Passenger Occupant Classification System “OCS” Detection – 2015-2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

December 16, 2019 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V892000

Improperly Calibrated OCS

In the event of a crash, if the air bag does not deploy as designed, the front seat passenger has an increased risk of an injury.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V892

Manufacturer Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

Components AIR BAGS

Potential Number of Units Affected 129

 

Summary

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2018 CLA250 and CLA250 4MATIC, and 2017-2018 CLA45 AMG vehicles. The Occupant Classification System (OCS) may have been improperly calibrated, which may prevent the proper deployment of the front passenger air bag.

 

Remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger seat cushion, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA’s number for this recall is 2020060012.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

 

Check if your Mercedes-Benz has a Recall

 

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TO: Mercedes-Benz Dealer Principals, General Managers, Sales Managers, Service Managers, Parts Managers	FROM:  Gregory Gunther, Department Manager, Vehicle Compliance and Analysis, Engineering Services
RE: Recall Campaign Launch Notification Passenger OCS Detection MY15-18 117 (CLA-Class)	Date: July 25, 2020

 

IMPORTANT RECALL CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Please see the attached documents related to the campaign listed above.

 

Please note that all customer inquiries should be directed to the Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES.

 

Sincerely,

Gregory Gunther

Department Manager, Vehicle Compliance & Analysis

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Campaign No. :	NHTSA ID		Campaign Desc. :	Passenger OCS Detection
2020060012	19V892		19P9190204
This is to notify you of a Recall Campaign launch regarding the Occupant Classification System on 129 Model Year MY2015-2018 CLA-Class (117 platform) vehicles.  The recall campaign will be visible on the www.safercar.gov website and may generate questions from customers. Affected VINs will be flagged in VMI as “OPEN” on July 25, 2020.
Background
Issue		Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain MY15-18 CLA-Class (117 platform) vehicles, the calibration of the Occupant Classification System (OCS) for the front passenger seat might not meet current production specifications. If the OCS is not calibrated according to production specifications, an installed child seat might be classified as an occupant, or a small and light occupant might be classified as a child seat. Therefore, the passenger airbag might be activated despite a mounted child seat. Conversely, the front passenger airbag might be deactivated despite an occupant sitting on the front passenger seat. Both cases would increase the risk of injuries to the passenger in case of a crash necessitating an airbag deployment.
What We’re Doing		MBUSA will conduct a voluntary recall. An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer, will replace the passenger seat cushion on the affected vehicles
Parts		Parts are available and can be ordered as necessary.
Vehicles Affected
Vehicle Model Year(s)		2015-2018
Vehicle Model		CLA-Class
Vehicle Populations
Total Recall Population		129
Total Vehicles in Dealer Inventory		0
Given this notice, it is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to sell or lease any new MY15-18 CLA-Class vehicles in dealer inventory covered by this notification until the vehicle has been repaired.  Once the remedy is available, the vehicles will be flagged as “OPEN” and Work Instructions will be available in Xentry. Once the repair is complete, the vehicle may be sold or leased.  Loaner and demonstrator vehicles may continue to be driven, but must not be retailed until repaired.   As a matter of normal service process, please check for other repair measures which might be applicable to the vehicle(s)  Additionally, given this notice, it is a violation of Federal Law for car rental companies to rent new MY15-18 CLA-Class vehicles covered by this notification until the vehicle has been repaired.
Next Steps/Notes
Customer Notification Timeline		Customer letters will be mailed approximately one week after the remedy becomes available.
AOMS/SOMS		AOMs – This recall may generate questions from your dealers. Please forward this notice to your dealers ASAP.
Rental Fleet Partners		This recall may affect vehicles in your fleet. Please contact your respective MBUSA fleet representative for further information and next steps. For repairs, please contact your preferred MBUSA dealer.
While we regret any inconvenience this may cause, MBUSA is determined to maintain a high level of vehicle quality and customer satisfaction. Please refer all customer inquiries to the Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES.

