Exterior Lighting. Review the 154 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 128 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 115 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports10 fire reports7 injury reports

Exterior Lighting complaints

154 reports

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Mileage unknown · Dec 15, 2010

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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I AM THE PROUD OWNER OF A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK AND LOVE THE VEHICLE SO FOR. HOWEVER AFTER HAVING IT FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS, THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. AN EASY FIX. I REPLACED BOTH BULB AND TWO DAYS LATER, THE DRIVERSIDE STARTED TURNING OFF AND ON BY ITSELF. I'VE NOW REPLACED BOTH BULB TWICE IN 3 MONTHS TIME. I WISH I WOULD'VE RESEARCHED THIS VEHICLE BEFORE I BOUGHT IT. I NOW READ HOW GM IS DOING NOTHING AND THIS IS WRONG. SOMEONE COULD BE SERIOUS INJURED OR DIE FROM A RESULT SUDDEN LIGHT OUTAGE. PLEASE GM HELP US OUT LIKE WE'VE HELPED YOU. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10370800

53,000 miles · Dec 1, 2010

Exterior Lighting

HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS OVERHEATING AND MELTING TO THE BULB, CAUSING LIGHT FAILURE AND NEED OF REPLACEMENT. FAULTY WIRE HARNESS CAUSES BULB TO BURN OUT BEFORE THE BULB LIFE HAS EXPIRED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10368594

42,000 miles · Nov 30, 2010

Exterior LightingFire

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK XR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE HEADLIGHTS WAS MELTING, CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS TO MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUED TO BLOW OUT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 44,290. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000.

NHTSA ODI #10368427

48,500 miles · Nov 27, 2010

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE TODAY AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS HEADLIGHT HAD BURNED OUT AGAIN. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME SINCE 9/18/2010. THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY GM. I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED. DOES GM EVEN KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. BECOMING SCARED TO DRIVE VEHICLE AT NIG…

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NHTSA ODI #10367963

57,658 miles · Nov 15, 2010

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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AS MANY OTHER OWNERS OF 2007 SATURN OUTLOOKS HAVE REPORTED, THE WIRING FOR BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE MELTED, LEAVING ME WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ALL MOTORISTS SINCE THE INCIDENT CAN OCCUR AT NIGHT WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE A MUST. REPLACING THE WIRING HARNESS AND CONNECTOR WITH THE SAME FACTORY WIRING AND CONNECTORS THAT GM SUPPLIES YOU WITH PER THE TSB, IS NOT A CORRECT FIX. THIS WILL LEAD TO A FUTURE FAILURE, AND MELTING WIRING AND PLASTIC COMPONENTS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND GM KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM. THE FACTORY NEEDS TO HAVE A RECALL AND HAVE ALL COMPONENTS UPGRADED TO ONES THAT WILL HANDLE THE VOLTAGE REQUIRED TO RUN THE HEADLIGHTS. I SERIOUSLY HOPE THERE ARE NO FIRES OR ACCIDENTS THAT CAUSE ANY INJURY BEFORE GM DECIDES TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO REPEATEDLY SPEND THEIR MONEY TO MASK A PROBLEM THAT DOES NOTHING BUT COME BACK AT A LATER DATE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10365859

47,000 miles · Nov 13, 2010

Exterior Lighting

2007 OUTLOOK XR AWD - FRONT RIGHT LOW BEAM WIRING HARNESS AND BULB CONNECTOR MELTED AFTER 47,000 MILES. DEALER REPLACED AT COST TO OWNER. A FEW DAYS LATER FRONT LEFT LOW BEAM GOES OUT. SAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10365592

27,000 miles · Nov 6, 2010

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS ON 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK XR MELTS CAUSING FIRE HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10364260

