CAMPAIGN: LEFT FRONT BRAKE PIPE INTERFERENCE

SUBJECT: PRODUCT SAFETY CAMPAIGN - LEFT FRONT BRAKE PIPE INTERFERENCE ------------------------------------------------------------

MODELS AFFECTED: CERTAIN 1996 BUICK 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 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 solutions, 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 attached copy of the letter that is being sent to customers, the customers are being instructed to contact the Buick Customer Relations 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

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1996 Buick Regal model vehicles. The left front brake line on some of these vehicles may be contacting the transaxle mounting bracket or attachment bolt. This condition can cause the brake line to wear through resulting in loss of brake fluid and eventual loss of one half of the vehicle braking system. If this condition were to occur in a situation where stopping distances were minimal, a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, dealers are to inspect for proper brake line clearance and reposition those brake lines found to have less than minimal clearance. Additionally, those brake lines found to have an indentation caused by the contact will be replaced and properly routed.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are certain 1996 Buick Regal model vehicles built within the following VIN breakpoints:

PLANT YEAR MODEL PLANT CODE FROM THROUGH ---- ----- ----- ----- ---- ------- 1996 Regal Oshawa #2 "I" T1400001 T1429890

IMPORTANT: VEHICLES WITHIN THE RANGE WHICH OUR RECORDS INDICATE HAVE HAD PART NUMBER 10152241 REPLACED HAVE BEEN DELETED FROM THE VEHICLES INVOLVED LISTINGS. PLEASE CHECK YOUR DEALER CAMPAIGN LISTING OR THE VEHICLE INFORMATION SERVICE SYSTEM (VISS) FOR CAMPAIGN INVOLVEMENT OF SUBJECT VEHICLES.

Involved vehicles have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number Computer Listings. Computer listings contain the complete Vehicle Identification Number, customer name and address data, and are furnished to involved dealers with the campaign bulletin. Customer name and address data furnished will enable dealers to follow-up with customers involved in this campaign.

These listings may contain customer 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.

PARTS INFORMATION

IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 5% OF ASSIGNED UNITS WILL REQUI BRAKE LINE REPLACEMENT FOR THIS CONDITION. THEREFORE, PLEASE DO NOT ORDER PARTS FOR SHELF STOCK. ONLY ORDER PARTS IF TRULY IN NEED. THANK YOU.

Parts required to complete this campaign are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). Normal orders should be placed on a DRO (Daily Replenishment Order). An emergency requirement should be ordered on a CSO (Customer Special Order).

Part Number Description Quantity/Vehicle ----------- ------------ ---------------- 10152241 Brake Pipe, Left Front As Required 1052542 Brake Fluid (4 Gal.) As Required

CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION

Customers will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by Buick Motor Division (see copy of customer letter included with this bulletin).

DEALER CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY

All unsold new vehicles in dealers' possession and subject to this campaign must be held and inspected/repaired per the service procedure of this campaign bulletin before customers take possession of these vehicles.

Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this campaign at no charge to customers, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership, from this time forward.

Customers of vehicles recently sold from your new vehicle inventory with no customer information indicated on the dealer listing, are to be contacted by the dealer, and arrangements made to make the required correction according to the instructions contained in this bulletin. This could be done by mailing to such customers a copy of the customers letter accompanying this bulletin. Campaign follow-up cards should not be used for this purpose, since the customer may not as yet have received the notification letter.

In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign enters your vehicle inventory, or is in your dealership 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.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. Turn steering wheel to full right position.

2. Raise vehicle.

3. Inspect left front brake line at transaxle mount bracket and attachment bolt for proper clearance and proper clip position (see illustration).

4. If clearance is 13mm (1/2") or greater for the clip and the line, do not reposition line. Ensure lines are properly secured in clip and clip is in proper location. Proceed to step #11.

LACK OF CLEARANCE

5. If clearance is found to be less than the minimum of 13mm (1/2") or line is out of clip, inspect line to determine if contact has been occurring with the transaxle bracket and/or attachment bolt

A. If no contact was made or the line only appears shiny (polished), it will only be necessary to reposition the line and ensure proper clip retention (proceed to step #6

B. If an indentation was worn into the line, it will be necessary to replace the line and ensure proper clip retention (proceed to step #6).

If the contact has resulted in an indentation in the surface of the line that can be felt with a finger nail or screwdriver edge, the brake pipe needs to be replaced.

6. Reposition brake line by hand (it may be necessary to remove spacer clip prior to repositioning) to ensure that line and clip clearance is greater than 13mm (1/2") from transaxle bracket and attachment bolt or other sharp edges(proceed to step #11).

LINE REPLACEMENT

7. Remove left front brake line from the brake hose at the retainer, and from the ABS Hydraulic Modulator/Master Cylinder.

8. Install NEW left front brake line. Ensure clearance is greater than 13mm (1/2") for line and clip.

9. Tighten brake line fitting to ABS Hydraulic Modulator/Master Cylinder to 24Nm (181b.ft.) and brake line fitting to brake hose fitting to 15Nm (11 lb. ft.). Ensure clearance is greater than 13mm (1/2") for line and clip.

10. Bleed left front brake line.

11. Lower vehicle.

12. 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". Each label provides a space to include the campaign number and 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.

CLAIM INFORMATION

REPAIR PARTS FAILED PARTS LABOR LABOR NET PERFORMED COUNT PART NO. ALLOW CC-FC OP HRS.* AMT. ----- -------- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----

Inspect Left Front - -- - MA-96 V9877 0.3 - Brake Line For Proper Clearance & Clip Retention Reposition As Necessary

Inspect & Replace Left 1 10152241 -- MA-96 V9878 0.6 *** Front Brake Line

* Campaign Administrative Allowance, add 0.1 hours to the "Labor Hours".

** The "Parts Allowance" should be the sum total of the current GMSPO Dealer Net price plus (40%) of all parts required for the repair.

*** The amount identified in the "Net Amount" column should represent the sum of the current GMSPO Dealer Net price plus 40% for 1/2 pint of brake fluid used to perform the required repairs. Courtesy transportation supplied to customers within the program guidelines should be entered on the same repair order as the campaign repair using the Z79XX operations as appropriate.

Dear Buick Customer:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

SAFETY RECALL FOR:

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1996 Buick Regal model vehicles. The left front brake line on some of these vehicles may be contacting the transaxle mounting bracket or attachment bolt. This condition can cause the brake line to wear through, resulting in loss of brake fluid and eventual loss of one half of the vehicle braking system. If this condition were to occur in a situation where stopping distances were minimal, a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.

ACTION

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, your dealer will inspect for proper brakeline clearance and reposition those brakelines found to have less than minimal clearance. Additionally, those brakelines found to have an indentation caused by the contact will be replaced and properly routed. This service will be performed for you at no charge.

HOW LONG WILL REPAIR TAKE?

The labor time necessary to perform this service correction is approximately 20 to 40 minutes. Additionally, one or two hours may be required to schedule and process your vehicle. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed.

CONTACTING YOUR BUICK DEALER:

Please contact your dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date and courtesy transportation, if required. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer and parts are available.

Your Buick dealer is best equipped to 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 Buick Customer Relations Center by calling 1-800-521-7300.

After contacting your dealer and the Customer Relations Center, 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, D.C. 20590 or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington D.C. residents use 202-366-0123).

CUSTOMER REPLY CARD:

The enclosed customer 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.

Buick Motor Division GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION

Enclosure

96-C-24

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.