NHTSA Complaint #11098812 — 2012 GMC TERRAIN

DRIVING ON I-85 @ 65 MPH IN MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN EXTREMELY HEAVY DOWNPOURS BEGAN. I TURNED ON WIPERS TO FULL SPEED THEY SWIPED 3 TIMES THEN STOPPED WORKING. THE DRIVER SIDE BLADE WENT BEYOND THE WINDOW EDGE AND STOPPED, WITH BOTH BLADES IN A VERTICAL POSITION. I IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL VISIBILITY. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HWY, WAITED 30 MINUTES FOR THE RAIN TO STOP. DROVE TO A AAA CAR CARE CENTER WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED A BLOWN WIPER TRANSMISSION (MOTOR). COST $501 TO REPAIR. THE 2013 HAS A RECALL FOR THE WIPERS IN THE U.S., CANADA HAS A RECALL FOR 2010-2017 FOR THE WIPERS. GMC CLAIMS MY VEHICLE IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS NOT MADE IN THE SAME FACTORY WITH THE SAME PARTS AS THE VEHICLES PART OF THE RECALL (EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE STICKERS ON THE INSIDE DOOR TOUTING ITS CANADIAN LINEAGE). THEY ALSO CLAIM THAT BECAUSE I HAD IT FIXED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THERE IS NO WAY TO SAY FOR SURE THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A DEFECT...I GUESS THEY EXPECTED ME TO TAKE MY CHANCES AND TRY TO BEAT THE RAIN TO A GMC DEALER RATHER THAN THE CLOSEST SHOP. THE AAA MECHANIC HIMSELF SAID THIS WAS EXTREMELY RARE TO HAVE A WIPER MOTOR FAILURE UNLESS I LIVED UP NORTH AND FREQUENTLY CLEARED THE WEIGHT OF SNOW AND ICE OFF MY WINDSHIELD WITH THE WIPERS. I HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ONLINE IN THE U.S. FOR WIPER MALFUNCTIONS ON THE 2012 GMC TERRAIN. I COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON A MAJOR HWY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IN THE POURING RAIN. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED IN THE U.S. AND THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY HAD REPAIRS NEED TO BE REIMBURSED.