FMVSS Noncompliance - Parking Brake Compliance

General Motors has decided that certain 2005 Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV6, and Saturn Relay vehicles fail to conform to Federal/Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (MVSS) 135. To meet the standard, the vehicle must not move for five minutes when stopped on a steep hill with the parking brake applied and the vehicle in NEUTRAL (N). A part that was not to GM’s specifications can cause the parking brake to fail this test resulting in possible unintended vehicle movement, which could increase the risk of a crash.

A loud popping noise as the parking brake is applied or a sudden decrease in the effort required to apply the parking brake can be indications of this condition. When the parking brake is released, the driver may notice unintended braking when accelerating, decelerating, or coasting, and a groan, humming, and/or vibration coming from the rear of the vehicle.

To help prevent unintended vehicle movement, always put the vehicle in PARK (P) when parking.

Dealers are to inspect the rear brake calipers and replace them if necessary.

Involved are certain 2005 Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV6, and Saturn Relay vehicles built within these VIN breakpoints:

Important: GM dealers and Canadian Saturn retailers should confirm vehicle eligibility through GMVIS (GM Vehicle Inquiry System) prior to beginning recall repairs. [Not all vehicles within the above breakpoints may be involved.]

Important: Saturn US retailers must verify recall involvement through your AS400 system prior to performing repairs. Not all vehicles within the above breakpoints may be involved. Recall claims will only be paid on involved vehicles.

For US and Canada

For GM dealers and Canadian Saturn retailers with involved vehicles, a Campaign Initiation Detail Report (CIDR) containing the complete vehicle identification number, customer name and address data has been prepared and will be loaded to the GM DealerWorld (US) Recall Information, GMinfoNet (Canada) Recall Reports. For US Saturn retailers only, the involved vehicles are provided in a Facility VIN List file sent to you at your current email address. Dealers/retailers will not have a report available if they have no involved vehicles currently assigned.

For Export

For dealers with involved vehicles, a Campaign Initiation Detail Report containing the complete Vehicle Identification Number, customer name and address data has been prepared, and is being furnished to involved dealers. Dealers will not receive a report with the recall bulletin if they have no involved vehicles currently assigned.

The Campaign Initiation Detail Report may contain customer names and addresses obtained from Motor Vehicle Registration Records. The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any purpose other than follow-up necessary to complete this recall is a violation of law in several states/provinces/countries. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this report to the follow-up necessary to complete this recall.

Important: It is estimated that less than 2% of involved vehicles will require brake caliper replacement. Parts must be ordered from GMSPO as a SPAC case after inspection determines the replacement is necessary. The VIN will be required. The caliper removed from the vehicle will be on warranty parts return. All CSO or DRO orders will be cancelled.

Due to the small number of Saturn vehicles affected by this recall, a pre-shipment of parts will NOT be sent to retailers. After inspecting the vehicle, if determination is made that caliper replacement is necessary, please call the Parts Assistance Center to place an emergency order for the parts noted below.

Beginning the week of October 24, 2005, each dealer will be shipped a park brake actuator, CH 48051, for use in this recall. This tool is being furnished at no charge. Additional tools, if required, may be purchased by contacting SPX/Kent-Moore at 1-800-GM-TOOLS.

Tools Required

CH 48051 Torque Tool

1. Lift the vehicle and suitably support it on the hoist.





2. Index (mark) the parking lever and parking lever nut on one end of the rear brake calipers with a small line using a thin marker or paint pen.
3. Set a 1/2" drive ratcheting torque wrench to 88 N·m (65 lb ft).

Notice: Ensure that the torque wrench is capable of measuring torque in both directions. Some torque wrenches do not measure torque in the counter clockwise direction. Application of more than the specified torque may cause damage to the caliper assembly.

4. Attach the applicable extension below to the torque wrench and the torque tool CH 48051, park brake actuator.

•	Extension for vehicles equipped with Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) (FE4/FE5): LH & RH: 5"

•	Extensions for vehicles equipped with Twist Axle (FE1/FE2/FE3): LH: 5" RH: 3.5"




5. Attach the tool CH 48051 over the parking lever and rotate the lever toward the parking bracket (conduit attachment point; rotation direction will vary depending on side of the vehicle) until the 88 N·m(65 lb ft) load is applied.
6. Check the index mark on the nut and lever.

•	If the full 88 N·m(65 lb ft) load was applied and the index mark still aligns, the shaft is acceptable. Caliper replacement is not required.

•	If 88 N·m(65 lb ft) or less was applied and the index mark no longer aligns, the caliper must be replaced.

7. Perform Steps 2 thru 6 on both sides of the rear axle of the vehicle.
8. If either or both calipers require replacement, follow SI document 1591863 (Brake Caliper Replacement - Rear).

