Product Safety - Rear Drive Axle Housing Thickness

General Motors has decided that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 2007 Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick 7500 and 8500 series vehicles. On some of these vehicles, the rear drive axle housing was manufactured with steel below the specified thickness and, as a result, it could develop a crack. If a crack develops and is not detected and repaired, the outboard end of the housing could eventually separate, allowing the hub, axle shaft, and/or wheel and brake assembly to separate from the vehicle. This could cause a vehicle crash without prior warning or the separated parts could strike and injure other people.

Customers will be instructed to contact Conam Inspection to set up an appointment for an ultrasonic inspection of the rear drive axle housing. If it is determined that the housing requires replacement, dealers are to perform the replacement. Dana Corporation will contact the involved dealer and inform them of the repair. Dana will also ship the housing to the dealer at no charge.

Involved are certain 2007 Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick 7500 and 8500 series vehicles built within these VIN breakpoints:

Important: Dealers are to confirm vehicle eligibility prior to beginning repairs by using GMVIS. Not all vehicles within the above breakpoints may be involved.

For dealers with involved vehicles, a listing with involved vehicles containing the complete vehicle identification number, customer name, and address information has been prepared and will be provided through the applicable system listed below. Dealers will not have a report available if they have no involved vehicles currently assigned.

-- US dealers - GM DealerWorld Recall Information

-- Canadian dealers - GMinfoNet Recall Reports

The listing may contain customer names and addresses obtained from Motor Vehicle Registration Records. The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any purpose other than follow-up necessary to complete this recall is a violation of law in several states/provinces/countries. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this report to the follow-up necessary to complete this recall.

Parts required for this recall, if required, will be shipped direct to dealers at no-charge.

Perform the following procedure only if contacted by Dana Corporation and informed that the housing requires replacement. Replace the rear axle housing. Refer to Rear Axle Housing Replacement in SI.DO NOT PERFORM THIS REPAIR WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM DANA CORPORATION.

Submit a Product Recall Claim with the information indicated below:

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

General Motors will notify customers of this recall on their vehicle (see copy of customer letter included with this bulletin).

The US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act provides that each vehicle that is subject to a recall of this type must be adequately repaired within a reasonable time after the customer has tendered it for repair. A failure to repair within sixty 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 customer 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 remedies, every effort must be made to promptly schedule an appointment with each customer and to repair their vehicle as soon as possible. In the recall notification letters, customers are told how to contact the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if the recall is not completed within a reasonable time.

All unsold new vehicles in dealers' possession and subject to this recall must be held and inspected/repaired per the service procedure of this recall bulletin before customers take possession of these vehicles.

Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this recall 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. A copy of the customer letter is provided in this bulletin for your use in contacting customers. Recall 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 recall enters your vehicle inventory, or is in your dealership for service in the future, you must take the steps necessary to be sure the recall correction has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.

Dear General Motors Customer:

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

General Motors has decided that a defect that relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2007 Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick 7500 and 8500 series vehicles. As a result, GM is conducting a safety recall. We apologize for this inconvenience. However, we are concerned about your safety and continued satisfaction with our products.

Why is your vehicle being recalled?

The rear drive axle housing on your vehicle may have been manufactured with steel below the specified thickness and, as a result, it could develop a crack. If a crack develops and is not detected and repaired, the outboard end of the housing could eventually separate, allowing the hub, axle shaft, and/or wheel and brake assembly to separate from the vehicle. This could cause a vehicle crash without prior warning or the separated parts could strike and injure other people.

What will we do?

Conam Inspection will perform an ultrasonic inspection of the rear drive axle, and if necessary, replace the housing. This inspection can be performed at the dealership of your choice or at a place that is more convenient for you. The inspection will take approximately 15 minutes. If the housing does require replacement, that repair will need to be performed at a GM dealership at a later date and will take approximately 3 hours and 50 minutes; however, it is likely that your dealer will need your vehicle longer than the actual time of the replacement because of service scheduling requirements. This service will be performed for you at no charge.

What should you do?

You should contact Conam Inspection at 1-800-333-8629, extension 22 or 30, to schedule an appointment for an ultrasonic inspection of your vehicle’s rear drive axle. When calling, please reference GM Recall 07079. You will be asked to provide the 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN), available times and dates for the inspection, and the address of the location where your vehicle will be available for this inspection. Since the technician will be traveling to your location, a minimum 3 day advance notice is required.

Do you have questions?

If you have questions or concerns that your dealer is unable to resolve, please contact the Customer Assistance Center at 1 800 862-4389.

If after contacting your dealer and the Customer Assistance Center, you are still not satisfied 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 St., SW, Washington DC 20590, or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1.888.327.4236 (TTY 1.800.424.9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Federal regulation requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days.

Scott Lawson

General Director,

Customer and Relationship Services

Enclosure

07079