30,000 miles · Oct 24, 2010

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT CONTINUOUSLY DEVELOPS PROBLEMS. FIRST, LIGHT STARTS OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY; THEN, EVENTUALLY FAILS COMPLETELY. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I REPLACED THE BULB (DIFFICULT OPERATION ACCESSED THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL). IT WORKED WELL FOR A FEW WEEKS, THEN FAILED AGAIN. AFTER READING OTHERS' EXPERIENCES, THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED, I INSPECTED THE SOCKET AND SAW VISIBLE CHARRING ON THE CONTACTS. SO, I REPLACED THE SOCKET WITH AN AFTERMARKET PART AND REPLACED THE BULB. IT FUNCTIONED WELL FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS, AND NOW THE HEADLIGHT IS INTERMITTENT AGAIN, LEANING TOWARDS FAILING COMPLETELY AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN INFURIATING BECAUSE THE EXACT ONSET OF THE PROBLEM IS UNPREDICTABLE AND HAS ALREADY CAUSED ME A NYS EQUIPMENT VIOLATION TICKET. PLUS, FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, IT IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD AND CERTAINLY A SAFETY HAZARD AS FAR AS DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH ONLY ONE (OR POSSIBLY NO) FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT(S). I CANNOT CHANGE SOCKETS AND BULBS EVERY 2-3 MONTHS AND AM WORRIED THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS WIRING HARNESS ISSUES. I KNOW SATURN IS OUT OF BUSINESS, BUT WE NEED A SAFETY RECALL TO PROTECT CONSUMERS LIKE ME WHO ARE STUCK WITH AN UNSAFE CAR. THE NEW GM SHOULD PAY FOR A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10362150

42,000 miles · Oct 16, 2010

Exterior Lighting

SATURN OUTLOOK 2007 HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT AND I CANT SEE AT NIGHT. EACH TIME IT COST OVER $600 TO FIX. IT SAID IT IS THE WIRING HARNESS AND IT IS BURNT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS IT CAN CAUSE A FIRE AND NOT TO MENTION LIMITED VISIBILITY TO SEE AT NIGHT! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10360750

66,000 miles · Oct 14, 2010

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior LightingSteering

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AFTER LESS THAN A YEAR OLD, THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ON MY 2007 OUTLOOK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP DID THE NECESSARY REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. IN JULY 2010, I HAD A HEADLIGHT OUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ACCEPTING SATURNS SINCE SATURN HAD NOW CLOSED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE "HEADLIGHT HARNESS" HAD MELTED. I PAID A HEFTY FEE TO HAD THAT REPAIRED. IN OCTOBER 2010, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT HARNESS. THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED NO SUGGESTION ON TO HOW TO KEEP THIS FROM RE-OCCURRING. FURTHERMORE, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE AIR "BLED" FROM THE "CLOSED" POWER STEERING LINE 3 TIMES. ALSO, THE STABILITRAC SYSTEM WILL OCCASIONALLY "TURN ITSELF OFF" CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE POWER ON TURNS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10360585

Official recalls

15V415000 · Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

Jun 30, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.

10V240000 · Electrical System

Jun 4, 2010

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MODEL YEAR 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW REPORTS OF THERMAL INCIDENTS ON HWFS MODULES AFTER THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS INSTALLED. THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED FROM A NEW FAILURE MODE ATTRIBUTED TO THE DEVICE'S THERMAL PROTECTION FEATURE. THE SIGNIFICANCE VARIES FROM MINOR DISTORTION TO CONSIDERABLE MELTING OF THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HWFS FLUID CHAMBER.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

08V441000 · Electrical System

Aug 28, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL, SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WIPER WASHER FLUID SYSTEM. A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WASHER FLUID HEATER MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM, GMC AT 1-866-996-9436; OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

08V410000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

Aug 14, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 88,809 MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE, AND MY 2007-2008 GMC ACADIA AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IF A BUILDUP OF SNOW OR ICE ON THE WINDSHIELD OR ON THE WIPERS RESTRICTS THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIPER ARM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE MOTOR SHAFT AND THE WIPERS MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW WIPER CRANK ARM, DRIVER'S SIDE LINK, AND A CRANK ARM NUT. THE RECALL BEGAN O OCTOBER 13, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

