NHTSA Complaint #761285 — 1998 BUICK CENTURY

IN SUDDEN DOWNPOUR (APPROACHING TORNADO) OUTSIDE OF NASHVILLE THIS A.M. VISIBILITY WAS SEVERLY REDUCED WITH WIPERS ON LOWER SETTING. WHEN WIPERS TURNED TO HIGH TO INCREASE VISIBILITY WIPERS LOCKED AND STRIPPED, FORCING DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE AND WAIT FOR THE RAIN TO STOP. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS IN MARCH 2001 - RIGHT AFTER PURCHASING THE USED VEHICLE. WE ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN AT INTERSTATE SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. THE WIPERS LOCKED TOGETHER AND THE MECHANISM STRIPPED THE RIGHT WIPER SO THAT IT WOULD NO LONGER FUNCTION. UPON RESUMING DRIVING WITH JUST THE LEFT WIPER, THE LEFT WIPER THEN PROCEEDED TO GO OFF THE WINDSHIELD ENTIRELY AND DRIVER HAD TO PULL OFF THE ON THE SIDE TO TIGHTEN BOLT. THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE REMEMBERED THE FIRST INCIDENT AND NEVER USES THE HIGHER WIPER SETTINGS SO HAS NOT INCURRED ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE AUXILIARY DRIVER, MYSELF, HAD FORGOTTEN THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM. NOT BEING ABLE TO USE THE HIGHEST SETTING MAKES FOR DANGEROUS VISIBILITY IN HEAVY RAIN THOUGH AND THE DESIGN OF THE WIPER OPERATION SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS EVEN BEING ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE IS SEVERELY HAMPERED. *AK