CAMPAIGN:LOW TORQUE ON THE TRAILER HITCH BOLTS
SUBJECT: LOW TORQUE ON THE PLATFORM TRAILER HITCH BOLTS
MODELS: 1994 S/T 4-DOOR UTILITY w/ RPO VR4
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 adequately repair within 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 appointments with owners and to repair their vehicles as soon as possible. As you will see in reading the attached copy of the letter which is being sent to owners, the owner is being instructed to contact the GMC Truck Division Consumer Relations Office if the dealer does not remedy the condition within five days of the mutually agreed upon service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, they are instructed 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 1994 S/T 4-door utility vehicles equipped with a weight distribution trailer hitch (VR4) option. Some of these utilities may have trailer hitch attaching bolts tightened below the specified torque. This condition could eventually lead to loosening and subsequent breakage of the fasteners. If this were to occur while a trailer was being pulled, the hitch and trailer could separate from the vehicle.
To correct this condition, dealers are to torque all eight trailer hitch bolts to the correct torque.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Involved are CERTAIN S/T 4-door utility vehicles built within the following VIN breakpoints:
Model Year Plant From Through ---------------------------------------------------------------------- S/T 1994 Pontiac West R0505055 R0506409
The specific vehicles involved in this campaign have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Computer Listings. These listings are furnished to all involved dealers with the campaign. Dealers should confirm vehicle eligibility through VISS (Vehicle Information Service System) or SERVICENET prior to beginning campaign repairs.
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. Dealers are to inspect and correct all affected vehicles in new and used vehicle stock prior to their sale.
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 ensure 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.
If the name and address of the owner of an involved vehicle was unavailable to GMC Truck Division at the time of campaign initiation, the dealer must determine the owner's name and address from the dealership sales records. Please provide this information directly on the second copy of the listing next to the applicable VIN so that our records may be updated and the appropriate notification mailed to the owner. This second copy should then be submitted to the address listed below in the previously supplied yellow campaign envelopes.
GMC Truck Division General Motors Corporation 101 Union Street Plymouth, Michigan 48170
OWNER NOTIFICATION
Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by GMC Truck Division (see copy of owner letter included with this bulletin). A listing of owner names and addresses has been furnished to the involved dealers to enable dealers to follow up with owners involved in this campaign. This listing 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 this campaign.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
1. Raise vehicle on hoist.
2. Torque the front 3 trailer hitch bolts from outside of the frame rail. Torque the bolts to 80.0 - 110.0 NM (59 - 81 lb. ft.). (See Figure 1).
3. Torque the rear trailer hitch bolt from inside of the frame rail. Torque the bolt to 80.0 - 110.0 NM (59 - 81 lb. ft.). (See Figure 1).
4. Repeat Steps 2 & 3 on other side of vehicle.
5. Lower vehicle from hoist.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
Dealers should submit an accurately filled out Warranty Repair Order on each vehicle completed under this campaign.
Labor Description *Time Trouble Operation Allowance Code Number -------------------------------------------------------------------------- V 9030 Torque eight platform trailer 0.3 Hrs. 96 hitch bolts
* For dealer to receive Administrative Time Allowance associated with this campaign, add 0.1 hour to the Labor Operation Time Allowance.
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 five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or 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.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE
Procedures covering this campaign are outlined in Section V of your dealership's "GMC Truck Warranty Claims Processing Manual" #P9119 Rev. 2/94.
Dear GMC Truck Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
General Motors has determined that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 1994 S/T 4-door Jimmy vehicles equipped with a weight distribution trailer hitch (VR4) option. Some of these units may have trailer hitch attaching bolts tightened below the specified torque. This condition could eventually lead to loosening and subsequent breakage of the fasteners. If this were to occur while a trailer was being pulled, the hitch and trailer could separate from the vehicle.
To correct this condition, dealers will tighten all trailer hitch attaching bolts to the correct torque. This service will be performed for you at no charge.
Instructions for performing this service have been sent to your GMC Truck dealer. Please contact your dealer to arrange a service date. The labor time necessary to perform this correction will be approximately 20 minutes. Please ask your dealer how much additional time will be needed to process your vehicle.
Your GMC Truck dealer is best equipped to provide service to ensure your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. However, if you take your vehicle to your dealer on the agreed service date and they do not service this condition on that date or within five days, we recommend you contact GMC Truck Consumer Relations by telephone. Consumer Relations will assist you and your dealer in getting your vehicle corrected. The telephone number of the Consumer Relations office is listed in your Warranty and Owner Assistance Information Manual.
After contacting your dealer and GMC Truck Division, 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., 20590, or call 800-424-9393 (Washington, D.C. residents use 366-0123).
The enclosed postage paid owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction to your vehicle in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle, please furnish us complete name and address of the person you sold or traded your vehicle to and return the card 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 product.
GMC TRUCK 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.
