CAMPAIGN: INFO OMITTED FROM BUICKS OWNER'S MANUAL H-BODY
MODELS AFFECTED: 1988 LESABRE
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 adequately 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 owners 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 which is being sent to owners, the owners are being instructed to contact the nearest Buick Branch Office 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 some 1988 LeSabres fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 209 which covers seat belt assembly usage.
The owner's manual information did not include instructions on the proper usage of the rear seat safety belt systems. To correct this omission, new Owner's Manuals will be provided for each vehicle involved.
Since Owner's Manuals can be replaced very easily in the "glove box", and because we do not want to cause owners unnecessary inconvenience, the new Owner's Manuals have been furnished directly to affected owners from records available to Buick. Owners may install them personally or they may request dealer assistance for installation.
If your dealership has vehicles involved in this campaign, you will receive a VIN listing of vehicles, and an Owner's Manual for each vehicle for which we have no owner of record. If a vehicle has been recently delivered and the owner's name is not on your VIN listing, please contact the owner to ensure the new Owner's Manual has been received by the owner. It is your responsibility to see that updated Owner's Manuals are replaced in these vehicles.
This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this campaign may not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 209. Under National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Section 108, 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 regulation. As a consequence, if you sell any of these motor vehicles without first performing the campaign correction, your dealership may be subject to a civil penalty up to $1,000 of each such sale.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
All 1988 LeSabres with the following serial numbers:
Assembly Through & Plant From Including ----- ---- --------- Buick City JH400001 JH438642
DEALER ACTION
As stated previously, 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.
OWNER NOTIFICATION
As stated previously, owners of record are being notified of this campaign and sent a replacement Owner's Manual. A copy of the Owner Letter is included with this bulletin.
SHIPMENT OF PARTS
The correct quantity of new Owner's Manuals are being shipped to each dealer on a "No Charge" basis (only for VIN's on your listing with no owner name). They will not be billed on dealer parts account. Dealers should not order from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). If transfer vehicles make additional parts necessary, contact your Zone office.
DISPOSITION OF PARTS
Removed Owner's Manuals are to be discarded.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
SUBLET PART FAILED PARTS FAILURE LABOR LABOR OTHER DEALER OPER. COUNT PART NO. ALLOW. CODE OP NO HOURS HOURS MTL TWG ---- ----- -------- ----- ---- ----- ----- ----- ------- * Install New Owner's Manual -- -- -- 96 V4410 .2 *.l --
* Dealer Administration Allowance.
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 RECALL
General Motors has determined that some 1988 LeSabres fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 209 which covers seat belt assembly usage.
The owner's manual information did not include instructions on the proper usage of the rear seat safety belt systems.
WHAT WE WILL DO
To correct this omission, new Owner's Manuals will be provided for each vehicle involved.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Please place the provided new Owner's Manual in your vehicle's "glove box" and discard the old manual or take to your dealer for installation, at no charge to you.
Instructions for this service have been sent to your Buick dealer. The time to install the new Owner's Manual is approximately five (5) minutes. Presentation of the provided Owner's Manual and this letter to your dealer will assist him in promptly making the necessary correction if you decide to seek the dealer's assistance.
Your Buick dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to ensure your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. However, if you take your vehicle to your dealer on the agreed service date, and he does not remedy this condition on that date, or within five (5) days, we recommend you contact the Buick Customer Assistance Department, Flint Home Office, by calling 800-521-7300.
After contacting your dealer and the Buick Home Office, you are still not satisfied that we have done our best to remedy this condition, without charge 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 800-424-9393 (Washington, DC residents use 366-0123).
If you install the new Owner's Manual rather than asking your dealer to do it, or if you have sold or traded your vehicle, please let us know by completing the postage-paid owner reply card and returning it to us. This will assist us in assuring that all affected vehicles have been corrected and also will eliminate follow-up notifications.
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.
BUICK MOTOR DIVISON General Motors Corporation
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.