 

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Campaign No. 2020060012, July 2020

TO:	ALL MERCEDES-BENZ CENTERS
SUBJECT:	Model CLA-class (117 platform) Model Year 2018-2019 Passenger OCS Detection

 

Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain MY15-18 CLA-class (117 platform) vehicles, the calibration of the Occupant Classification System (OCS) for the front passenger seat might not meet current production specifications. If the OCS is not calibrated according to production specifications, an installed child seat might be classified as an occupant, or a small and light occupant might be classified as a child seat. Therefore, the passenger airbag might be activated despite a mounted child seat. Conversely, the front passenger airbag might be deactivated despite an occupant sitting on the front passenger seat. Both cases would increase the risk of injuries to the passenger in case of a crash necessitating an airbag deployment. An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer, will replace the passenger seat cushion on the affected vehicles.

 

Prior to performing this Recall Campaign:

• VMI must always be checked before performing campaigns to verify that the campaign is required on a specific vehicle. Always check for any other open campaigns, and perform
• Please review the entire Recall Campaign bulletin and follow the repair procedure exactly as described.

 

Please note that Recall Campaigns do not expire and may also be performed on a vehicle with a vehicle status indicator.

 

Approximately 129 vehicles are involved.

 

Order No. P-RC-2020060012

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 Note:

• Use DAS/Xentry 6/20 with all associated patches or higher.
• Follow the steps exactly as described in DAS/Xentry.
• Connect battery charger (battery voltage >12.5V).
• Ensure all electrical consumers are switched-off.
• In the event of software/SCN update issues, contact Star Diagnosis User Help Desk. Please refer to the “precall” check list before contacting UHD
• Refer to Star Diagnosis System (SDS) Best Practices Guide.

 

Procedure

 

1. Replace front passenger seat cushion.
   • New seat cushion is pre-calibrated!

For basic data, see AR91.10-P-3310NKB

 

2. Perform XENTRY initial startup of Weight Sensing System
   • To do so, select menu item “Quick test view WSS – Weight Sensing System Initial startup of control unit  Coding of control unit” and then perform teach-in process.  Then follow the user guidance in XENTRY DIAGNOSTICS/DAS.

 

 

Primary Parts Information

Qty.	Part Name	Part Number
As required*	Passenger seat cushion	*

 

* The replacement parts must be determined according to the equipment variant for the vehicle identification number (VIN) via the parts process in the Xentry Portal.

 

Warranty Information

Operation: Connect/disconnect battery charger (02-5058)

Star Diagnosis System (SDS), Connect/disconnect (02-4762)

Replace front passenger seat cushion (02-1451)

Damage Code	Operation Number	Labor Time (hrs.)
91 902 04 7	02-5058	0.1
	02-4762	0.1
	02-1451*	1.4

 

*Includes: Remove/install front passenger seat; calibrate WSS sensors; Extra work for: Depth adjustment and addition in case of electric adjustment.

 

Note

Operation Number labor times are subject to change

 

P-RC-2020060012

 

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IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL 2020060012
This notice applies to your vehicle, VIN:
Passenger Occupant Classification System Detection
NHTSA Recall #19V892

 

July, 2020

A remedy is available for your vehicle. Schedule an appointment with your authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer as soon as possible. This repair will be provided free of charge.

 

Dear Mercedes-Benz Owner:

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

Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain Model Year (“MY”) 2015-2018 CLA-Class (117 platform) vehicles. Our records indicate that your vehicle is included in the affected population of vehicles.

