Owner Letter

March, 1996

Dear Chevrolet Customer:

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

REASON FOR THIS RECALL

General Motors has decided that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 1994-95 Chevrolet C/K extended--cab pickups equipped with front seat belt assemblies having a double loop energy management system. A condition exists where in a frontal collision, if both the lap-belt and shoulder-belt energy-management loops release at/or near the same time, acceleration forces can cause the buckle release mechanism to activate and allow the buckle to separate from the latch. If the buckle released, the system would fail to provide the appropriate occupant restraint performance. Additionally, a small number of these vehicles equipped with light-duty naturally aspirated diesel engines, which were built with straight (no energy-management loops) front seat-belt systems before and after the larger suspect population, may not meet the HIC (Head Injury Criteria) requirements of FMVSS 208, "Occupant Crash Protection". In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant of these seats may not be properly restrained.

WHAT WE WILL DO

To correct these conditions, your dealer will remove the stitching that creates the energy-management loop in the shoulder belt(s) on tracks with gas engines or 6.5L H.O. turbo diesel engines. For vehicles with light-duty 6.5L naturally aspirated diesel engines (L49) and light-duty 6.5L turbo diesel engines. (L56), the retractor portion of the seat belt assembly(s) will be replaced with one having the newly designed energy-management twin-loop system. This service will be performed at no charge to you.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Please contact your Chevrolet dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date and so the dealer may order the necessary parts for the repair. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your, dealer. The labor time necessary to perform this service correction is approximately 25 minutes. Please ask, your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to schedule and process your vehicle. The enclosed owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle please let us know by completing the postage paid reply card and returning it to us.

Your Chevrolet dealer is best equipped to provide service to ensure that your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. If, however, you take your vehicle to your dealer on the agreed service date, and they do not remedy this condition on that date or within five (5) days, we recommend you contact the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center by calling 1-800-222-1020. After contacting your dealer and the Customer Assistance Center if 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, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington D.C. residents use 202-366-0123).

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 technician save the equipment, tools, safety instructions and know-how to do a job properly and safely. It 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.