NHTSA Complaint #739446 — 2000 CHEVROLET TRACKER

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE WIPER MATERIAL SELECTED BY GMC IS NOT SUITABLE FOR USE IN COLD WEATHER AREAS. IN ADDITION, I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH MY GMC 1996 YUKON. DURING COLD WEATHER THE WIPER BLADE MATERIAL TAKES THE SHAPE OF THE WINDSHIELD IN ITS REST POSITION. IF YOU DRIVING ALONG AFTER A SNOW STORM WITH CHEMICALS ON THE ROAD AND THE ROAD HAS SLUSH OR SIMPLY WATER ON IT AND A VEHICLE PASSES YOU (GOING IN EITHER DIRECTION) AND THROWS SLUSH OR DIRTY WATER UP ON YOUR WINDSHIELD YOU ARE BLINDED UNTIL YOU GET THE WIPERS ON. HOWEVER, THESE WIPERS DON'T HELP, IN FACT THEY MAKE THINGS WORSE. AS THE WIPERS MOVE OVER THE WINDSHIELD THEY MAINTAIN THEIR AT REST CONFIGURATION AND RIDE ON THE END POINTS OF THE WIPERS. TURNING ON THE WINDSHIELD WASHER DOES NOT HELP SINCE THE WIPER BLADE DOES NOT TOUCH MOST OF THE WINDSHIELD. SO NOW YOU ARE DRIVING ALONG TOTALLY BLIND. I ASKED THE DEALER TO PUT ON GM BLADES SUITABLE FOR WINTER CONDITIONS. HIS RESPONSE WAS THEY DON'T MAKE ANY. I TOLD HIM HOW THE GM WIPERS DON'T WORK. EVIDENTLY IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE FEEL BETTER HE TOLD ME HE HAD TO STOP TWICE ON THE WAY TO WORK THAT TO "HAND WORK" HIS WIPERS SO THAT THEY CLEANED THE WINDOW. HE INFORMED ME THAT GM KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND RATHER THAN MAKE ALL WEATHER WIPERS THEY DECIDED TO MAKE WIPERS THAT MOST OF THE TIME IN A LARGE AREA OF THE COUNTRY!!!! WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED GREATER THAN 5 MILES AN HOUR AND YOU CAN NO LONGER SEE THE ROAD YOU ARE IN A DEATH TRAP AND POSE A RISK OF INJURY TO OTHERS.*AK