NHTSA Complaint #10218184 — 1997 GMC JIMMY

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY AT BEST; HAVE BEEN THIS WAY FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW, BUT HAVE BEEN GETTING STEADILY LESS RELIABLE. WIPERS FAILED RECENTLY ON I-35S IN WACO, TX DURING RAIN SHOWER; ANYONE WHO'S DRIVEN THIS STRETCH OF ROAD DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TOLD HOW DANGEROUS A SITUATION THAT WAS. WINDSHIELD WASHERS ARE ONLY PARTIALLY EFFECTIVE (PASSENGER SIDE NOZZLE IS ALMOST TOTALLY INOPERATIVE); THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR APPROXIMATELY 8 YEARS NOW. HAVE TRIED BLOWING OUT LINE/NOZZLE WITHOUT SUCCESSFUL REMEDY; OBVIOUSLY PROBLEM LIES WITH SYSTEM DESIGN AND/OR FLUID PUMP. THIS PROBLEM IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD, AND THE "BEAN COUNTERS" AT GM NEED TO START REALIZING THAT A RECALL IS LESS COSTLY THAN A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT. I UNDERSTAND (FROM PERUSING THIS SITE) THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM. THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECALLS ISSUED WHICH APPLY TO PREVIOUS MODEL-YEAR VEHICLES FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM; OBVIOUSLY THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE 1997 MODELS AS WELL. PLEASE PRESSURE GM TO DO SO BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE BECAUSE THEIR WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL AT A CRITICAL MOMENT. *TR