Federal Role in Traffic Safety, Appendix, December 1966
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FEDERATROIE IN TRAFFICSAFETY HEARINGS BEFOBJ TEE t SUBCOMIIIITTEEON ( EXECUTIVNRBORGANIZATION I OF TEN a COMMITTEEOI{ GOYERI{MENTOPTRATIOI{S UNITEDSTATI]S SENATE EIGHTY-NINTH CONGRESS sEcoND s!)ssroN EQUIPIIENT DEFECTS OR F'AILURES 1S6O4C, INCLUDING COREF,CIION DN'X'ORTS A]{D RECAL], CAIIPAIGNS DECI'MBDR 1966 APPENDIX Printed lo'! tbc ore ol tlre CoEmittee on GlovenDettt OpentioDa U.S, OOVDRIiMENT PRINTINC OtrNICE WASEINOTON : 1967 j t h SENAIIE COT{MITTDE O\ GOVERNIIX]NT OPX]RATIONS* JOIIN IJ. MCCLELI'AN, ATISNSA,E, CIB'M0-O EEIXY nd. JACKSON, Wa8hlDgtor! KARL E. VUND{|, South Dahota SArf J. DRYIN. JR., Nortn Caroltna. CARL lt. CURrIS, NebEst& EIRNEST GRUE\ING, Alaske JACOB K. J{VITS, No\r lort EDMUND S. MUSKIE. Ualne MILVWARD L. SutrPSoN, WyoDtrg ABBAIIAIII RIBICOFF, ComecticUt FRDD lt. gARRlS, Oxlahona ROBIJNT I'. KU\-.NtrDf, NEWYOTK LED lUtTC,lI,lr. rlontrtra JOSD|II M. nO-\_1'OIl, New lI€xtco Jr,MEs R. Crnrpw!.", Ollet OI6k and Atut Dlroot4r Ar.rEoB A. SsaBP, Btot ,'dirot SIJlcoMMtrfF,T oN ExEcutrYE RrroBoaNrz ATlo\ ABRArAlrf BTBICOFII, CotneclTcltt, Cio4ftnarL JOEN L. MCCLELLA-\.., Arkansag JACOB K. JAYI:IS, :Iew YorE ERNDST GRIIENING, Alaska MIL'WARD L, SIMPSOI{, Wyomlrg ROB11RT I'. EENNIjDY, New York CARL !r. CURTIS, Neblaaka FRED R. gABRIS. Oklahom& JOSEPII M. IIONIOYA, Ners Mexlco .ftcDrhrrhin iE.rpJ:.Ll r'i l5 lo lhe 90Ln Coogre8s bJ Lbe qnptiDtmFot of Seoators Er;:-;, wt;hlna, rnd achFr. TeDtressee. to I!e c"mni{ec Bor^b. senatorE.s'.re Su.b- \ seouan ,r rt,t,niur"d in 1l'o -ubromDltt e bX tlle coolrrnan. senalor s'mpsoD enJ uf tbe:rrtL Conarr(s. I L CONTEN TS DOMESTIC CAR MANUFACTURERB P.sc Telegram of Senator -{braham Ribicoff to Gereral NIotors, Ford, Chrysler, t Lrlrd,\rrerican rcducstinc defeci data I t General Motor8 Corp - - - ------- - - - I Ford Motor Co----- Chr3slcr Corp--- - - - AmericsnXlotors Corp---------- --- - 70 Stsr.mpnt of Senator Ribicoff on rplpascof domestic automobile defecl, detrL 78 FOREIGN CAR VANUFACTURERS Lett€r of Senator llibjcolT to foreigDc&r manufactur(.rsrequesting defect da,ta- 79 79 83 a7 89 90 93 94 96 98 10E 109 ltl I13 1:9 t23 t33 t34 13E 144 149 Siat€ment of Senator Il.ibicofr ()4 releaseof foreien ca,! defect dafa- - - - - - - - 152 I a I 1i a NOTE The material in this document concenlins domesticmanufacturers was submitted to the Srrbcomr[ittce on Execntise Reorganization in responseto the requestof the chairman, ancl n'rs releasedto the public and the press on trIay 0, 1966. The naterial on foreiql autonrobiles wes nrepiaredbv the subcommitteein order that dat:t o-f douresticand foroign'man u,h "r rrrers rvould be lert,li Iv cornD'r ra ble. Tecrur.._icalservice bulletins and rciated rnrrteri.rl tr-r.nsmittedto the 5ubcnmmitteel-'v the foreign clr ma:ruh, trrrers and bv .\meri,"ut llotors Cor1,.