1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

WINDSHIELD WIPER DEFECT: WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO OPERATE CORRECTLY, OR AT ALL, DURING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THIS EQUIPMENT FAILURE PUTS A DRIVER AND ALL PASSENGERS AT RISK OF HARM DUE TO INHIBITED VISIBILITY. HAVE HAD TO SUDDENLY CHANGE LANES ON HIGHWAY DURING HEAVY RAIN, PULL OFF, STAND ON EDGE OF DOOR TRIM WITH TRAFFIC DRIVING BY, AND PUSH THE WIPERS MANUALLY UP AND DOWN TO GET THEM WORKING AGAIN. SOMETIMES I WILL HAVE TO OPEN THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK, PUSH THE FUSE TIGHT, PUSH THE WIPERS TO START THEM, AND THEN GO. OUR 1996 CHEVY SUBURBAN WAS RECALLED DUE TO A WINDSHIELD WIPER DEFECT, THEY HAVE WORKED FINE SINCE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER COMPONENT WAS REPLACED.. I HAVE CONTACTED OUR LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP TWICE TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER DEFECT REPAIRED ON THE 1997 C1500 TRUCK. SINCE THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID NOT DO IT WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, AND THE VIN NUMBER ON THE TRUCK DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL ( THE SERVICE MANAGER PULLED UP THE RECALL AND CHECKED THE VIN NUMBER OF OUR TRUCK AGAINST THE NUMBERS ON THEIR LIST ON 08/06/2011 AT 12:20 P.M.), THEY WILL NOT REPLACE IT. THIS IS BECAUSE, AS IT IS NOW NOT UNDER WARRANTY, THEY WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED BY GM, REGARDLESS OF MY REMINDING THEM THAT NOT REPLACING IT REMAINS A SAFETY RISK TO THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS BEGAN IN 2001. SINCE OUR SON IS GOING TO GET HIS LICENSE, AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE TRUCK, I WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE HIS VEHICLE IS A SAFE ONE. IF I HAD KNOWN WHERE TO FILE A COMPLAINT REGARDING THIS MATTER, I WOULD HAVE DONE THIS 8 YEARS AGO. THE DEALER TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, EXCEPT REPLACE THE PART. *TR

VERY SIMILIAR TO GM RECALL NO. 03023, NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V159000. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO OPERATE ON RANDOM INTERMITTEN OCCASIONS. THIS FAILURE OCCURS RANDOMLY AND WITHOUT ANY LEADING INDICATORS. THE FAILURE OCCURS IN THE EVENT WHEN FUNCTIONALITY OF THE WIPERS ARE MOST NEEDED AND HENCE IT EFFECTS THE VISIBILITY OF THE DRIVER DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. THERE SEEMS TO BE A SHORT IN THE IN THE WIPER CIRCUIT MODULE DUE TO CRACK/STRUCTURE FAILURE OF THE PCB (PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD). THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THIS SAME ISSUE HOWEVER ON THE SAME VEHICLE BUT ONLY KNOWN FAILURE VIN, NOT ALL VEHICLES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET K1500. UPON CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER TO INQUIRE ABOUT NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V159000, VISIBILITY, WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER, HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE RECALL COULD NOT BE PERFORMED ON HIS VEHICLE DUE TO THE MANUFACTURER NO LONGER HAVING RECALL DATA RECORDS. THE RECALL WAS REPORTED BY THE MANUFACTURER APRIL 28, 2003. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 114,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET K1500. THE CONTACTED STATED THAT THE FAILURE SHE IS EXPERIENCING IS RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V159000 (VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER). ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2008, WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH IN THE RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK. WHEN HE ARRIVED HOME, HE LIFTED THE HOOD, MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS, AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH DURING A HEAVY RAINSTORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER OR A MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED IN THE CONTACT'S GARAGE SINCE THE LAST FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY ON HER VEHICLE. SHE WOULD HAVE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, OPEN THE HOOD, STRIKE THE WIPER MOTOR WITH A HAMMER OR PLACE SOMETHING UNDER IT FOR IT TO FUNCTION AT ALL. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 152,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO USE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, BUT THEY WOULD NOT WORK. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANUALLY MOVE THE WIPERS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO WORK. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE DRIVER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER EXTENDS HALFWAY OVER THE TOP OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,772 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET C1500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. HE MISPLACED THE NOTICE, BUT WHEN HE TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY STATED THAT HIS VIN DID NOT APPLY TO ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 03/14/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT ACTIVATE OR TURN OFF.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET C1500. THE CONTACT FELT THAT HIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V159000 (VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER). WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED IN THE RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK. HE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND GRABBED THE WIPER ARM BLADE, WHICH CAUSED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO TURN ON AND OFF. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 01-10-08. *KB UPDATED 12/31/07