NHTSA Complaint #10918780 — 2010 GMC TERRAIN

I WAS DRIVING IN A HEAVY RAINSTORM AT NIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. SUDDENLY, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED MOVING. I HAD NO VISIBILITY OUT MY FRONT WINDSHIELD, AS A SHEET OF WATER LAY ON THE GLASS, WITH THE GLARE WORSENED BY THE HEADLIGHTS OF ONCOMING VEHICLES. I WAS ON A NARROW STATE ROAD WITH NO SHOULDERS (A GUARDRAIL ON ONE SIDE, MATURE TREES ON THE OTHER), WITH NO SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER. THE WIPERS WOULD NOT OPERATE IN ANY SETTING (HIGH, LOW, INTERMITTENT). THE NEXT DAY, DURING THE DAYLIGHT, I OBSERVED THAT I COULD MANUALLY 'FREEWHEEL' THE WIPER ARMS. WHILE I COULD HEAR THE WINDSHIELD MOTOR TURNING, THE WIPER ARMS THEMSELVES APPEARED TO BE NO LONGER LINKED/TETHERED TO THE WIPER MOTOR. TWO DAYS LATER, THE GMC DEALER INFORMED ME THAT MY "WIPER TRANSMISSION WAS BROKEN". WHILE THE REPAIR COST ME $372, MY BIGGER CONCERN IS THAT THIS INCIDENT EASILY FALLS WITHIN THE TOP 3 MOST HORRIFYING EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE....DRIVING ALONE, AT NIGHT, IN THE RAIN, AND SUDDENLY A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF BOTH WIPERS, LEAVING ME UNABLE TO SEE OUT MY FRONT WINDSHIELD, WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND NOWHERE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. *TR