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 determined that certain 1990 Chevrolet Lumina APV model vehicles with gray interiors fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies". Some of these vehicles were assembled with a right-hand seat/shoulder belt retractor installed in the second row, left-hand seat position (directly behind the driver) . As a result, the incorrect belts may "lock up" when the vehicle is parked on a steep grade, and an occupant would be unable to don the belt.
To correct this condition, owners are being asked to inspect the part number on the second row, left-hand seat/shoulder belt and determine if a right-hand belt was installed. Dealers are to replace all belts found to be installed on the incorrect side with the correct (left-hand) seat/shoulder belt.
Involved are certain 1990 Chevrolet Lumina APV model vehicles with gray interiors built within the following VIN breakpoints:
PLANT YEAR MODEL PLANT CODE FROM THROUGH ----- ----- --------- ----- -------- --------- 1990 U-Van Tarrytown "T" LT152262 LT153402
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.
Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by Chevrolet Motor Division (see copy of owner letter included with this bulletin). Owners will be given the option of inspecting for the correct seat shoulder belt.
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 your new or used vehicle inventory, or it is in your dealership for service in the future, you should take the steps necessary 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.
This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this campaign may not comply with the standard identified above. Under Section 108 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 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 campaign correction, your dealership may be subject to a civil penalty up to $1,000 for each such sale.
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). DEALERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A VEHICLE VIN WHEN PLACING PART ORDERS.
Quantity/ Part Number Description Vehicle ----------- -------------------- ---------- 12500410 Second Row Left-Hand 1 Retractor Seat Belt - Gray
INSPECT
1. Pull the second row, left-hand seat/shoulder belt (directly behind the driver) out as far as possible.
2. Looking at the white tag at the base of the belt assembly (see illustration on next page), determine the PRODUCTION part number.
- If the PRODUCTION part number on the belt tag is 10157609, the belt is correct and does not need to be replaced.
- If the PRODUCTION part number on the belt tag is 10157608, the belt is incorrect and must be replaced.
Be certain to order parts for this campaign using the GMSPO part number from the PARTS INFORMATION section above. Do not order parts using the production part number.
REPAIR
1. Replace seat belts as required by inspection. Follow procedure from 1990 Chevrolet Lumina APV Service Manual on pages 10-11-2 through 10-11-6.
2. Install 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 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. Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean, dry surface.
Submit a Product Campaign Claim with the information indicated on the next page:
* FAILED PARTS CC-FC LABOR LAB OTH REPAIR PERFORMED PC PART NO. ALLOW OP HRS HRS ------------------ -- ------- ----- ----- ----- --- --- Inspect - Proper SK-00 V6610 0.2 0.1 Belt Installed
Inspect and Replace 1 12500410 SK-00 V6611 0.8 0.1 Shoulder Belt Assy.
* Campaign Administrative Allowance.
**The "Parts Allowance" should be the sum total of the current GMSPO 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.
Dear Chevrolet Lumina APV 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
General Motors has determined that certain 1990 Chevrolet Lumina APV model vehicles with gray interiors fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies". Some of these vehicles were assembled with a right-hand seat/shoulder belt retractor installed in the second row, left-hand seat position (directly behind the driver). As a result, the incorrect belts may "lock up" when the vehicle is parked on a steep grade, and an occupant would be unable to don the belt.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
To correct this condition, we are asking you to inspect your second row, left-hand seat/shoulder belt (directly behind the driver) by following the procedure on page three (3) of this letter (your dealer will perform the inspection if you wish). If this inspection indicates that your vehicle does not require a seat/shoulder belt replacement, please check the red box on your postage paid reply card and return it to us. This will help to make us aware of your vehicle's status in this recall.
If the inspection indicates that your seat/shoulder belt does need replacement, please contact your Chevrolet dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date and so the dealer may order the necessary parts for the repair.
WHAT WE WILL DO
If you or your dealer discover that a seat/shoulder belt replacement is required, your dealer will replace the suspect safety belt assembly at no charge.
Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer and parts are available. The labor time necessary to perform this service inspection/correction is approximately 15 to 45 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 366-0123).
The enclosed owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction/inspection 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.
1. Pull the second row, left-hand seat/shoulder belt (directly behind the driver) out as far as possible.
2. Looking at the white tag at the base of the belt assembly (see illustration below), read the part number on your seat belt. If the part number on the belt tag is 10157609, the belt does not need to be replaced. Please check the red box on the postage paid reply card and return it to us.
If the part number on the belt is 10157608, the belt is incorrect, and must be replaced. Refer to the "What You Should Do" and the "What We Will Do" sections of this letter for instructions on scheduling an appointment with your dealer.
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.