1996 GMC C/K SERIES — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

RE: INVESTIGATION ACTION #EA05-007, "TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES". PLEASE INCREASE VEHICLE RANGE BACK TO AT LEAST 1996. MY TAILGATE CABLES HAVE BROKEN AS WELL. *JB

WHEN SLOWING DOWN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES KICK IN. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE WHEEL BEARING. THE CONNECTION GETS CORRODED. I HEARD THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS ON NEWER VERSION. *JB

THE NHTSA DOCUMENTED AND ISSUED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 98V150001. THIS CAMPAIGN IDENTIFED SEVERAL GM LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS & SUV'S THAT HAD SOLDER JOINTS NEAR THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR THAT COULD CRACK AND CAUSE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. I OWN A 1996 GMC SIERRA 3/4 TON 4X4 TRUCK VIN # [XXX]. THE VEHICLE HAS 65,324 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THIS VEHICLE QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A SEVERE RAIN STORM. WHILE SITTING ALONG SIDE THE ROAD FOR AN HOUR THE WIPERS BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN. I THOUGHT I HAD A DEFECT WIPER MOTOR AND STOP AT THE FIRST PARTS STORE TO REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR. AFTER INSTALLING THE "REBUILT" WIPER MOTOR, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. WHEN I CONTACTED THE LOCAL CHEV. DEALER -CENTURY CHEV., BROOMFIELD, CO....THEY STATED THERE WERE NO "RECALLS" ON MY VEHICLE IN REGARDS TO THIS ISSUE.......WHICH IS TRUE BECAUSE THE NHTSA RECALL # 98V15001 COVERED ONLY GMC VEHICLES WITH VIN #[XXX] THRU [XXX]. SINCE MY VIN #[XXX] FALLS OUTSIDE THIS RANGE, I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS DEFECT IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR AND THE "WINDSHIELD WIPER PULSE CONTROL MODULE" MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. I WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY NOTIFY THE NHTSA THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED DEFECT 1) FALLS OUTSIDE THE RANGE OF VIN # SPECIFIED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 96V057000 AND THAT "DO-IT-YOURSELFERS" LIKE ME ARE RETURNING DEFECTIVE WIPER MOTOR WITH "WIPER PULSE CONTROL MOTORS"/MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARDS AND THEY ARE BEING "RECONDITIONED" WITHOUT THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MOTOR CURCUIT BOARDS CAUSING THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE TO OCCUR. THERE ARE TWO ISSUES THAT I WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA TO ADDRESS: 1) DETERMINE IF OTHER GM VEHICLE OWNERS LIKE MYSELF, THAT ARE BEYOND THE "VIN #[XXX] THRU [XXX]" , HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD" FAILURES AND 2) INSURE THAT ANY COMPANY THAT IS IN THE REBUILDING OF SAID DEFECTIVE WIPER MOTOR INCLUDE THE REPLACEMNT OF THE "CIRCUIT BOARDS" OR THE SAME PROBLEM WILL OCCUR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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