1997 GMC Jimmy

I OWN A 1997 GMC JIMMY. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE ALWAYS ONLY WORKED WHEN THEY WANTED TO. NOW, THEY DO NOT WORK AT ALL. I HAVE BEEN DOING SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO ALOT OF THE SAME MODELS. I SEE THERE IS A RECALL FOR 1996 MODELS. WHY NOT THE 1997 MODELS? THE EXACT SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO MY 1997. I NEVER KNEW OR WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS. I WANT THIS REPAIR FIXED AT NO COST TO ME. WHAT CAN I DO? *TR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE NOW DEPENDABLY NON-FUNCTIONAL, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE NEEDED THE MOST (LIKE WHEN IT'S RAINING). THEY ARE INOPERABLE ABOUT 90% OF THE TIME, NOTHING SEEMS ABLE TO COAX THE WIPER SYSTEM BACK INTO OPERATION UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, AND THE VEHICLE'S OPERATOR IS SIMPLE LEFT SOAKING WET AND WHOLLY IRRITATED FOR HIS EFFORTS. IF THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION WHEN THESE FAILURES OCCUR, THE DRIVER MUST NEGOTIATE TRAFFIC LIKE SOME JEDI KNIGHT USING "THE FORCE" BEFORE HE CAN EVEN GET SAFELY PULLED OVER. AND ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THAT'S NO SMALL TRICK! THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM, AND GENERAL MOTORS' SEEMINGLY CAVALIER ATTITUDE ABOUT ADDRESSING IT IS UNACCEPTABLE! THEY HAVE ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED THIS EXACT PROBLEM WITH PREVIOUS MODEL YEAR VEHICLES AND CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE 1997 MODELS; WHY WON'T THEY ISSUE THE SAME BADLY-NEEDED RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES? ARE THEY WAITING FOR THE INEVITABLE TRAFFIC FATALITIES AND SUBSEQUENT CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT...? WHAT WILL GET THESE PEOPLE TO OWN UP TO FAULTY SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON THEIR VEHICLES AND CORRECT IT...? IF GM THINKS EXAMPLES OF THIS SORT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND VEHICLE RELIABILITY IS GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE FLOCK TO THEIR DEALERSHIPS TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS, THEY'RE IN FOR A VERY RUDE AWAKENING...! BIG MYSTERY WHY THEY'RE LOSING MONEY...! *TR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY AT BEST; HAVE BEEN THIS WAY FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW, BUT HAVE BEEN GETTING STEADILY LESS RELIABLE. WIPERS FAILED RECENTLY ON I-35S IN WACO, TX DURING RAIN SHOWER; ANYONE WHO'S DRIVEN THIS STRETCH OF ROAD DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TOLD HOW DANGEROUS A SITUATION THAT WAS. WINDSHIELD WASHERS ARE ONLY PARTIALLY EFFECTIVE (PASSENGER SIDE NOZZLE IS ALMOST TOTALLY INOPERATIVE); THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR APPROXIMATELY 8 YEARS NOW. HAVE TRIED BLOWING OUT LINE/NOZZLE WITHOUT SUCCESSFUL REMEDY; OBVIOUSLY PROBLEM LIES WITH SYSTEM DESIGN AND/OR FLUID PUMP. THIS PROBLEM IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD, AND THE "BEAN COUNTERS" AT GM NEED TO START REALIZING THAT A RECALL IS LESS COSTLY THAN A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT. I UNDERSTAND (FROM PERUSING THIS SITE) THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM. THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECALLS ISSUED WHICH APPLY TO PREVIOUS MODEL-YEAR VEHICLES FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM; OBVIOUSLY THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE 1997 MODELS AS WELL. PLEASE PRESSURE GM TO DO SO BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE BECAUSE THEIR WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL AT A CRITICAL MOMENT. *TR

