CAMPAIGN: PASSENGER SEAT INBOARD FORE/AFT ADJUSTER
SUBJECT: PASSENGER SEAT INBOARD FORE/AFT ADJUSTER ----------------------------------------
YEAR and MODEL: 1997 SATURN SC1 and SC2 TWO-DOOR MODELS ---------------------------------------
TO: ALL SATURN RETAILERS and AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS
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The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, provides that each vehicle which is subject to a product 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 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 repaired within a reasonable time, the owner may be entitled to an identical or reasonably equivalent vehicle at no charge, or 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 owner letter, 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 service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, owners are instructed how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
DEFECT INVOLVED
Saturn has determined that certain 1997 SC1 and SC2 (two-door) model vehicles built in June and July 1996, fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 207, "Seating Systems." These vehicles may have been produced with front passenger seats that have less pawl engagement on the inboard fore/aft adjuster than normal. This condition would not be detected during normal vehicle operation. This condition may result in seat movement with a belted occupant during a moderate to severe frontal impact. Saturn is asking customers to return the vehicle to the Retailer for replacement of the passenger seat inboard fore/aft adjuster.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
All 1997 Saturn SC1 and SC2 models in the following VIN range will require this campaign, except for the VINs on the listing included in this bulletin. (Refer to "Non-Involved Vehicles within VIN Range.")
VZIOOOO7 through VZ123092
Because Saturn builds by sequence order, which does not always match VIN order, there are some non-involved vehicles within the VIN range that do not require this campaign. It is important to note that campaign claims will only be paid on involved vehicles. These exclusions are comprehended in the attached listing of non-involved vehicles.
OWNER NOTIFICATION
Owners of 1997 Saturn SC1 and SC2 models involved will be notified of this campaign by Saturn. (Refer to the owner letter included in this bulletin.)
FACILITY VIN LISTING
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:
* Owner's name with address and telephone number;
* Complete Vehicle Identification Number (VIN); and
* VIN's of vehicles, which according to Saturn records are in retail stock.
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 97CO.
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 the law in several states. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this listing to the follow up necessary to complete this campaign. Those records updated with Califomia DMV registration information will have the following message printed adjacent to the appropriate VIN: "OWNER INFORMATION UPDATED BY CALIFORNIA DMV; PUBLICATION PROHIBITED."
REMOTE OWNER STRATEGY
In order to minimize customer inconvenience and ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction, owners who live in a remote location from an open Saturn Retail Facility may be contacted by Saturn to arrange to have their vehicles serviced in a manner convenient to them. Therefore, you may notice that not all vehicles which were sold by you are on your Facility VIN Listing.
RETAILER RESPONSIBILITY
All unsold new 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 new vehicle inventory are to be contacted by the Retailer and arrangements made to make the required correction according to 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.
TRANSFER OF CAMPAIGN RESPOSIBILITY
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, campaign responsibility may be transferred by 1) submitting a Campaign Vehicle Action Report to your Customer Assistance Manager (CAM) at the Saturn Customer Assistance Center, 2) submitting an update in owner information to the Saturn Owner of Record system, via SERVICELINE XL, for Saturn Customer Assistance Center review and approval. A copy of the Campaign Vehicle Action Report can be found in your Service Support Activities Folder. All changes to campaign responsibility will be reflected in your next monthly 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).
PARTS INFORMATION
1. A pre-shipment of passenger seat inboard adjusters and Loctite 242 Threadlocker required to perform this campaign has been automatically sent to you from Saturn Service Parts Operations (SSPO). These initial shipments are to aid the Retailer in campaign preparation and ensure minimal customer inconvenience. Further shipments will automatically be sent at a later date to fulfill your forecasted needs.
2. Should you require additional parts, please contact your Parts Support Analyst (PSA) immediately and we will expedite the shipment. Please do not enter any orders for any of the part numbers below without contacting your PSA.
3. Required Parts: Quantity Required Part Number Description Per Vehicle ----------- ----------- -----------------
21050248 Adj Asm- P/Seat Inner 1
21485277 Threadlocker-Loctite 242 As Required
NOTE: Loctite 242 Threadlocker may be procured locally. However, if required, additional quantities may be ordered from Saturn Service Parts Operations as a ship-direct part.
4. The following parts are not likely to be required. Due to SSPO's limited supply of these parts, please replace as needed due to loss or damage.
Quantity Required Part Number Description Per Vehicle ----------- ----------- ------------------
21058205 Retainer-P/Seat Recl Actr Cbl As Required
DISPOSITION OF REPLACED PARTS
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.
SUGGESTIONS FOR ENSURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
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. If you have any questions, please coordinate with the Saturn Customer Assistance Center to help ensure customer satisfaction.
SERVICE PROCEDURES
Removal
IMPORTANT: Removing the seat using the following sequence will aid in reassembly of the unit. DO NOT activate the E-Z entry feature by pulling the recliner release lever on the side of the seat at any time during removal and install procedures.
1. Remove two front bolts from passenger seat in the following order: a. Front inboard b. Front outboard
2. Move passenger seat to full forward position by activating the seat adjuster lever.
3. Remove two rear bolts from front passenger seat in the following order: a. Rear outboard b. Rear inboard
4. Remove passenger seat and place on a clean protected work surface.
5. Remove two screws from the passenger seat adjuster finish inner cover and remove the passenger seat adjuster finish inner cover.
