1998 Chevrolet Truck M/L Van

OUR 1998 CHEVY BLAZER WITH 60,000 MILES # 1GNDT13W3W228738 HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE BALL JOINTS. THEY WERE NOT FAIL SAFE. LUCKILY THE CAR WAS ONLY MOVING AT 5 MILES AN HOUR ENTERING A PARKING GARAGE WHEN THE UPPER BALL JOINT ON THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL DISINTEGRATED CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE PART HAD NEVER BEEN LUBRICATED EITHER BY US, THE PREVIOUS OWNER (WE BOUGHT IT OFF A LEASE 2 YEARS AGO) OR EVEN THE CHEVY DEALER WHERE WE HAD THE LAST OIL CHANGE DONE IN AUGUST OF 2003. HAD THIS OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED THERE CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURIES TO US OR OTHER DRIVERS. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF THE BALL JOINTS FAILING - NO UNUSUAL TIRE TREAD WEAR, NO DIFFICULTY STEERING. WE NOTICED WHILE STEERING THAT THE FRONT WHEELS FELT LOOSE, BUT DEALER ASSURED US AT OIL CHANGE IN AUGUST THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. WE HAVE REPLACED ALL 4 BALL JOINTS, HOWEVER THIS PART IS NOT FAIL SAFE. THE SERVICE DEPT. AT CHEVY DEALER SAID THEMSELVES THAT THEY HAVE SEEN MANY BALL JOINT FAILURES NOW THAT THESE CARS ARE GETTING OLDER. ALTHOUGH WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE BALL JOINT NEEDS TO BE LUBRICATED, THE SERVICE DEALER DID NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM, NOR HAD THEY LUBRICATED IT AT THE LAST OIL CHANGE, NOR IS THE PART FAIL SAFE. *JB

INTERMITTENT WIPER FAILURE. THE WIPERS WILL QUIT WORKING FOR A FEW MINUTES TO A HALF HOUR OR MORE AT TIMES. MOVING THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR ON AND OFF OF THE WIPER MOTOR HOUSING A FEW TIMES TEMPORARILY FIXES THE PROBLEM FOR A FEW MINUTES OR A WEEK OR MORE AT TIMES. IT APPEARS THAT THE CONNECTION THERE IS FAULTY. THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER INFORMED ME THAT MY TRUCK IS NOT PART OF THE WIPER FAILURE RECALL. *LA

FOR A PERIOD OF SEVERAL MONTHS THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON MY 1998 CHEVROLET C1500 SILVERADO WOULD QUIT UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE I WAS DRIVING. FINALLY, IN AUG 2003 I WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN DRIVING RAINS WHEN THE WIPERS UNEXPECTEDLY QUIT CAUSES ME TO NARROWLY AVOID HITTING A PEDESTRIAN DUE TO LOSS OF VISIBILITY. I THEN STOPPED AT A CHEVROLET DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT C1500 TRUCKS FROM 1994-1997 HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM DUE TO LOOSE SOLDERING ON THE WIPER MOTOR SWITCH. I WAS FORCED TO SPEND $64 TO REPLACE THIS VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT. BOTH GM AND THE NHTSA ARE NEGLIGENT IN FAILING TO INCLUDE 1998 MODELS IN THIS RECALL. I HAVE CHECKED YOUR SITE AND FIND THAT THE NHSTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM SINCE AT LEAST MAY 2002. I DEMAND A WRITTEN REPLY FROM THE NHSTA EXPLAINING WHY THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECT TO RECALL. ONCE I HAVE YOUR REPLY I WILL FORWARD IT TO THE PRESIDENT, THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION AND MY SENATORS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *LA

HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/NEWS03/GM_WIPERS.HTML PLEASE SEE THE ARTICLE ABOVE REGARDING GM'S RECALL OF 1994-1997 PICKUP TRUCKS WITH A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER MODULE THAT CAUSES THE WIPERS TO STOP WORKING.GM HAS LIMITED THE RECALL OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART FOR VEHICLE UP TO 1997 EVEN THOUGH THE PART IS USED IN 1998 VEHICLES. THIS WEEKEND I ALMOST CRASHED MY 1998 CHEVY 1500 PICKUP WHEN THE WIPERS STOPPED WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND RAIN. I THEN STOPPED AT A CHEVY DEALERS WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE DEFECTIVE PART HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR VEHICLES ONLY UPTO 1997. I THEN HAD TO PAY $67 TO REPLACE THE PART MYSELF.IT WAS ONLY BY LUCK THAT I AVOIDED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS DEFECTIVE PART. GM NEEDS TO MODIFY THIS RECALL TO INCLUDE 1998 AND LATER MODELS THAT USE THIS MODULE.*AK