General Motors will recall the windshield wiper module on 367,808 examples of the two of its SUVs in the United Sates. The campaign will affect the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox with build dates between April 17, 2012, and August 15, 2013. It will also cover the 2013 GMC Terrain with a production period from April 17, 2012 to August 12, 2013.
The ball joints in the windshield wiper module can corrode over time and fall out of the socket. If this happens, it would cause one or both of the wipers to stop operating. The problem could be a major safety issue if the parts fail when it’s raining because the issue could increase the risk of a crash.
GM discovered the issue in these crossovers on December 15, 2015, when a brand quality manager in Canada mentioned the reports of windshield wiper failure to the automaker’s Speak Up For Safety Program. The company opened a formal investigation on March 9, 2016. Warranty data initially showed higher failure rates in Canada data than in the U.S. GM decided to conduct the recall there first, but then more data from the U.S. prompted a safety campaign, too. The firm doesn’t specify whether there are any accidents from these components breaking.
GM says that it still doesn’t know the root cause for the windshield wiper module failures. Therefore, the company can't yet determine how to fix the problem. Until there’s a repair, this is something owners need to watch for. The automaker doesn’t tell the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration when customer notifications would begin, either.
The company is currently working to keep these SUVs fresh by offering special editions of them, but spy shots indicate new generations are on the way. They will likely arrive in 2017 for the 2018 model year, and the pair will possibly be smaller than the vehicles they’ll replace.
Gallery: 2013 GMC Terrain Denali revealed
RECALL Subject : Windshield Wipers may become Inoperative
Report Receipt Date: AUG 04, 2016
NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V582000
Component(s): VISIBILITY
Potential Number of Units Affected: 367,808
All Products Associated with this Recall
Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s)
CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2013
GMC TERRAIN 2013
Details
Manufacturer: General Motors LLC
SUMMARY:
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode and wear over time, possibly resulting in one or both of the windshield wipers becoming inoperative.
CONSEQUENCE:
Inoperative windshield wipers may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
REMEDY:
The remedy for this recall campaign is still under development. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 25302.
NOTES:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Top comments