6. Remove bolt from passenger seat side mount buckle and remove passenger seat side mount buckle.
7. Remove two passenger seat inner adjuster bolts.
8. Remove two passenger seat inboard recliner bolts.
9. Remove passenger seat adjuster linkage wire from passenger seat inner adjuster.
10. Remove retaining clip from E-Z entry cable at front of the inboard seat adjuster. Remove the inboard seat adjuster and discard.
Installation
1. Attach E-Z entry cable to front of new inboard adjuster (P/N 21050248) and install retaining clip.
2. Install passenger seat adjuster linkage wire to passenger seat inner adjuster.
3. Install two passenger seat inner adjuster bolts. Torque: 27 N,m (20 ft-lbs)
4. Install inboard recliner to inboard adjuster using two passenger seat inboard recliner bolts. Torque: 27 N,m (20 ft-lbs)
5. Apply Loctite@ 242 Threadlocker (P/N 21485277) or equivalent to passenger seat side mount buckle. Install passenger seat side mount buckle and bolt. Torque: 75 N,m (55 ft-lbs)
6. Install passenger seat adjuster finish inner cover and two screws.
NOTICE: Timing of the seat adjuster tracks in relationship to each other is essential for prope installation. Handle the seat assembly with extreme care to prevent damage to seat mounting surfaces.
7. Activate passenger seat adjuster assemblies by releasing the adjuster lever.
8. Position passenger seat cushion assembly forward to allow the pawls attached to the seat track to lock in the third windows on both seat adjuster tracks.
9. Carefully install passenger seat in vehicle.
10. Apply Loctites 242 Threadlocker (P/N 21485277) or equivalent to four passenger seat bolts and install the following three passenger seat bolts in the following order:
1. Rear inboard
2. Rear outboard
3. Front outboard
Torque: 35 N-m (26 ft-lbs)
11. Move passenger seat assembly to fall rearward position by activating the seat adjuster lever.
12. Install front inboard passenger seat bolt 4. Torque: 35 N,m (26 ft-lbs)
13. Sit in passenger seat, and buckle and unbuckle the seat belt.
14. Activate adjuster lever and move seat to various positions along seat tracks to ensure proper operation. The seat should lock at each desired position.
15. From the outside of the vehicle, check the operation of the E-Z entry feature.
* Pull up on the recliner release lever and the seatback should tilt forward and the seat assembly should move to the full-forward position.
* Move the seatback to its upright position, and slide the seat assembly rearward until it locks in place.
16. Affix the Campaign Completion Label to the radiator core support.
CAMPAIGN COMPLETION LABEL
Upon completion of the campaign, a Campaign Completion Label 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 (97COl) and the five (5) digit facility code of the Retailer performing the campaign service.
As a reminder, additional labels may be obtained from your Service Support Activities Folder (provided to each facility as part of their "start-up" package) or may be ordered from Saturn Publications (1-800-828-2112 prompt 3, Item # S03 00013).
CREDIT
1. To receive credit for replacing the passenger seat inboard adjuster assembly, submit a claim with the information below:
Failed Parts Sale Case Labor Labor Add Repair Performed Part # Allow. Type Type Op Hours Hrs.* ---------------- ------ ------ ---- ---- ----- ----- -----
Passenger Seat Inboard 21050248 WC VC V9957 0.8 0.1 Adjuster Assembly Replacement
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:
Sale Case Labor Net Item Net Item # Days Repair Performed Type Type 0p Amount Code Rental ---------------- ---- ---- ----- -------- -------- --------
Loaner Reimbursement WC VC T9969 *** C **** *** Other/Goodwill WC VC T9970 R N/A
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 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. Refer to the Customer Service Order Preparation Manual for details on Product Campaign Claim Submission.
* Campaign administrative allowance
** The parts allowance should be the sum total of the current SSPO Retailer net price plus 30% of all parts required for the repair.
*** Net Item amounts must be submitted as a miscellaneous sale ... Loaner reimbursement not to exceed $30/day.
**** Enter number of days vehicle was rented . . . Not to exceed 2 days.
August 22, 1996
Dear Saturn Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
There is nothing more important to us than how you feel about your Saturn. If there is ever anything that might compromise your ownership experience, we want to address it right away ... which is why we are writing to you.
Saturn has determined that certain 1997 SC I and SC2 (two-door) model vehicles built in June and July 1996, fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 207, "Seating Systems." These vehicles may have been produced with front passenger seats that have less pawl engagement on the inboard fore/aft adjuster than normal. This condition would not be detected during normal vehicle operation. This condition may result in seat movement with a belted occupant during a moderate to severe frontal impact. Saturn is asking customers to return the vehicle to the Retailer for replacement of the passenger seat inboard fore/aft adjuster.
What Saturn will do: We will replace the passenger seat inboard fore/aft adjuster at no charge to you and with the least possible inconvenience. The service procedure should take about one hour. Please allow your Retailer some additional time for paperwork and processing.
What you should do: Contact your Saturn Retailer or the Saturn Customer Assistance Center and arrange to have this service performed.
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. We will assist you and the Retailer in getting your car serviced.
If, after contacting your Saturn Retailer and the 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., S.W., Washington, DC 20590, or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington, DC residents use 426-0123).
Again, we sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this situation may cause you. We also 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
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.
