NHTSA Complaint #10182400 — 2007 BUICK LUCERNE

WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER SAFETY COMPLAINT: I HAVE A NEW 2007 LUCERNE AND I JUST USED IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A SNOWFALL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER IS AIMED ABOVE THE WIPER BLADES, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE IS NO DEFROSTING OF THE WINDSHIELD BELOW THE WIPER BLADES. AS THE SNOW IS WIPED DOWNWARDS FROM THE WINDSHIELD BY THE BLADES, IT RESULTS IN THE FORMATION OF A LARGE CLUMP OF ICE FORMING IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE WIPERS, TO WHICH THE WIPERS THEN FREEZE SOLID TO THE ICE. SINCE THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER IS AIMED ABOVE THE WIPER BLADES, THE ICE CANNOT MELT! THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION, BECAUSE THE WIPER BLADES THEN GET COATED WITH ICE, FREEZE TO THE WINDSHIELD AND WILL NOT DEFROST WHILE THEY ARE IN THEIR PARKED POSITION BECAUSE THE DEFROSTER IS AIMED ABOVE THIS PARKED POINT. IN FACT, MY FRIEND WHO ALSO AN IDENTICAL LUCERNE, JUST EXPERIENCED THE SUDDEN BREAKAGE OF THE WASHER FLUID LINE ON THE WIPER BLADE WHEN THE WIPER BROKE FREE OF THIS ICE MASS. THIS IS POOR DESIGN FOR SURE AND A REAL SAFETY HAZARD! *JB