The General Motors Courtesy Transportation Program is intended to minimize customer inconvenience when a vehicle requires a repair that is covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. The availability of courtesy transportation to customers whose vehicles are within the warranty coverage period and involved in a product recall is very important in maintaining customer satisfaction. Dealers are to ensure that these customers understand that shuttle service or some other form of courtesy transportation is available and will be provided at no charge. Dealers should refer to the General Motors Service Policies and Procedures Manual for courtesy transportation guidelines.

Submit a Product Recall Claim with the information indicated below:

Refer to the General Motors WINS Claim Processing Manual for details on Product Recall Claim Submission.

1. To receive credit, submit a claim with the information below:

*** The parts allowance should be the sum total of the current SSPO retailer net price plus 40% of all parts required for the repair.

**** Administrative allowance

1. Check your Saturn SERVICELINE.XL Claim Memorandum daily. Remember to code the claim as a WC sale type, and VC case type. Contact your field representative if you need assistance.

2. To receive credit for loaner/rental car costs, submit a claim with the information below:

***** Net amount must be submitted as a miscellaneous sale...Loaner reimbursement not to exceed $35/day.

****** Enter number of days vehicle was rented...Not to exceed 1 day.

General Motors will notify customers of this recall on their vehicle (see copy of customer letter included with this bulletin).

Letters will be sent to known owners of record located within areas covered by the US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. For owners outside these areas, dealers should notify customers using the attached sample letter.

The US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act provides that each vehicle that is subject to a recall 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 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 remedies, every effort must be made to promptly schedule an appointment with each customer and to repair their vehicle as soon as possible. In the recall notification letters, customers are told how to contact the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if the recall is not completed within a reasonable time.

This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this recall may not comply with the standard identified above. Under Title 49, Section 30112 of the United States Code, 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 Standard. As a consequence, if you sell any of these motor vehicles without first performing the recall correction, your dealership may be subject to a civil penalty for each such sale.

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

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

Customers who have recently purchased vehicles sold from your vehicle inventory, and for which there is no customer information indicated on the dealer listing, are to be contacted by the dealer. Arrangements are to be made to make the required correction according to the instructions contained in this bulletin. A copy of the customer letter is provided in this bulletin for your use in contacting customers. Recall 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 recall enters your vehicle inventory, or is in your dealership for service in the future, you must take the steps necessary to be sure the recall correction has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.

Dear General Motors Customer:

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

General Motors has decided that certain 2005 Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV6, and Saturn Relay vehicles fail to conform to Federal/Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (MVSS) 135. To meet the standard, the vehicle must not move for five minutes when stopped on a steep hill with the parking brake applied and the vehicle in NEUTRAL (N). A part that was not to GM’s specifications can cause the parking brake to fail this test resulting in possible unintended vehicle movement, which could increase the risk of a crash.

A loud popping noise as the parking brake is applied or a sudden decrease in the effort required to apply the parking brake can be indications of this condition. When the parking brake is released, the driver may notice unintended braking when accelerating, decelerating, or coasting, and a groan, humming, and/or vibration coming from the rear of the vehicle.

To help prevent unintended vehicle movement, always put the vehicle in PARK (P) when parking.

Your GM dealer will inspect the rear brake calipers, and if necessary, replace them. This service will be performed for you at no charge.

Because of service scheduling requirements, it is likely that your dealer will need your vehicle longer than the 15 minute to inspect and the additional 30-60 minutes needed to replace the brake calipers, if required.

To limit any possible inconvenience, we recommend that you contact your GM dealer as soon as possible to schedule an appointment for this repair. Should your dealer be unable to schedule a service date within a reasonable time, you should contact the appropriate Customer Assistance Center at the listed number below. The Customer Assistance Center’s hours of operation are from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM, EST, Monday through Friday.

If, after contacting the appropriate Customer Assistance Center, 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, SW, Washington, DC 40990; or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov .

The enclosed customer reply form identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this form to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction in the shortest possible time. If you no longer own this vehicle, please let us know by completing the form and mailing it back to us.

If your vehicle is within the New Vehicle Limited Warranty your dealer may provide you with shuttle service or some other form of courtesy transportation while your vehicle is at the dealership for this repair. Please refer to your Owner’s Manual and your dealer for details on Courtesy Transportation.

More information about this recall, including answers to frequently asked questions, can be found at the Owner Center at My GMLink. This free online service offers vehicle and ownership related information along with tools tailored to your specific vehicle. To join, visit www.gm.com/recall and enter your vehicle's 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN), shown on the enclosed reply form.

Federal regulation requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days.

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 Corporation

Enclosure

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