NHTSA Complaint #753199 — 1997 TOYOTA AVALON

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON I-5 SOUTH OF OLYMPIA WA AT 3:30PM AT 70 MPH IN A DRIVING RAINSTORM. WE WERE IN THE LEFT LANE OF A VERY CROWDED 4 LANE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. SUDDENLY THE WINDHSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED. I TRIED THE WIPER SWITCH WITH NO RESULTS. MY WIFE AND I COULD SEE NOTHING OUT OF THE FRONT AND TRIED TO SLOW DOWN AND WORK OUR WAY TO THE RIGHT SIDE BY LOOKING OUT OF THE BACK WINDOW AND REAR MIRROR. SEVERAL CARS JUST MISSED HITTING US. WHEN WE GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I TRIED TO MOVE THE WIPERS BUT THEY ONLY PULSATED. I FINALLY CONTACTED A TOW TRUCK AND WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL OLYMPIA TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE WIPER TRANSMISSION AND THEY HAD REPLACED QUITE A FEW. THE COST WAS $325.00. I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT I WAS DRIVING MY WIFE'S CAR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND FEEL THAT WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE BEEN IN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ONLY USED WHEN IT RAINS AND THAT IS A BAD TIME FOR THEM TO STOP. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING OR TIME TO PREPARE. I ASKED FOR THE OLD PART. IT IS ENTIRELY STEEL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A PLASTIC/FIBERGLASS BUSHING WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE WIPER MOTOR. THE PLASTIC/FIBERGLASS BUSHING FAILED. AGAIN, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING.*AK