CAMPAIGN: POSSIBLE MISSING WHEEL WELD. Chevrolet Corvette 1988

Model and Year: 1988 CHEVROLET CORVETTE EQUIPPED WITH 17 INCH WHEEL

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 which 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 determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1988 Chevrolet Corvette model vehicles equipped with 17 inch wheels. The weld attaching the wheel center to the rim may be missing on a small number of wheels. Lateral forces during a cornering maneuver could cause the wheel center to separate from the rim. Also, a brake reaction could cause rotation of the wheel center relative to the rim. These conditions can result in partial loss of steering control and brakes, loss of tire air pressure and sudden change in vehicle direction, which could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.

To prevent this condition from occurring, it will be necessary to inspect all wheels on involved vehicles for the presence of a weld. Wheels found with missing welds must be replaced.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are certain 1988 Chevrolet Corvette model vehicles equipped with 17 inch wheels produced within the following VIN breakpoints:

PLANT FROM THROUGH ----- ---- ------- Bowling Green J5100002 J5108432

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.

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

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 new or used vehicle inventory, or is in your dealership for service in the future, you should take the steps necessay 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.

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 ----------- ----------- ---------------- 10117702 Wheel - Two Piece Aluminum RH As required

10117701 Wheel - Two Piece Aluminum LH As required

NOTE: There is a total of 5,245 vehicles to be inspected in this campaign. It is estimated that there is a total of five (5) right hand (RH) and five (5) left hand (LH) wheels with missing welds. Do not order wheels unless required.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. Inspect all four (4) wheels for presence of a weld around circumference of wheel center where it meets the rim on the back side of wheel (see illustration). Visual inspection can be made by looking through large vent windows on front side of wheels. Inspection should be aided by wiping the weld area clean and using a flashlight and/or small inspection mirror. Replace any wheels with missing welds.

2. 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 five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or ballpoint 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. Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean dry surface.

CLAIM INFORMATION

Submit a Product Campaign Claim with the information indicated below.

* FAILED PARTS LABOR LAB OTH REPAIR PERFORMED PC PART NO. ALLOW FC OP HRS HRS --------------- -- -------- ----- -- ----- --- --- Inspect all four (4) 00 V4470 0.3 0.1 wheels - No further action required

Inspect all four (4) 1 10117701 ** 00 V4471 0.9 0.1 wheels - Replace one (1) or 10117702

Inspect all four (4) 2 10117701 ** 00 V4472 1.5 0.1 wheels - Replace two (2) or 10117702

Inspect all four (4) 3 10117701 ** 00 V4473 2.1 0.1 wheels - Replace three (3) or

10117702

Inspect all four (4) 4 10117701 ** 00 V4474 2.7 0.1 wheels - Replace four (4) or 10117702

* Campaign Administrative Allowance

** The "Parts Allowance" should be the sum total of the current BMSPO Dealer Net price plus 30% of all parts required for the repair.

Dealers will automatically receive the correct labor and material allowance based on the labor operation performed.

Refer to the Chevrolet Claims Processing Manual for details on Product Campaign Claim submission.

RETURN OF WHEELS

To assure proper payment for work perfomed when wheel(s) are replaced for a missing weld under this product campaign, replaced wheel(s) must be returned to Western Wheel Huntington. Wheel(s) are to be shipped C.O.D. to the following address:

Western Wheel Huntington, Inc. 1870 Riverfork Drive Huntington, Indiana 46750 Attention: Eric Stroom

The following must accompany the returned wheel:

- A copy of the repair order including the VIN and labor operation performed

- The dealer code of the dealer performing the service

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Notification Used By Chevrolet Motor Division)

Dear Chevrolet Corvette Owner:

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

REASON FOR THIS RECALL

WHAT WE WILL DO

It will be necessary to inspect all wheels on your Corvette for the presence of a weld. Wheels found with missing welds must be 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. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer. Parts are available. The labor time necessary to perform the inspection is approximately twenty (20) minutes but additional time will be required if a wheel(s) requires replacement. 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 your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. If, however, you take your vehicle to your dealership on the agreed service date and they do not remedy this condition on that date or within five (5) days, we recomend you contact the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center by calling 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 within a reasonable time, you may wish to write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 2O590, or call 800-424-9393 (Washington, D.C. residents use 366-0123).

The enclosed owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary inspection/ 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 CORPORATTON

Object Number: 92637 Size: FS

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.