What is the CONCERN?	MBAG has determined that on certain MY 15-18 CLA-Class (117 platform) vehicles, the calibration of the Occupant Classification System (“OCS”) for the front passenger seat might not meet current production specifications.  If the OCS is not calibrated according to production specifications, an installed child seat might be classified as an occupant, or a small and light occupant might be classified as a child seat.  Therefore, the passenger airbag might might be activated despite the presence of an installed child seat.  Conversely, the front passenger airbag might be deactivated despite an occupant sitting on the front passenger seat.  Both cases would increase the risk of injuries to the passenger in the event of a crash.  The customer may be made aware of the status of the passenger airbag by the PASSENGER AIRBAG ON / OFF lamp in the lower center console.
What will your DEALER DO?	An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer will replace the passenger seat cushion on the affected vehicles.  This service will be provided free of charge.  We are dedicated to always delivering the best customer experience, and respect for your time is a top priority.  While the minimum repair time is approximately 2 hours, your dealer can provide you with a better estimate of the overall time for this service visit.  As a matter of normal service process, an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer will also check for other repair measures which might be applicable to your vehicle which may increase the required working time.
What should YOU DO?	For additional information and to schedule an appointment, please contact your preferred authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer at your earliest convenience. To locate authorized dealers see  www.MBUSA.com/recall.  Please mention you are scheduling an appointment to have the front passenger seat replaced under Recall Campaign # 2020060012. You may be asked for your 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) which for your convenience is located above your name at the top of this letter.
Information for Owners	In the event that you are no longer the vehicle owner, or have had a change of address, please complete the reverse side and return the updated information in the enclosed envelope. If this is a leased vehicle and the lessor and registered owner receive this notice, please forward this information by first class mail to the lessee within 10 business days to comply with Federal Regulations.  If you have already paid to have this recall condition corrected you may be eligible to receive reimbursement.  Requests for reimbursement may include parts, labor, fees and taxes.  Reimbursement may be limited to the amount the repair would have cost if completed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer. Please see the following page for more information. Impacts from COVID-19: Your health and safety remain our top priority. The Mercedes-Benz dealerships are closely following the guidelines set forth by the CDC.  Vehicle pick-up and delivery may be available.   Your preferred authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer can confirm availability.

 

To find the most convenient  authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer from your smartphone, scan the QR code to  the left.

A VIN-based recall lookup tool on our MBUSA.com website now offers a search feature that will indicate whether a vehicle has been subject to a safety recall, and whether that vehicle has had the free remedy performed. See www.mbusa.com/recall. Should you have any questions or encounter any difficulty regarding this Recall Campaign, please contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer. If for any reason a dealer is unable to remedy your situation, we are always happy to hear from you. Please contact us at 1-(800) FOR-MERCEDES (1-800-367-6372).

If an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer for any reason is unable to remedy the situation without charge, or within a reasonable amount of time, pursuant to law 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301, you may submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20590 or call the toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153); or go to https://www.safercar.gov.

We apologize for any inconvenience this situation may cause you.

Sincerely,

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
A Mercedes-Benz AG Company
One Mercedes-Benz Drive
Sandy Springs, GA  30328
Phone (770) 705-0600

 

IMPORTANT  VIN:

If for any reason YOU NO LONGER OWN THIS VEHICLE OR have a CHANGE OF ADDRESS, please COMPLETE THE SECTION BELOW, place in the ENCLOSED ENVELOPE, and DROP IN ANY MAIL BOX. If possible, provide the name and address of the present owner so that we may contact them. 

 

Reimbursement to Customers for Repairs Performed Prior to Recall

 

If you have already paid to have this recall condition corrected you may be eligible to receive reimbursement. Requests for reimbursement may include parts, labor, fees and taxes. Reimbursement may be limited to the amount the repair would have cost if completed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer. The following documentation must be presented to your dealer for reimbursement.

 

Original or clear copy of all receipts, invoices and/or repair orders that show:

• The name and address of the person who paid for the repair.
• The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle that was repaired.
• What problem occurred, what repair was done, when it was done and who repaired it.
• The total cost of the repair expense that is being claimed.
• Proof of payment of repair (copy of front and back of cancelled check, or copy of credit card receipt).
• Reimbursement will be made by check from your dealer. If your claim is denied you will receive a letter from MBUSA within 60 days of receipt with the reason(s) for the denial.

Please speak with your dealer concerning this matter. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

 

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TO: Mercedes-Benz Dealer Principals, General Managers, Sales Managers, Service Managers, Parts Managers	FROM:  Gregory Gunther, Department Manager, Vehicle Compliance and Analysis, Engineering Services
RE: Recall Campaign Initial Notification Passenger Occupant Classification System “OCS” DetectionMY15-18 117 (CLA-Class)	DATE: December 21, 2019

 

IMPORTANT RECALL CAMPAIGN INFORMATION

Please see the attached documents related to the campaign listed above.

 

Please note that all customer inquiries should be directed to the Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-FORMERCEDES.

