2000 Saturn L-Series Vehicle (All Models)

This bulletin supersedes Product Campaign Bulletin 00-C-11 which should be discarded. Bulletin 00-C-11 was printed with one (1) of the six (6) date codes incorrectly identified in the Customer Inspection Procedure

The Highway 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 customer 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 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. As you will see in reading the attached copy of the owner letter, the owners are being instructed to contact the Saturn Customer Assistance Center if their Retailer 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, owners are instructed on how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Saturn has decided that certain 2000 model year L-Series Saturn vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies." Some of these vehicles have been produced with rear safety belt buckle assemblies that will not withstand the force requirements of the standard. In a crash, if the safety belt buckle fails, there is an increased risk of injury to a rear seat occupant.

Only selected 2000 model year L-Series Saturn vehicles within the following VIN range will require this campaign:

YY680953 - YY692057

You must verify campaign involvement through your AS400 system. It is important to note that campaign claims will only be paid on involved vehicles.

Owners of all involved vehicles will be notified of this campaign by Saturn. (Refer to the owner letter included in this bulletin.)

A list of vehicles assigned to you (Facility VIN Listing), which our records indicate were sold by or shipped to you, (or are located in close proximity to your facility) is enclosed.

This listing contains:

The Facility VIN Listing (with owner information) is furnished to involved Retailers with the Product Campaign Bulletin. Although these vehicles are assigned to your facility, it is important to note that owners may elect to have their vehicle serviced at the Saturn Retail Facility of their choice.

Those Retailers not involved initially in this campaign will receive a message at the top of a blank Facility VIN Listing that states: NO VEHICLES ASSIGNED AT THIS TIME FOR CAMPAIGN 00-C-11.

All unsold vehicles in Retailers' possession and subject to this campaign must be held at the retail facility and repaired per the service procedure of this campaign bulletin before owners take possession of these vehicles.

Retailers 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.

Owners of vehicles recently sold from your vehicle inventory are to be contacted by the Retailer and arrangements made to make the required correction according to the procedure contained in this bulletin.

In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign enters your vehicle inventory, or is in your retail facility 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.

This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this campaign may not comply with the standard previously identified. Under 49 U.S.C. section 30112 of the Highway Safety Act as amended, it is illegal for a retailer to sell a new motor vehicle which the retailer knows does not comply with an applicable federal Motor Vehicle Standard. As a consequence, if you sell any of these motor vehicles without first performing the campaign correction, your retail facility may be subject to a civil penalty up to $1,100 for each such a sale.

Saturn vehicles that have been sold by you, which may be closer in proximity to another Saturn Retailer, may still appear on your Facility VIN Listing. If either you or the vehicle owner determines that it is more desirable for a vehicle on your Facility VIN Listing to be serviced by another Saturn Retailer, or if the customer's address has recently changed, campaign responsibility may be transferred by completing the following:

A copy of the Campaign Vehicle Action Report is included for your reference. Additional copies can be ordered from Saturn Publications (1-800-828-2112, prompt 3, Item #S0397050). All changes to campaign responsibility will be reflected in your next Unfixed VIN Report.

All other changes in vehicle status (e.g., scrapped, stolen, etc.) are to be made in accordance with section 4.4.3 of the Retailer Service Reference Guide, "Notifying Saturn of Vehicle Status Change."

Once the vehicle has been inspected, and verified that a part(s) is required, order the appropriate part(s) from SSPO as indicated below.

These (3) color combinations of rear safety belt assemblies are affected by this campaign action. Penetration levels of both the oak and ebony color parts are minimal, therefore, a pre-shipment of one each of only the Pewter Belt Kit has been shipped to all full-function retail facilities.

Important: Ensure the safety belt buckle assembly(s) needed to perform the campaign are in retail parts inventory prior to scheduling the customer for service.