-a.rohdve been foi#arrled to the Lr.S. Traffic Safety Agencrv, where they available to the public, I'EDERALROLE IN TRAFFICSAX'ETY (Pursuantto S. Res.186, 89th Cong.) U.S. Snrseln, Suscouurtatn oN Encurrvr Rnoncexrz,attorr, Coulrrrrpn oli GovERritrENT-_Ornruttoxs,, W asluington,D,C. Telegram by Senator Ribicofi to General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and American Motors Arnrr, 5, 1966. Would you pleasefurnish me rvith a complete listing of all bulle- tins. notices.and other corrospondenceto your detle.rsor o'rynersrelirt- inq io productor cquipmentdefect or failure sincel960. Havo introduceda mendments to S. 3005requiri -offi"ilng [ur rrre -ubmission of.unlr informationtLr lpproprilte -*orild Federrl l*. forrr co,4rera- t.ionrega rding I his requesi hcrpprec ialcd. AsR-qrre!f, Rmcorr. n a S. Seiator, I I GENERAL MOTORSCORP. i Gnrrner, McrmnsConr., 1 Detroi,t, May 5, 1966. Hon. AsRAE.ru A. Rrsrcorr, I ['.5. '\enatc, Washington, D.C, 1 Dsar Splramn Rrercorr. : You nsked in vour telegram of April 5 for a complete listing of all comlmnications io our deilers or orlners "re- lating to prodnct or eqtipment defect or failure since 1960." IVe understrnd thrt you mean b,r' this r listing o{ all bulletins legnlding t he recnll Ior modification o I l,assettgnr"rtr.. I rm forwarding rritlL this lettcr a listing of 1?1 concction cfolts or "recall ca-mpligns". rvhich occurred orer: the ? moclol verrs begin- ning with 1960. During this period our five domestic crr divr-"rons rrroduced an ir"rernge of 38 seprrate lines per vear. Thcse lines rn- iolved 1,031 difiednt models^and production iotnled more than 23 ! rnillion cars. I shou ld lilie to poinI out that many rccall r:unpri.gns I aro related solelv to tho comforl and conr-enielce o1 thet:ustorner and the efficient opei'ation of the r.ehicte. tr{ost c:rmpaigns irilolved rela- tivelv ferq cars u'hich in some instrnces ner.er le,ft the denhrs' facili- ties dnd were still in their hands at the time of recall. 2 EnDEnar, Ror,E rN TBArTrc gArtsfr 'We regard these campaigns as evidence of General Motors' efiorts to assure lh-cintesril v of its cr rs and the nom-tortand sr fely o f all who usethem and t6 prirsuelhat responsibrJit-yboth beforeand rlter a car is sold. This letier provides an opportuniby for us.to set forth clearly our long-termpolicy and determin:rtjonto insurethe sliisfactory per- torrn:tnc€ot our DrooucLS. At Ceneral-Nlolor.. our policiesand proceduresregarding defects which mav lnpear in our auiomobilesar6 based on the'follorr--rng: tlr It iral i.lsrrs beenrtrd l' lodaf our obiectitpto designand buiid sound. ilurabie. a.nd rclirrble vehicles. Ei-en Lhough oui tech- nol,rgri- frir berierio,lry rlrrn il \rds l,r lcxl's ilgo' rrire:rlizciL is i e|ervcrr I he linei5 r perfecb not n6oilrtc'!1teto ltssurolrr t. ofl -carslrro'ltt,"iion vehi'clc. norv manfacture ptssenqer lhich lverage about 14.000nafls each. l\l'tnt oI theseare movingnrrts su'lr rti rthee]sr briJ<esr'geurs,ralves, pisions, swirches,elecirical componenLs,and other critical items. Il addition to the sreat varietv of models and lines rlreadv men- tioneil. the larse nunibet of options rrrl rccessoriesalrilable to our cuslomcrs"till furiherconrpli,-;rtoc rlre ploblem. lr,is hrrdlJ surpris- ing. under these circunstlnces. thrt imperfecti,,ls somctimes crop unl.r. thel clo cr-cnir' l space{light stste-m\r'her,' the total eflorts of tliousrncls