the cradle assembly on your vehicle at no charge to you.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Please contact your Buick dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date. Instructions for performing this inspection/correction have been sent to your dealer. Parts are available. The labor time necessary to perform the inspection is approximately fifteen (15) minutes. If it is found that your vehicle requires an engine cradle assembly replacement, an additional two hours and forty-five (45) minutes will be required. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to schedule and process your vehicle.
Your Buick dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to ensure that your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. If, however, you take your vehicle to your dealer on the agreed service date, and they do not remedy this condition on that date or within five (5) days, we recommend you contact the Customer Assistance Center, Buick Home Office by calling 1-800-521-7300. The Customer Assistance Center will assist you and the dealer in getting your vehicle inspected/corrected.
If you are still not satisfied that we have 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 owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle, please let us know by completing the postage paid reply card and returning it to us.
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.
General Motors bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, not a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, do not assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See a General Motors dealer servicing your brand of General Motors vehicle for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.
