CAMPAIGN: SECONDARY HOOD LATCH (REPLACE NEW HOOD LATCH)

MODELS AFFECTED: 1988 REGAL

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 some 1988 Buick Regal model vehicles. The secondary hood latch may not properly engage on these vehicles. If the primary latch were to disengage, the hood could unexpectedly open. If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, the hood may contact the windshield, reducing the forward vision area of the driver and a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.

DEALER ACTION

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, the secondary hood latch will be replaced with a new latch on all involved vehicles per the Service Procedure section of this bulletin.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are certain 1988 Buick Regal model vehicles produced within the following VIN breakpoints:

Plant From Through & Including ----- ---- ------------------- Oshawa J1400064 J1406391

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 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.

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 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 reason 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).

PARTS INFORMATION

Parts required to complete this campaign 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 Description Quantity/Vehicle ----------- ----------- ---------------- 20564741 Latch Assembly - Hood Secondary) 1

SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. With hood open, remove two (2) attaching bolts retaining secondary latch assembly and remove latch.

2. Install new (Part Number 20564741) latch assembly and torque bolts 10-14 N.m (7-10 lb. ft.).

3. Close hood and check secondary latch for proper operation.

4. 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 1). Each label provides a space to include the campaign number, the five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service and the date the vehicle was campaigned. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or a ball point pen. Install the label only on a clean, dry surface of the radiator baffle where it is readily visible.

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

A separate repair order must be used for each vehicle. A completed warranty claim is to be kept as a permanent record of completion.

SUBLET PARTS FAILED PARTS FAILURE LABOR LABOR OTHER* DEALER OPER COUNT PART NO ALLOW CODE OP NO HOURS HOURS MTL TWG ---- ----- ------- ----- ---- ----- ----- ----- ------- Install Secondary Hood Latch Assy. 1 20564741 ** 96 V4650 0.2 0.1 ---

* .1 hour for administration

** List the current dealer price of parts, plus 30%.

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 THE RECALL

General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety may exist in some 1988 Buick Regal model vehicles. The secondary hood latch may not properly engage on these vehicles. If the primary latch were to disengage, the hood could unexpectedly open. If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, the hood may contact the windshield, reducing the forward vision area of the driver and a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.

WHAT WE WILL DO

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring on your vehicle, the secondary hood latch will be replaced with a new latch. This service will be performed for you at no charge.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Please contact your Buick dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer. Parts are available. The labor time necessary to perform this service is approximately fifteen (15) minutes. 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 Department, Flint Home Office by calling 1-800-521-7300.

If 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 1-800-424-9393 (Washington, DC residents use 366-0123).

The enclosed owner reply card identifies your Buick 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.