NHTSA Complaint #10082817 — 1997 GMC SUBURBAN

WHILE DRIVING A 1997 GMC SUBURBAN AT NIGHT IN THE RAIN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT NOTICE. IT RESULTED IN A VERY URGENT AND PANICY STOP ON I96 FROM HIGHWAY SPEED IN RELATIVELY LIGHT TRAFFIC. WE WAITED A FEW MINUTES BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEY RESTARTED ON THEIR OWN. I CALLED THE CORPORATION CUSTOMER SERVICE AND GOT NOWHERE. I WROTE A LETTER THINKING IT WOULD GET ACTION (DEC 1, 2003). I GOT A RESPONSE THAT BASICALLY SAID THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN RECALLED FOR THE PROBLEM AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. THIS IS ALL NEWS BECAUSE WE PURCHASED THIS TRUCK IN JULY OF 2003. THE SERVICE MANAGER, ELIZABETH NAVARRO, SUGGESTED I GO BACK TO THE DEALER FOR ADDITIONAL EVALUATION. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT EVALUATE IF THE SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONING. SO THE FIRST TIME IT FAILED NEAR THE DEALER WAS YESTERDAY,7/27/04. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS AN AFTERMARKET MODULE (THE COMPONENT THAT EVERYONE AGREES IS FAILING) ON THE VEHICLE AND THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING. HERE IS MY CONCERN, I AM SOMEWHAT MECHANICALLY INCLINED AND UNDERSTAND THAT I OWN A VEHICLE THAT HAS NOW FAILED AT LEAST TWO MODULES, POSSIBLY THREE, AND IT IS AT MOST EIGHT YEARS OLD WITH 80,000 MILES ON IT. IN TALKING WITH OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS OF SIMILAR AGE AND BRAND I AM TOLD THIS IS COMMON. EVERONE AT GM AND THE DEALERS TALK ABOUT A COMPONENT FAILURE. THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A SYSTEM FAILURE. THE DESIGN IS FAILING. NAMELY THEIR RECALL FIX NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. MY OBVIOUS QUESTION TO YOU IS WHAT TYPE OF FOLLOW UP DO YOU DO AFTER A RECALL HAS BEEN EXECUTED? DO YOU PERFORM ANY STATISTICAL ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE EFFECTIVENESS? MAY I HAVE COPIES OF THOSE STUDIES? BELIEVE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE A MANDATORY COMPONENT. I BELIEVE IF MY WIFE WERE DRIVING THAT NIGHT (OR MY MOTHER) THE PROBABILITY THE THE TRUCK COMING TO A SAFE STOP WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH LESS.*AK