GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

Product Safety - Rear Suspension Trailing Arm Bolt Breakage

Subject:98063 -- Rear Suspension Trailing Arm Bolt Breakage

Models:1996-97 Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire Model Vehicles



Defect Involved

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1996-97 Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire model vehicles. Some of these vehicles may have a condition which could result in one of the rear suspension trailing arm bolts breaking. If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, vehicle control would be affected and a vehicle crash could result without prior warning.

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, dealers are to replace the rear suspension trailing arm fasteners.

Vehicles Involved

Involved are certain 1996-1997 Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire model vehicles built within the following VIN breakpoints:

Year

Division

Model

Plant

From

Through

1996

Chevrolet

Cavalier

Ramos Arizpe

TS833767

TS912906

1997

Chevrolet

Cavalier

Ramos Arizpe

VS800001

VS959373

1996

Pontiac

Sunfire

Ramos Arizpe

TS876901

TS912921

1997

Pontiac

Sunfire

Ramos Arizpe

VS800002

VS858368

Important: Please check DCS Screen 445 or your VIN listing before performing campaign to ensure that the vehicle is affected. Only affected VINs will be paid.

Involved vehicles have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number. Computer listings containing the complete Vehicle Identification Number, customer name and address data have been prepared, and are being furnished to involved dealers with the campaign bulletin. The customer name and address data furnished will enable dealers to follow-up with customers involved in this campaign. Any dealer not receiving a computer listing with the campaign bulletin has no involved vehicles currently assigned.

Parts Information

Parts required to complete this campaign are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). Please refer to your "involved vehicles listing" prior to ordering requirements.

Part Number

Description

Qty/ Vehicle

22652503

Bolt

2

03537772

Nut

(5 Pieces per Package)

2

Customer Notification

Registered letters will be sent to known owners of record located within areas covered by the U.S. National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended. For owners outside these areas, the attached suggested dealer letter is recommended and should be sent by dealers.

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 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. This could be done by mailing to such customers a copy of the customer 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. Raise vehicle and properly support.
  2. Support rear axle with jack stand.
  3. Remove nut, washer, and bolt from one of the rear axle control arm to underbody bracket attachments. Discard bolt, washer and nut.

  4. Object Number: 754336  Size: SH

    Important: New nut must be installed on outboard side of the underbody bracket.

  5. Align control arm and underbody attachment and loosely install new bolt (1) and nut (2).
  6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for attachment on opposite side of vehicle.
  7. Remove jack stand and lower vehicle.
  8. With vehicle at curb height, tighten nuts.
  9. Tighten
    Tighten nuts to 60 N·m (44 lb ft) plus 120 degrees rotation (two flats of nut).

  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 by the customer for periodic servicing. Additional Campaign Identification Labels can be obtained from your Regional Marketing Office.

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

Claim Information

Submit a Product Campaign Claim with the information indicated below.

Repair Performed

Part Count

Failed Part No.

Parts Allow

CC-FC

Labour Op

Labour Hours*

Replace rear suspension trailing arm fasteners

4

22652503

**

MA-96

V0274

0.4

* -- For Campaign Administrative Allowance, add 0.1 hours to the "Labour Hours".

** -- The "Parts Allowance" should be the sum total of the current GMSPO Dealer Net price plus landed cost mark-up.

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