Regal V6-173 2.8L (1988)
Wheels: Recalls
Recall - Cracking Steel Wheel (Revised Labor Codes)
BUICK
90-C-54
Issued: 06-01-95
SUBJECT:
STEEL WHEELS
MODELS AFFECTED:
CERTAIN 1988, 1989 AND 1990 REGALS EQUIPPED WITH STEEL WHEELS (RPO PB9-14" AND RPO PG1-15")
IMPORTANT:
IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT A NUMBER OF VEHICLES PREVIOUSLY INSPECTED UNDER THE ORIGINAL PRODUCT
SAFETY RECALL 90-C-13 "STEEL WHEELS" ISSUED APRIL, 1994 AND EXPANDED BY 90-C-13C ISSUED MARCH, 1995; WILL
REQUIRE REINSPECTION. A NEW SAFETY CAMPAIGN AND NEW LABOR CODES ARE BEING ISSUED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE
PURPOSES. A SECOND NEW CUSTOMER LETTER WILL BE SENT TO THE INVOLVED VEHICLE CUSTOMERS.
VEHICLES PREVIOUSLY INSPECTED UNDER 90-C-13 THAT HAD LESS THAN FOUR WHEELS REPLACED ARE TO BE REINSPECTED.
IF THE WHEEL CODES WERE NOTED ON THE ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN DEALER REPAIR ORDER AND DO NOT MATCH THE CODES
INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN, THE CUSTOMER CAN BE CONTACTED BY TELEPHONE AND ADVISED THAT A TRIP TO THE
DEALER IS NOT NECESSARY.
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 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 reasonable 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 customer and to
repair their vehicle as soon as possible. As you will see in reading the attached copy of the letter that is being sent to customers, the customers 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, they are instructed on how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.
DEFECT INVOLVED
General Motors has decided that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 1988, 1989 and 1990 Buick Regal model vehicles
equipped with steel wheels (RPO's PB9 [14"] and PG1 [15"]). These vehicles may exhibit a condition in which cracks develop in the wheel mounting
surface and, should the cracks become severe enough, the wheel could completely separate from the vehicle. If this were to occur while the vehicle was
in motion, steering and braking control of the vehicle could be affected, and a vehicle crash could result without prior warning.
To prevent this condition from occurring, dealers are to reinspect the manufacturing date codes stamped on each wheel to determine if the wheels were
produced during a suspect period. Whenever a wheel falls within the new specified date code range, dealers are to replace that wheel assembly.