Customers are being instructed to inspect the date code on their safety belt buckle assemblies, and to call their retail facility if replacement is necessary. Since both COLOR and LOCATION information is needed to identify the correct replacement part(s) needed, retail personnel should gather enough information from the customer call to ensure the correct part is either ordered, or already in retail parts inventory If the correct part is not already in parts inventory, SSPO will send all ordered parts via over-night delivery. Parts ordered by 3:00 p.m. CST will be shipped to arrive the following day. Please schedule appointments accordingly to minimize customer inconvenience.

Retailers will scrap all replaced parts in a manner that ensures that they cannot be reused, remanufactured, or otherwise entered into the stream of commerce in the future.

As you know, Saturn's success hinges upon our ability to execute superior customer support throughout the ownership experience, especially when important corrective actions such as this are required.

It is imperative that every effort is made to accommodate the affected owners. Additionally, priority should be given to customer vehicles over retail inventory vehicles. If you have any questions, please coordinate with the Saturn Customer Assistance Center to help ensure customer satisfaction.

1. Inspect the backside of all three rear safety belt buckles as show in the illustration for the suspect date codes. (It is possible to have different date codes on each rear safety belt buckle. Therefore inspect all buckles individually.)

•	If the date code on any rear safety belt buckle is one of the following, replace the buckle. Continue with step 2 of this procedure.

-

151001

-

153002

-

154001

-

154002

-

155001

-

155002

•	If no suspect dates are found, no repairs are necessary.





Important: Sedan shown, wagon similar.

2. Pull the rear seat cushion retainer straps while lifting up on the rear seat cushion to disengage the rear seat cushion from the floor.



3. Remove the suspect rear safety belt buckle assembly from the vehicle.
4. Obtain the necessary replacement rear safety belt buckle(s). Refer to "Parts Information" in this bulletin.

Notice: Do NOT apply additional Threadlocker to the safety belt buckle attachment fastener. The new fastener comes with Threadlocker already applied.

5. Position the replacement rear safety belt buckle assembly into the vehicle with the locating tab facing downward in the positioning slot. Install the fastener.

Tighten
Tighten the safety belt buckle assembly fastener to 35 N·m (26 lb ft).




6. Position the rear seat.
7. Route the rear safety belt buckles through the seat cushion openings.
8. Snap the rear seat cushion into the attaching retainers.
9. Lift up on the seat cushion to ensure proper installation.
10. Verify proper operation of the rear safety belt buckles by latching and unlatching each shoulder belt and lap belt.

Important: Do NOT cover any existing underhood labels when affixing the Campaign Completion Label.

11. Affix the Campaign Completion Label on a clean and dry surface of the radiator core support, in an area clearly visible when the hood is raised. Refer to Campaign Completion Label in this bulletin.

Upon completion of the campaign, a Campaign Identification Label and a Clear Protective Cover should be affixed on a clean, dry surface of the radiator core support in an area clearly visible when the hood is raised. Each label provides a space to print in ink (or type) the campaign number (00C11) and the five (5) digit facility code of the Retailer performing the campaign service.

As a reminder, additional labels may be ordered from Saturn publications (1-800-828-2112, prompt 3, Item #S03 00013A for the Campaign Completion Label and Item #S03 00013B for the Clear Protective Cover ).

1. To receive credit for inspecting and replacing the safety belts (if necessary), submit a claim with the information below:

2. To receive credit for loaner/rental car costs incurred while owner awaits campaign repair or other goodwill expenses, submit a claim with the information below:

3. Retailers are empowered to use good judgement regarding loaner/rental cars or any other goodwill expenses deemed necessary. It will not be necessary to call the Saturn Customer Assistance Center for authorization of goodwill. The Goodwill Worksheet (printed towards the back of this bulletin) must be used to document goodwill expenses. The completed Goodwill Worksheet must be attached to the hard copy of the CSO. Retailers are to make sufficient copies of the blank Goodwill Worksheet to document goodwill expenses.

4. Check your Saturn SERVICELINE.XL Claim Memorandum daily. Remember to code the claim as a WC sale type and VC case type. Contact your field representative if you need assistance.

