Defect Involved

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1996 Buick Skylark and Oldsmobile Achieva vehicles. During deployment of the passenger air bag, the air bag fabric may snag on a reinforcement inside the instrument panel, causing the expanding bag to lift the instrument panel pad and then deploy under the instrument panel pad instead of through the door in the instrument panel. The reinforcement may also fracture. In a crash, the front seat passenger could receive more severe injuries if he or she contacts a broken reinforcement or if the snagging affects the deployment of the bag.

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, dealers are to inspect I/P pads and, if necessary, install a plastic edge protector to the instrument panel pad reinforcement. On certain early-production vehicles, the instrument panel pad will be replaced.