 

Sincerely,

Gregory Gunther

Department Manager, Vehicle Compliance & Analysis

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Campaign No. :	NHTSA ID	Campaign Desc. :	Passenger OCS Detection
TBA	19V892	19P2197194
This is to notify you of a new Recall Campaign regarding the passenger occupant classification system “OCS” detection in 129 Model Year (“MY”) 2015-2018 CLA-Class (117 platform) vehicles. The recall campaign will be visible on the www.safercar.gov website and may generate questions from customers. Affected VINs will be flagged in VMI as “PENDING” on December 21, 2019.
Background
Issue		Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain MY15-18 CLA-class (117 platform) vehicles, the calibration of the Occupant Classification System (OCS) for the front passenger seat might not meet current production specifications. If the OCS is not calibrated according to production specifications, an installed child seat might be classified as an occupant, or a small and light occupant might be classified as a child seat. Therefore, the passenger airbag might be activated despite a mounted child seat. Conversely, the front passenger airbag might be deactivated despite an occupant sitting on the front passenger seat. Both cases would increase the risk of injuries to the passenger in case of a crash necessitating an airbag deployment.
What We’re Doing		MBUSA will conduct a voluntary recall. An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer, will replace the passenger seat cushion on the affected vehicles.
Parts		A remedy is not yet available. An additional notification will be sent once a remedy is available.
Vehicles Affected
Vehicle Model Year(s)		2015-2018
Vehicle Model		CLA-Class
Vehicle Populations
Total Recall Population		129
Total Vehicles in Dealer Inventory		0
Given this notice, it is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to sell or lease any new MY15-18 CLA-Class vehicles in dealer inventory covered by this notification until the vehicle has been repaired.  Once the remedy is available, the vehicles will be flagged as “OPEN” and Work Instructions will be available in Star TekInfo.  Once the repair is complete the vehicle may be sold or leased. Loaner and demonstrator vehicles may continue to be driven, but must not be retailed until repaired.  Additionally, given this notice, it is a violation of Federal Law for car rental companies to rent MY15-18 CLA-Class vehicles covered by this notification until the vehicle has been repaired.
Next Steps/Notes
Customer Notification Timeline		Customer letter will be mailed approximately one week after the remedy becomes available.
AOMS/SOMS		AOMs – This recall may generate questions from your dealers. Please forward this notice to your dealers ASAP.
Rental Fleet Partners		This recall may affect vehicles in your fleet. Please contact your respective MBUSA fleet representative for further information and next steps. For repairs, please contact your preferred MBUSA dealer.
While we regret any inconvenience this may cause, MBUSA is determined to maintain a high level of vehicle quality and customer satisfaction. Please refer all customer inquiries to the Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES.

 

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IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL
This INTERIM notice applies to your vehicle, VIN:
Passenger Occupant Classification System Detection
NHTSA Recall #19V892

 

February, 2020

Dear Mercedes-Benz Owner,

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

Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain Model Year (“MY”) 2015-2018 CLA-Class (117 platform) vehicles. Our records indicate that your vehicle is included in the affected population of vehicles.

 

What is the Concern?

MBAG has determined that on certain MY15-18 CLA-class (117 platform) vehicles, the calibration of the Occupant Classification System (“OCS”) for the front passenger seat might not meet current production specifications.  If the OCS is not calibrated according to production specifications, an installed child seat might be classified as an occupant, or a small and light occupant might be classified as a child seat.  Therefore, the passenger airbag might be activated despite the presence of a mounted child seat.  Conversely, the front passenger airbag might be deactivated despite an occupant sitting on the front passenger seat. Both cases would increase the risk of injuries to the passenger in case of a crash.

An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer will replace the passenger seat cushion on the affected vehicles.  Unfortunately, the parts to remedy this issue are currently not yet available.

We are working to obtain the necessary parts as quickly as possible.  As parts become available, we will send you another letter asking you to take your vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer to have the recall completed free of charge.

Should you have any concerns or questions regarding your vehicle before you receive the next recall letter when parts are available, please contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer.  If for any reason a dealer is unable to resolve your question or concern, we are always happy to hear from you.  Please contact us at 1-800-367-6372.  A new vehicle identification number (VIN)based recall lookup tool, on our MBUSA.com website, now offers a search function that will indicate whether a vehicle has been subject to a safety recall, and whether that vehicle has had the free remedy performed.  Please visit www.MBUSA.com/recall.

