1998 Chevrolet Blazer

I HAVE A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER (LAST 8 OF VIN W2121658) THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENT LEVELS DO NOT WORK. THE HIGH LEVEL OF THE WIPERS WILL WORK FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME AND THEN STOP. I WANT TO MAKE A COMPLAINT BECAUSE SEVERAL OTHER YEARS OF THIS SAME MODEL HAVE HAD A RECALL BUT THIS YEAR AND VIN DO NOT HAVE A CURRENT RECALL ON THEM. *AK

MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD TO MAKE MAJOR REPAIRS TO OUR 1998 BLAZER. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP ($294.55) IN OCTOBER 2002. THEN, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND GOT WORSE. WE TOOK IT TO AAMCO, WHERE WE WERE INFORMED THAT IT HAD TO BE REBUILT. THIS WAS IN JULY OF 2002. THE TOTAL COST WAS ($2077.37). I INQUIRED THAT SAME MONTH AT CHEVROLET ABOUT RECALLS, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE NONE. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS MINOR PROBLEMS WITH THE LAME SUV, INCLUDING BROKEN RECLINER HANDLES, STEERING THAT PULLS AND GRINDS, AND A MALFUNCTIONING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (CLICKING SOUNDS FROM UNDER THE GLOVE BOX, THREE BATTERIES REPLACED). I SAW A REPORT LAST WEEK ABOUT THE USE OF DEXCOOL AND ITS POSSIBLE LINK TO PROBLEMS IN GM VEHICLES. ARE THERE ANY REMEDIES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME? *AK

DURING THE FIRST RAINSTORM SINCE I BOUGHT MY USED BLAZER, MY FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER DIDN'T WORK WHEN TURNED ON. AFTER REPEATEDLY TURNING THE SWITCH ON AND OFF, THE WIPER FINALLY WORKED AT HIGH SPEED ONLY. AFTER A WHILE, IT WORKED AT LOW SPEED AND INTERMITENT SPEED. THEN WHILE IN THE INTERMITENT SPEED POSITION, THE WIPER WORKED IN LOW SPEED ONLY. WHEN SWITCHED OFF, THE WIPER DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY STOP. SINCE THE RAINSTORM, THIS PROBLEM WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE WIPER EITHER WORKING CORRECTLY OR MALFUNCTIONING. I REMOVED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER PULSE CONTROL MODULE FROM THE WIPER MOTOR, EXAMINED THE CIRCUIT BOARD, AND FOUND EIGHT CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS. I RESOLDERED THE DEFECTIVE SOLDER JOINTS AND REINSTALLED THE MODULE INTO THE WIPER MOTOR. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER HAS WORKED CORRECTLY SINCE MY REPAIR. THE DESIGN OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD IS POOR. THESE FAILURES OCCURRED AT STRESS POINTS. APPARENTLY NO ACCOMMODATION WAS MADE TO MECHANICALLY SECURE THE LEADS TO THE CIRCUIT BOARD BEFORE THE LEADS WERE SOLDERED. INSTEAD, SOLDER WAS USED TO BOTH MECHANICALLY SECURE THE LEADS TO THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND ELECTRICALLY PROVIDE THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY REQUIRED. TO EXACERBATE THIS SITUATION, NOT ENOUGH SOLDER WAS USED AT THESE JOINTS. THE PREVIOUS OWNER TOLD ME THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER OPERATED ERRATICALLY, BUT IT HAPPENED AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THE ERRATIC OPERATION WAS NOT SO BAD THAT HE WAS OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT IT. IT IS A FACT THAT CRACKS ON DEFECTIVE SOLDER JOINTS WIDEN WHEN SUBJECTED TO STRESS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. THIS HAS BEEN AN IDENTIFIED SAFETY PROBLEM IN GENERAL MOTORS' 1994 TO 1997 PICKUPS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND VANS.