NHTSA Complaint #11298508 — 2013 BUICK ENCLAVE

MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH FAILED. FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. THEY WOULD ONLY ENGAGE WHEN YOU USED THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL. NO OTHER FUNCTION OF THE WIPER MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WOULD WORK. THIS LEFT NO WIPER FUNCTIONALITY UNLESS YOU TURNED RIGHT FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THE INTERMITTENT FUNCTION AND FRONT WINDSHIELD CLEANER BUTTON DID NOT FUNCTION. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY DURING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN MAKING VISIBILITY LITTLE TO NONE UNLESS THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS PHYSICALLY ENGAGED. THIS CONTINUED THROUGH CITY STREETS, TURNING, AND THEN STATIONARY AT A COMPLETE STOP WHERE IT QUIT FUNCTIONING ALL TOGETHER. ALL FUSES TESTED AND CHECKED AND NO FAULTS WERE REPORTED ON THE DRIVER DISPLAY OR FROM OBD CHECK. UPON REPLACEMENT OF MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH (HIGH BEAM, TURN SIGNAL, WIPER SWITCH) IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE 4 PIN WIRE HARNESS (BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW, ORANGE) THAT IS SOLDERED TO THE PCB BOARD HAS ONLY ONE SPOT OF PROTECTION ELECTRICAL TAPE ON THE BACK OF THE UNIT.. AS THE WIRES ROUTE THROUGH THE PLASTIC HOUSING TO THE TURN SIGNAL MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH THEY ARE SUBJECT TO WEAR AND BECOMING SNAGGED BY NORMAL USE OF THE TURN SIGNAL OR HIGH BEAMS. HAVING ZERO PROTECTION OVER THIS WIRING CAUSED THE ORANGE WIRE TO BECOME BRITTLE AND BREAK AWAY FROM THE MODULE. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO HAVE NO WIRE GROMMET PROTECTING SUCH A CRITICAL MOVING PART OF THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONALITY. IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS WAS A CHEAP DESIGN WITH LITTLE TO NO OVERSIGHT. ALL OTHER PLASTIC HOUSING , COPPER CONTACT POINTS AND MOVING PARTS WERE CLEAN AND FREE OF DEBRIS AND HAD SUFFICIENT GREASE TO MOVE PROPERLY. THIS IS A VERY SIMILAR PROBLEM TO COMPLAINT # 14V266000 WHERE MOVING PARTS HAVE CLEARLY NOT HAD PROPER PROTECTION AROUND WIRING OR WIRE HARNESSES.