The defect
THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME MAY HAVE FOAM AND/OR VINYL VETWEEN THEM, CREATING A "SOFT" JOINT. THIS "SOFT" JOINT RESULTS IN LOWER THAN SPECIFIED BOLT TORQUE WHICH LEADS TO JOINT LOOSENESS, CAUSING BOLT FATIGUE AND EVENTUAL BOLT FAILURE.
The risk
IF BOLT FAILURE OCCURS TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, IT WOULD ALLOW THE SEAT BACK TO SUDDENLY RECLINE, AND COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE FOAM AND/OR VINYL FROM BETWEEN THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME "SOFT" JOINT AND REPLACE THE RECLINER BOLTS.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Suburban | 1991 |
| GMC Suburban | 1991 |
Components: SEATS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Suburban | 1991 | 52 | 3 |
| GMC Suburban | 1991 | 30 | 2 |
Other seats recalls in 1996
24 of the 297 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1996 concerned the seats; GENERAL MOTORS CORP. filed 1,195 campaigns in all.
| 96V178007 27 Dec 1996 | PREVOST CAR, INCORPORATED |
| 96V178004 17 Dec 1996 | METROTRANS CORPORATION |
| 96V178003 25 Oct 1996 | NEOPLAN USA CORP. |
| 96V196000 8 Oct 1996 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 96V178002 27 Sept 1996 | AM GENERAL CORPORATION |
| 96V178001 23 Sept 1996 | UNION CITY BODY COMPANY |
| 96V153000 23 Aug 1996 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 96V126002 6 Aug 1996 | CARPENTER INDUSTRIES, INC. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1996