DT: THE VEHICLE IS A 1997 GMC JIMMY. CONSUMER RECEIVED NOTICE G02054 FROM THE MANUFACTURER, WHICH TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. THERE WAS A CRACKED SOLDER JOINT ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT ALL. THE LETTER STATED THAT IF CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM OR DID NOT BELIEVE HE HAD THIS PROBLEM NOT TO BRING VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AT THAT TIME. HE RECEIVED THE LETTER IN 2-2003. THE PROBLEM STARTED BEFORE HE RECEIVED THE LETTER, AND HE DID NOT KNOW WHY. CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN HE GOT THE LETTER THE PROBLEM STOPPED. SO HE DID NOT HAVE IT FIXED. IT WAS FINE UP UNTIL THE PAST YEAR OR SO. CONSUMER HAD STUCK THE LETTER IN GLOVE BOX WITH OWNERS MANUAL. WHEN HE FOUND THE LETTER HE CALLED GMC AT 1-800-462-8782. THEY TOLD HIM THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THE NOTICE HAD EXPIRED ON 2-2004. THE DEALERSHIP THAT HE PURCHASED VEHICLE FROM WAS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS.*AK *NM

DT: ON 5/24/05 CALLER WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH ON LEVEL GROUND ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE SPARE TIRE FELL OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE CABLE THAT HOLDS THE SPARE ONTO THE VEHICLE BROKE AND ALLOWED SPARE TO BREAK AWAY AND FELL ONTO THE HIGHWAY. *AK THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE CAUSED MANY PROBLEMS IN THE PAST AS WELL. THE WIPERS WOULD START AND STOP UNANNOUNCED AND HAD TO BE REPAIRED AND THE BLINKERS WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF ON THEIR OWN. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE WAS A GENERAL PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE CAR WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED. EACH TIME THE CONSUMER FILLED THE VEHICLE WITH GAS, THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WOULD SMELL LIKE GAS AND FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, THE GAS GAUGE DID NOT WORK. *SC *JB

SITTING IN CAR WITH MOTOR OFF..LIGHTS OFF. BACK WINDOW EXPLODED. WINDOW SHOT UP OVER CAR AND BROKE INTO A MILLION PIECES, WHILE WINDOW STAYED LOCKED. SOUNDED LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF . I WAS SITTING IN PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. POLICE REPORTED TO SCENE. GMC OF FRESNO COULD FIND NO REASON, SAID IT WAS NOT ELECTRICAL. TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER GARAGE..THEY COULD FIND NO REASON EITHER. INSURANCE REFUSES TO REPAIR BECAUSE REPORT STATES NOT CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL. ALSO CAUSED FRONT DASH EQUIPMENT TO MALFUNCTION. VERY, VERY SCARY!! GLASS BLEW OUT EVERYWHERE! *JB

WHEN OWNER SWITCHES THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THEY FAIL TO ENGAGE, NOT OPERATING AT ALL. THIS CAUSES THE DRIVER NOT TO HAVE VISIBILITY. OWNER STATES THE PROBLEM STRAIGHTENS AFTER THE WEATHER IS DRY. OWNER CONTACTED GMC, AND WAS TOLD THAT GMC HAS TAKEN THE RECALL OUT OF THE PARAMETER, ESTABLISHING A TIME LIMIT. SPECIFIC RECALL NOT FOUND. *AK.....CONSUMER ENCLOSED RECALL OF FAULTY WINDSHIELD WIPERS ISSUED ON 05/02/2003. *AK

THE TRUCK I HAVE IS 1997 GMC JIMMY 4X4 SLT MODEL I PURCHASED THE TRUCK IN 2000 KNOWING IT WAS A PRE OWNED VEHICLE FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS THE VEHICLE WAS NICE BUT THE NEXT TWO YEARS I HAVE HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLES SO FAR WITH THIS VEHICLE I HAVE REPLACED 1) IGNITION SWITCH THAT COSTED 700.OO 2) PULLEY 3) ALTERNATOR 4) HEATER CORE 5) COMPRESSOR FOR A/C IS GONE HAVENT REPLACED 6) FUEL PUMP IS GONE HAVENT REPLACED 7)WINSHIELD WIPERS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO USUAL ON CLEAR DAYS BUT WHEN ITS STORMING THEY DONT WORK WHICH HAS RESULTED IN ME GETTING DRENCHED 8) TAILGATE DOENST WANT TO GO UP I HAVE HAD TWO YEARS OF PROBLEMS WITH MY TRUCK AND STILL CONTINE TO DO SO I PURCHASED MY TRUCK WITH 21,252 MI AND I NOW HAVE 70,329 MI I NEED BALL JOINTS WHICH I HAVE NOT REPLACED IN MY OPINION THIS IS THE WORST VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNMED AND I BELIEVE EVER MADE. *AK