If you are no longer the vehicle owner, or have a change of address, please complete the reverse side of this letter and return the complete letter in the enclosed envelope.  If this is a leased vehicle and the lessor and registered owner receive this notice, please forward this information by first class mail to the lessee within 10 days to comply with federal regulations.

If a Mercedes-Benz dealer for any reason is unable to remedy the situation without charge, or within a reasonable amount of time, pursuant to law 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301, you may submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20590 or call the toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153); or go to https://www.safercar.gov.

We regret any inconvenience this situation may cause you.

Sincerely,

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
A Mercedes-Benz AG Company
One Mercedes-Benz Drive
Sandy Springs, GA  30328
Phone (770) 705-0600

 

IMPORTANT VIN:               

If for any reason YOU NO LONGER OWN THIS VEHICLE OR have a CHANGE OF ADDRESS, please COMPLETE THE SECTION BELOW, place in the ENCLOSED ENVELOPE, and DROP IN ANY MAIL BOX. If possible, provide the name and address of the present owner so that we may contact them.

 

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Mercedes-Benz Part 573 Submission
Original Submitted to Portal December 13, 2019
Chronology-Only section
Supplement to Original Submission

 

Chronology of Defect/Noncompliance Determination

In September 2019, MBAG’s product regulation team became aware of a supplier’s report from

November 2017, which was believed to be related to a recall already decided in August 2018 (18V-514). The report states that a software change had been made earlier in November 2017. This software change related to the calibration of the occupant classification system on seats provided by that supplier. The supplier reported that within its facilities, a seat is placed into a Force Application Machine (FAM), which determines the correct calibration for the seat based on the seat variant and various physical dimensions. There was a possibility that if a seat had been rejected or if the calibration was incomplete, the FAM would nonetheless retain the information relevant to that seat and apply it to the following seat, which could be of a different seat variant, therefore causing a wrong calibration. In the thorough analysis of the report, it became apparent that it had a different root cause than the recall conducted in 2018. After confirming that the 2018 recall did not involve the same vehicle population, MBAG promptly investigated the potential impact of the FAM calibration concerns. This included the extent to which the passenger airbag status displays were accurately capturing the occupancy status of the potentially affected seats and the extent to which seats may have received an accurate calibration even if the calibration was set for the previous seat in the FAM.  MBAG has received no reports of any field incidents – including customer complaints, warranty claims or field reports – either in the US or abroad, suggesting that the airbag status display was not accurately reflecting the occupancy status of passenger seats.

On December 6, 2019, MBAG determined that a safety relevance could not be ruled out and decided to conduct a global recall with regard to vehicles potentially impacted by the FAM calibration concerns, which includes 129 vehicles in the US market.

 

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6 Affected Products

Vehicles

MAKE	MODEL	YEAR
MERCEDES-BENZ	CLA250	2015-2018
MERCEDES-BENZ	CLA45 AMG	2017-2018

 

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13 Associated Documents

Recall 573 Report – Amendment 2

RCLRPT-19V892-1873.PDF 218.207KB

 

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ISSUED Interim Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RIONL-19V892-7388.pdf 148.719KB

 

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Recall 573 Report – Amendment 1

RCLRPT-19V892-9155.PDF 217.378KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc) – Recall Campaign Initial Notification Passenger Occupant Classification System “OCS” Detection

RCMN-19V892-7657.pdf 168.96KB

 

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Chronology

RMISC-19V892-9129.pdf 66.449KB

 

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Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-19V892-8966.pdf 244.577KB

 

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Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-19V892-5946.PDF 217.4KB

 

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ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-19V892-0999.pdf 214.975KB

 

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Recall 573 Report – Amendment 4

RCLRPT-19V892-5929.PDF 218.209KB

 

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Remedy Instructions and TSB

RCRIT-19V892-0102.pdf 157.334KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- Recall Campaign Launch Notification Passenger OCS Detection

RCMN-19V892-3157.pdf 256.208KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2020-3

RCLQRT-19V892-8766.PDF 211.131KB

 

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Recall 573 Report – Amendment 3

RCLRPT-19V892-9313.PDF 218.208KB

 

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Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=19V892&docType=RCL

 

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