of enginecrs, siientisti, anil technicians are concentrated on a sinEleunit. (2) \Ye establish car',efulqualitr control rnd testing prosrams de- siqnndio pr?renldo|.,1s. TIrese-p"ogl 'rns hngirrin llre r'tlorrfory' ui to 3 oi+ r'elrs btlole nro,luctionof Lrgiven motlel tutoinobileis "ior nnnto"ni. sul,iecfing nurfs lnd assemliliesto & grert r-trie,tv of str.en::ili rncl ,lutrliilitl ieit.. Jn additional tests. prrts to bc eval- ultrri rre in.ornorrlpdin urt,tutvpeclrs rrhich aie IJro||opcrirlcd undt'.r a varietlj of conditicirs at orir proling grortnds rtnr{ on high- ways. Imnediatelv after a mo,lel goe-sinto'pioduction, rrndom ve- hiclcs are sent to oitr proving grouiid at l{iliord, Mich., l'here they are operated night and dav oi'er erery vrriety of road in our 36,000- mile hur,rbilitv'nn. Thii rurr coleis as mrich di:tance in rbout 5 monLhsri t.heaverrqe crr otrner doosin 3 \'nrrq olel erery t.vpeof road. I)r'ising "ondiiions in this iest are much mor.esever€ than Lhe averagemotorist rvould encounter. Nnyorllreless.deferts do mcur. llany are suchthrt they only be- conrcllnDJtentunder ven .plci:rlcondirions-as. {or exlmple.rr one prri.icul,rrIemperature arid hrnri,lily poinl. or whendri|en it onepar- i icrr lr r speodover a cenain typo of roadsu cf:rce. (:l) liisioricrlly we heve iecosnized that l'e bear a responsitrility noi only for searchinc out rctual or Dotentill defectsin our automo- biles-brit also for corr-ectinEtlese deficts at no costto the owner under our pollcvand \\rrrrnly frroglam. \{e, iherefore,colleot continuous infoimatiorrrocrr.lirg-i1," pnrformlnce and rellrlrilitr-of our prod- ucts.noi orrlr ilrrorrghlrborltorv testing.plrnt insnp.tions!Pnqlne€r- inq ,.henlisr n,l pr ten.ivp t e.ls r Lortr proving groundi. brrta)so r irrorlgh communications with our field offce", our de er orglnizations. our surrplilrs,and the osn,'r" ilremselves. 14) Out wurantl progr&m guarante€s that in the event of any failure for rshich tlie company is responsibleduring the ffrst 2 years I.EDERAL nOLE IN TRAtr'FIC SATETY 3 of orvr'ership or 24,000miles of operation. rhichever comesfirst,.the co[r'pr-rion it rt G]t's tslu'nse. Tlris \rrl l:rl)l] lta>been ttt eIei'l stn4e flti;:L'tthen its co.-er'"g" rvrs doublcd frorl itur 1961 warranty of 1 i*'."'u. ii.ooo -iles. Prior to 1961 our written warraniy w&s 90 days br {,000 miles. (Gencrrl l\1,)tom'\rlrrarrl.\ i'oreri lhc cntlle xrlLollro- 611"1',x.epr thc Lires,shich arc rtrrrlnied lr;'tho tiremanullcturer') 15) Finalll. rrhclt rrcdotpri ir P|odu'l [:rilttn'srhlch,In lht'oplr)lon of tlre resnotlribloettgitreeritrg. ll,:Lnulrlcirll lni. :rrld Fnt\'l r gruupst reaulrts I ie,'lll crtrrnrrlgncteir tlr'rrrghllre ' irt5 muy lrale L'ecttirr lhe huirdsof their o$nei; for rnirn.\n','t'th.. "n Irtkc.{teps.!oinsutc that jusl ls r'llJ pos- rpt,r'uprille'Tl,c corr,'clio.trs rre rt;rdc as -outr |15li lh)sl' sil'ln. momenl & defe,:t is discovered.ollr engrneerssei l.o Nork to fird its cause. Next, they detcunine tle 1'r' t|tr.rrmed.v, desrgll any p,rns rhli ntlv be Itc,"e..lti5; rnJ chrnge 1'l',r'luctionie,;ltnilues thlt irrlv L,cintolli,l. If nt'rr pans rro requii*..1Ior lhe crrrcciioll.