5. All labor operations claimed in this bulletin must be submitted on individual (unrelated) CSO lines. Refer to the Customer Service Order Preparation Manual for details on Product Campaign Claim Submission.

* The parts allowance should be the sum total of the current SSPO Retailer net price plus 30% of all parts required for the repair.

** Campaign administrative allowance.

*** Net amount must be submitted as a miscellaneous sale...Loaner reimbursement not to exceed $30/day.

**** Enter number of days vehicle was rented...Not to exceed 1 day.

As stated in the "Credit" section of this bulletin, Retailers are empowered to use good judgement regarding loaner/rental cars or other goodwill expenses that might become necessary for customer satisfaction.

Complete this worksheet and attach it to the hard copy of the Customer Service Order (CSO) to document all campaign goodwill claims submitted to Saturn.

VIN #

1. Inspect the backside of all three rear safety belt buckles as show in the illustration for the suspect date codes. (It is possible to have different date codes on each rear safety belt buckle. Therefore inspect all buckles individually.)

•	If the date code on any rear safety belt buckle is one of the following,the safety belt buckle must be replaced. Please contact your Saturn Retailer to make arrangements to have this service performed.

-

151001

-

153002

-

154001

-

154002

-

155001

-

155002





Important: When calling your Saturn Retailer, give them the number of the corresponding safety belt(s) as shown in the illustrations that need to be replaced. You will also need to be able to identify what color interior you have.

•	If no suspect dates are found, no repairs are necessary. Continue to step 2 below.

Important: You must complete and return the enclosed postage-paid card. This will also ensure that you do not continue to receive notification for this campaign on your vehicle.

2. To let us know that your safety belt buckles are OK, please complete section 6 of the postage-paid card, sign it, and return it to Saturn.

If you have any questions please contact your Saturn Retailer or the Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-553-6000.

Dear Saturn Owner:

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

Saturn has decided that certain 2000 model year L-Series Saturn vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies." Some of these vehicles have been produced with rear safety belt buckle assemblies that will not withstand the force requirements of the standard. In a crash, if the safety belt buckle fails, there is an increased risk of injury to a rear seat occupant.

You may choose to perform a simple inspection ourself using the enclosed inspection procedure. If the date code on your vehicle's rear safety belt buckle assembly is not the same as the rear safety belt buckle assembly's date code (listed in the procedure) no further service is required. If it is the same as the suspect rear safety belt buckle assembly's date code, you should contact your Saturn Retailer to arrange to have the rear safety belt buckle assembly replaced. If you have any question concerning this procedure, please contact the Saturn Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-553-6000.

If you perform the date code inspection yourself and find the rear safety belt buckle assemblies do not need to be replaced, please use the postage paid return card to notify us that you vehicle is not is need of repair. Complete section #6, sign, and drop the card in the mail. If you are not comfortable performing the date code inspection yourself, your Saturn Retailer can perform the inspection for you and, if necessary, make the needed repairs. Please contact your Saturn Retailer to make arrangements for having this service performed.

Saturn will inspect your vehicle's rear safety belt buckle assembly date codes and if necessary, replace any rear safety belt buckle assembly at no charge to you. The inspection and replacement, if necessary, will take approximately 15 minutes, although, additional time may be required for paperwork and processing.

Your Retailer is prepared to perform this service promptly and with minimal inconvenience to you. However if your car is provided to the Retailer on the agreed service date and the condition is not remedied on that date, or within five days, please contact the Saturn Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-553-6000 prompt 3, or for the hearing impaired, 1-800-833-6000. We will assist you and the Retailer in getting your car serviced.

If, after contacting your Saturn Retailer and the Saturn Customer Assistance Center, 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 SW, Washington, DC 20590 or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington, DC residents use 202-366-0123).

Again, we sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this situation may cause you. We want you to know that we will do our best, throughout your ownership experience, to ensure that your Saturn provides you many miles of enjoyable driving.

Sincerely,

Saturn Corporation

00-C-11