CAMPAIGN: REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM

Subject: PRODUCT SAFETY CAMPAIGN 96-C-18 - REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM

Model and Year: 1991-96 CHEVROLET CAPRICE POLICE SEDANS (SEO 9Cl) AND TAXI CAB (SEO 9C6)

To: All Chevrolet Dealers

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 Chevrolet 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.

DEFECT INVOLVED

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1991-96 Chevrolet Caprice Police Sedans and Taxi Cabs. The rear lower control arm may crack at the rear stabilizer bar attachment.

This condition may be aggravated due to the severe duty cycle of these vehicles and eventually cause the lower control arm to fracture completely. If complete fracture were to occur with the vehicle in motion, it may cause loss of vehicle control, which could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.

To correct this condition, all involved vehicles will have both rear lower control arms and rear stabilizer bar attachments replaced.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are certain 1991-96 Chevrolet Caprice Police Sedans, Taxi Cabs built within the following VIN breakpoints:

PLANT YEAR MODEL PLANT CODE FROM THROUGH ---- ----- ----- ----- ---- ------- 1991 B-Car Arlington "R" MR100001 MR152643 1991 B-Car Willow Run "W" MW144754 MW264781 1992 B-Car Arlington "R" NRlOO001 NR155387 1992 B-Car Willow Run "W" NW100001 NW160860 1993 B-Car Arlington "R" PR100002 PR142539 1993 B-Car Willow Run "W" PW100002 PW156211 1994 B-Car Arlington "R" RR100013 RR202847 1995 B-Car Arlington "R" SR100003 SR191795 1996 B-Car Arlington "R" TR100043 TR115606

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.

PARTS INFORMATION

A pre-shipment of part number 10289786 will be sent to involved dealers late in the week of February 18, 1996. Preshipment will equal parts for 20% of the number of vehicles to be repaired. Pre-shipment parts will be charged to the dealers' open parts account.

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). All Goodwrench parts system test dealers should order on a "VIP" order.

Part Quantity/ Number Description Vehicle ------ ----------- --------- 10289786 Rear Lower Control Arm Kit 1 Contains: 2 Lower Control Arms 4 LCA Attaching Bolts 4 LCA Attaching Nuts 4 Stabilizer Bar Attaching Bolts 4 Stabilizer Bar Attaching Nuts 4 Stabilizer Bar Washers 4 Stabilizer Bar Brackets 4 Stabilizer Bar Adapters

OWNER NOTIFICATION

Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by Chevrolet Motor Division (see copy of owner 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 owners take possession of these vehicles.

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.

Owners of vehicles recently sold from your new vehicle inventory with no owner 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 owners a copy of the owners letter accompanying this bulletin. Campaign follow-up cards should not be used for this purpose, since the owner 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

!Important: Only replace one control arm at a time to prevent the rear axle from moving.

1. Raise and suitably support vehicle.

2. Support rear axle.

3. Remove stabilizer shaft (fasteners WILL NOT be reused).

4. Remove one lower control arm bolts and remove lower control arm.

5. Install one NEW lower control arm and torque fasteners as required: Bolts to 190 Nm (140 lb. ft.) -or- Nuts to 145 Nm (107 lb. ft.)

6. Perform steps 4 and 5 on other rear lower control arm.

7. Install original stabilizer shaft with NEW attachment hardware as illustrated in Figure 1 on page 5.

8. Remove rear axle support.

9. Lower vehicle.

10. 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.

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. When using the new campaign identification label, be sure to install the clear protective covering. Additional "Campaign Identification Labels" can be obtained from VISPAC Incorporated by calling 1-800-269-5100 (Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST). Ask for Item Number S-1015 when ordering.

Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean, dry surface.

CLAIM INFORMATION

Submit a Product Campaign Claim with the information indicated below:

PARTS FAILED PARTS LABOR LABOR REPAIR PERFORMED COUNT PART NO. ALLOW CC-FC OP HOURS* ---------------- ----- -------- ----- ------ ----- ------ Replace BOTH Rear 1 10289786 ** MA-96 V9887 0.6 Lower Control Arms

* For 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 30% for 1991-1993 vehicles and 40% for 1994-1996 vehicles of lower control arm kit required for the repair.

Refer to the General Motors Claims Processing Manual for details on Product Campaign Claim Submission.

Dear Chevrolet Fleets:

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 decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1991-96 Chevrolet Caprice Police Sedans and Taxi Cabs. The rear lower control arm may crack at the rear stabilizer bar attachment. This condition may be aggravated due to the severe duty cycle of these vehicles and eventually cause the lower control arm to fracture completely. If complete fracture were to occur with the vehicle in motion, it may cause loss of vehicle control, which could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.

WHAT WE WILL DO

To correct this condition, all involved vehicles will have both rear lower control arms and rear stabilizer bar attachments replaced. This service will be performed for you at no charge.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Please contact your Chevrolet dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date and so they may order the necessary parts for the repair. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer and parts are available. The labor time necessary to perform this service correction is approximately 30 minutes. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to schedule and process your vehicle.

Your Chevrolet 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 Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center by calling 1-800-222-1020.

After contacting your dealer and the Customer Assistance 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).

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.

Chevrolet Motor Division 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.