NHTSA Complaint #762539 — 1995 CHEVROLET ASTRO

WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN FAILING IN THE SUMMER OF 1997 AND FINELY PROGRESSED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY WOULD NEVER COME ON. I LOVE MY ASTRO AND IT HAS BEEN THE MOST RELIABLE VEHICLE I'VE EVER OWNED, BUT I WOULD HAVE SOLD IT IF I LIVED IN SEATTLE, WA. MY ONLY SAVING GRACE IS THAT I LIVE WHERE IT SELDOM RAINS HARD. 1995 TRUCKS AND/OR SUBURBANS HAD RECALLS FOR INTERMITENT WIPERS DUE TO DEFECTIVE OR INPROPER SOLDER CONNECTIONS, WHICH WOULD CAUSE CONNECTOR FAILURE TO THE MOTOR. SINCE, ASTROS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS, DEALERS (I.E. MORE THAN ONE) TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD ONLY DO THE REPAIRS AT MY EXPENSE. I KNOW MY PROBLEM IS A POOR SOLDER CONNECTION BECAUSE I CAN PUSH IN ON THE WIRES AT THE "PIN" CONNECTOR, LEADING TO THE MOTOR, AND THE WIPER MOTOR WILL BEGIN RUNNING. THE BIGGEST HAZARD IS THAT THE CONNECTION FAILS DURING OPERATION. POOR CONNECTIONS LIKE THESE ARE ALSO FIRE HAZARDS, (P. S. I'M A FIREFIGHTER AND MOST NON-ACCIDENT RELATED VEHICLE FIRES I HAVE BEEN ON ARE DUE TO ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION). ALSO, 65 MPH IN TRAFFIC, IN THE RAIN, IS NOT THE TIME TO JUMP OUT AND START PUSHING ON CONNECTORS TO MAKE MY WIPERS WORK. WITH ALL OF THE FAMILIES RIDING IN ASTROS, I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY RECALL FOR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. I UNDERSTAND THAT NOONE HAS BEEN KILLED YET, BUT JUST BECAUSE ASTROS ARE NOT THE CHOICE OF VEHICLES OF ATTORNEYS AND THE WELL OFF, DOESN'T MEAN THEY SHOULD BE IGNORED. PROACTION IN THIS MATTER SHOULD AND MUST BE TAKEN. THERE ARE 40 COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON THIS WEB SITE. IT IS A SAFE STATISTICAL BET TO MULITPLY THAT (40) BY A CONSERVATIVE NUMBER OF 100 AND YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT 4000+ ASTROS DRIVING WITHOUT RELIABLE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. I BELIEVE THAT IN QUITE A FEW STATES FUNCTIONING WIPERS ARE REQUIRED TO PASS ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTIONS. (WHO PAID FOR THOSE REPAIRS?) WAITING FOR ANOTHER "FIRESTONE" IS WRONG AND NEGLIGENT.*AK