Noncompliance - Tire/Certification Label

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 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 letter, customers are told how to contact the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if the recall is not completed within a reasonable time.

Saturn has decided that certain 2004 Saturn VUE vehicles equipped with 3.5L V6 (L66) engines fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 120, "Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles Other Than Passenger Cars." The wheel rim designation is not listed correctly on the tire/certification label on these vehicles equipped with a 17X7J wheel. If the wheel rim size is incorrectly printed on a tire/certification label, a service technician who solely uses the tire/certification label for service information may attempt to replace a damaged wheel with an incorrect wheel.

To correct this condition, Saturn is asking owners and/or Retailers to apply a corrected label to the vehicle according to the application instructions provided. If the owner is not comfortable applying the label, owners are given the option of having a Retailer apply it for them at no charge.

Only select 2004 model year Saturn VUE vehicles within the following VIN range will require this recall.

4S800001 - 4S815738

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

Owners of all involved vehicles located within areas covered by the US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act will be notified of this recall by Saturn. (Refer to the owner letter included in this bulletin.)

All unsold new vehicles in Retailers' 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.

VIN specific tire/certification labels are being mailed to retailers for unsold in-stock vehicles and via first class mail to involved owners.

Retailers 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.

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

This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this recall may not comply with the standard identified above. Under Title 49, Section 30112 of the United States Code, 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 Safety Standard. As a consequence, if you sell any of these motor vehicles without first performing the recall correction, your retailer may be subject to a civil penalty for each such sale.

If the VIN on the new tire/certification label does not match the existing vehicle VIN, Retailers should request a new tire/certification label, in accordance with the section 3.8.4 of the Retailer Service Reference Guide, "MVSS Certification and Tire Pressure Labels."

1. Open driver's side (left, front) door and locate tire/certification label.
2. Use a clean dry cloth to clean off the existing tire/certification label.
3. Verify that Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on new tire/certification label is identical to VIN number on existing tire/certification label and VIN plate located on lower left corner of windshield.

•	If VIN on new tire/certification label does not match existing vehicle VIN, do NOT affix the new label. Contact your Saturn Retailer immediately. Your Saturn Retailer will then request a new tire/certification label.

•	If VIN on new tire/certification label matches existing vehicle VIN, proceed to Step 4.

4. Remove backing from label to expose adhesive.
5. Refer to the illustration below for label placement. Carefully align the new label over the existing label and smooth down, especially around the edges. Apply pressure for approximately 5 seconds.

1. To receive credit, submit a claim with the information below:

2. 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.

3. 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 Recall Claim Submission.

* Recall administration allowance

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 2004 Saturn VUE vehicles equipped with 3.5L V6 (L66) engines fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 120, "Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles Other Than Passenger Cars." The wheel rim designation is not listed correctly on the tire/certification label on these vehicles equipped with a 17X7J wheel. If the wheel rim size is incorrectly printed on a tire/certification label, a service technician who solely uses the tire/certification label for service information may attempt to replace a damaged wheel with an incorrect wheel.

To correct this condition, Saturn is asking owners and/or Retailers to apply a corrected label to the vehicle according to the application instructions provided. If you are not comfortable applying the label, your Retailer will apply it for you at no charge.

The original tire/certification labels on certain 2004 Saturn VUE vehicles with 3.5L V6 (L66) engines also have a small error in the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The label supplied with this letter corrects that error. For information on the GVWR, see your owner's manual under Vehicle Loading .

What you should do:

Please apply the enclosed label to the driver's door as shown in the procedure on the reverse side of this letter. If you choose to apply the enclosed label, no further service is required.

What Saturn will do:

If you are not comfortable applying the enclosed label to the driver's door, Saturn will apply the label at no charge to you. Please contact your Saturn Retailer to make arrangements for having the label applied. This service will take just a few minutes, although some additional time may be required for paperwork and processing.

Your Retailer is prepared to perform this service promptly and with minimal inconvenience to you. Should your Retailer be unable to schedule a service date within a reasonable time, please contact the Saturn Assistance 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 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 202-366-0123).

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.

Saturn Corporation

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