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 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 owners 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 owner letter, owners are being instructed to contact the Buick 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, owners are instructed how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1989 Buick Riviera models equipped with Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS). Involved vehicles may have one or both ABS hydraulic unit mounting bolts not properly seated. This condition could cause increased brake pedal travel and/or poor pedal feel if the attachment loosens. In addition, with time, this condition could lead to separation of the ABS hydraulic unit from its mounting bracket. Separation would result in loss of brake function and could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
To correct this condition, dealers are to replace the hydraulic unit mounting bolts on all vehicles involved according to the instructions in the Technical Procedure section of this bulletin.
All 1989 Riviera model vehicles equipped with Anti-Lock Brake System (option code JL9), within the following vehicle breakpoints (Buick records indicate that a total of 125 vehicles are affected):
Year Plant From Through and Including ---- ----- ---- --------------------- 1989 Hamtramck SOP KU400613
Dealers are to service all vehicles involved in this campaign at no charge to owners, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership. Whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign is taken into your new or used car inventory, dealers are to 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 modification according to instructions contained in this bulletin.
If your dealership has vehicles involved in this campaign, you will receive the following items:
- Listing of all vehicles involved in this campaign shipped to your dealership.
- One (1) Campaign Identification Label per vehicle involved.
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 the involved dealers with the campaign bulletin. Owner name and address data will enable dealers to follow-up with owners involved in this campaign.
These computer 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 of vehicles involved in this campaign will be notified by Buick Motor Division (see copy of owner letter included with this bulletin).
Dealer are to use the Dealer Communication System (DCS) to provide Buick Motor Division with subsequent Buick owner information. By reporting a change of owner name or address of a vehicle in campaign status over the DCS, the need to send a CVAR for that vehicle is eliminated. Terminal input instructions are covered in the DCS Manual under Section 9, Page 9-JOlA and B.
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).
Part Number Description Quantity/Vehicle ----------- ------------ ---------------- 25525687 Bolt - Hydraulic Unit Mounting 2
1. Raise hood, install left fender cover. Remove engine compartment front of dash close out panel.
2. Remove inboard mounting bolt (see illustration) and install new bolt, part number 25525687. Torque to 50 N.m (37 lb. ft.).
3. Repeat Step 2 for outboard mounting bolt.
4. Reinstall front of dash close out panel. Install Campaign Identification Label.
5. Remove fender cover and close hood.
Each label provides a space to include the CAMPAIGN NUMBER, the five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service, and the date vehicle was campaigned. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or ballpoint pen. When installing label, clean the surface of the radiator support tie bar and apply the campaign label where it is readily visible.
Replaced parts must be held for disposition by Buick Zone or Branch contact personnel. Parts must have a claim tag attached showing the repair order and the VIN of the vehicle from which they were removed.
FAILED OTHER SUBLET PART PART PARTS FAILURE LABOR LABOR LABOR DEALER OPER COUNT NUMBER ALLOW CODE OP NO HOURS HOURS MTL TWG
- Replace Hydraulic Unit Mounting Bolts 2 25525687 ** 96 V5300 .3 .1 --
* 0.1 hour administration.
** List current dealer price of parts, plus 30%.
Dear Buick Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
REASON FOR RECALL
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1989 Riviera model vehicles equipped with Anti-lock Brake System (ABS). Involved vehicles may have one or both ABS hydraulic unit mounting bolts not properly seated. This condition could cause increased brake pedal travel and/or poor pedal feel if the attachment loosens. In addition, with time, this condition could lead to separation of the brake hydraulic unit from its mounting bracket. Separation would result in loss of brake function and could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
WHAT WE WILL DO
To prevent this condition from occurring, it will be necessary to replace both ABS hydraulic unit mounting bolts on your vehicle. This service will be performed at no charge to you.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Please contact your Buick dealer to arrange a service date. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your Buick dealer. It is estimated that parts will be available approximately April 21, 1989. The labor time necessary to perform this service is approximately twenty (20) minutes. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be necessary to process your vehicle.
Your Buick dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and 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 he does not remedy this condition on that date or within five (5) days, we recommend that you contact the Buick Customer Assistance Center, Flint Home Office by calling 1-800-521-7300. The Customer Assistance Center will Assist you and the dealer in getting your vehicle serviced.
If, after contacting your dealer and the Buick Customer Assistance Center, 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, DC 20590; or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington, DC residents use 366-0123).
The enclosed Owner Reply Card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the correction in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle, please let us know by completing the postage paid owner 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.
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.