NHTSA Complaint #11207581 — 2012 GMC TERRAIN

ON SATURDAY, 5/11/19, AT ABOUT 10 PM, WHILE DRIVING ON I-264, AT ABOUT 60 MPH, IN A BAD THUNDERSTORM, THE WIPERS STOPPED WORKING, STOPPING ALL THE WAY UP. THE RAIN WAS SO HEAVY I COULD NOT SEE OUT THE FRONT WINDOW AND SLOWED DOWN AND GRADUALLY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE WITH MY PASSENGER LOOKING OUT FOR THE GUARDRAIL. WHEN THE RAIN LET UP A LITTLE, I REALIZED I WAS PARTIALLY BLOCKING AN ON RAMP AND PULLED FARTHER FORWARD. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS A CAR IN THE TRAVEL LANE COULD HAVE HIT ME (WHEN SLOWING DOWN) OR I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT WHILE BLOCKING THE ON RAMP DURING THIS PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN. WHEN THE RAIN SLOWED MORE, WE DROVE 2 MILES TO THE NEXT EXIT AND PULLED OFF IN A STORE PARKING LOT. I REPLACED THE WIPER FUSE, BUT LATER DISCOVERED WE COULD HEAR THE MOTOR CLICKING BUT THE WIPERS WOULDN'T MOVE. WE HAD TO DANGEROUSLY DRIVE 40+ MILES HOME HOPING THE RAIN WOULD STAY AT A DRIZZLE AND PULLING TO THE SIDE ANY TIME THE RAIN CAME DOWN HARD ENOUGH TO CAUSE VERY LIMITED VISIBILITY. IT TOOK US WELL OVER TWO HOURS TO MAKE THE 40 MILE TRIP HOME. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE RAIN WITH NO WIPERS, BUT WE HAD LITTLE CHOICE SINCE WE SINCE THERE ARE NO REPAIR SHOPS OPEN AT THAT HOUR. UPON GETTING HOME, WE TOOK THE TERRAIN TO OUR LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP TO GET IT FIXED. I WAS TOLD THIS IS VERY COMMON IN TERRAINS AS THERE IS A PLASTIC GEAR IN THE WIPER MOTOR THAT ROUTINELY BREAKS WHEN THE MOTOR IS ON HIGH. THE MECHANIC SAID THE PROBLEM IS SO COMMON THAT THE DEALERS' KEEP THE WIPER MOTOR IN STOCK AND HE COULD GET THE MOTOR (PART) IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT HAVING TO ORDER IT. IF THIS IS TRUE, I'D RECOMMEND A RECALL OF THE WIPER MOTOR AND THAT REPLACEMENT MOTOR CONTAIN A METAL (OR STRONGER) GEAR THAT IS LESS LIKELY TO BREAK WHEN THE MOTOR IS ON HIGH SPEED. BECAUSE YOU CANNOT JUST BUY/REPLACE THE GEAR, THE WHOLE MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED WHICH COST US $278.