07V062000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Feb 21, 2007

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE (SDM), WHICH CONTROLS THE FUNCTION OF FRONT AIR BAGS, MAY NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT AIR BAGS MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY IN A FRONTAL CRASH. ALSO, THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MAY FAIL TO PROVIDE WARNING THAT THE SYSTEM IS INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THIS CONDITION COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO OCCUPANTS IN THE FRONT SEAT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE SDM COMPUTER MODULE. THIS RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 22, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GMC AT 1-866-966-9463 OR SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

DP12003 · Loss Of Headlamp Illumination

Opened Jun 4, 2012 · Closed Jul 24, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:headlights

As of July 16, 2014, out of a population of 248,453 subject vehicles, NHTSA received 473 consumer complaints of inoperative head lamp. Many of these complaints indicated that the head lamp harness suffered damage from overheating. After reviewing the complaints, ODI found: -69% (328) alleged that a single head lamp was inoperative. -18% (86) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but not at the same time. -9% (41) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but the complaints did not indicate whether the failures had occurred at the same time. -4% (17) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative at the same time. -One additional complaint cited wire harness damage to both sides but did not specify an outage -No crashes or loss of vehicle control were reported. -Any alleged thermal damages were limited to melting of the head lamp harness and the head lamp housing. -A head lamp would intermittently fail to come on or flickers before becoming completely inoperative. For the seventeen complaints that alleged simultaneous failure of both head lamps while attempting to turn them on or while driving, the head lamp failures likely had occurred one at a time. The subject vehicle's head lamps are connected in a parallel circuit and each circuit is fused. Therefore, failure of one head lamp or its harness should not affect the other head lamp operation. Over the last 25 years, ODI has opened numerous defect investigations of the loss of headlamp illumination.Investigations that resulted in safety recalls involved simultaneous loss of illumination from both headlamps. NHTSA does not consider the loss of a single headlamp as presenting an unreasonable safety risk-such failures are readily detectable by the driver while allowing the vehicle to retain forward visibility and conspicuity from the remaining headlamp.There is typically enough time between the failure of the first headlamp and the second during which the vehicle operator can obtain the needed repairs. Based on the information currently available, NHTSA does not believe that the headlamp condition as alleged by the petitioner indicates the likelihood of a safety-related defect that would warrant a formal investigation.Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied.Further specifics can be found in the Federal Register Notice ODI complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.

EA08010 · NON-CRASH Engine Compartment Fires

Opened Jun 12, 2008 · Closed Sep 8, 2008

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System; Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery; Electrical System:wiring; Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood; Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers; Engine And Engine Cooling; Engine And Engine Cooling:engine; Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer; Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:switch/wiring

IN A LETTER DATED AUGUST 27, 2008, GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (GM) NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 08V-441) TO ADDRESS A SAFETY RELATEDDEFECT THAT CAN RESULT IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE IN APPROXIMATELY 850,000 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES OF THIS INVESTIGATION COMPRISE OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF THE RECALL POPULATION. ACCORDING TO GM, A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID HEATER MODULE MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE. THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR OR CAUSE SMOKE AND IN RARE CASES IT MAY CAUSE A FIRE.AS A REMEDY, GM DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE. IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, SEVERAL OTHER GM MODELS WITH THE HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION ARE INCLUDED IN RECALL 08V-441: MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2005 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007); MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE (MANUFACTURED FEBRUARY 2007 THROUGH APRIL 2007); MY 2006-2008 CADILLAC DTS (MANUFACTURED MAY 2007 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007); MY 2007-2008 SATURN OUTLOOK (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2006 THROUGH APRIL 2007); AND MY 2007-2008 GMC ACADIA (MANUFACTURED AUGUST 2006 THROUGH APRIL 2007) VEHICLES.GM IS INSTRUCTING OWNERS TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR SERVICE IF THEY EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS OF WINDSHIELD WASHER HEATER MODULE SHORT CIRCUITS. GM'S RECALL RESOLVES THE SAFETY DEFECT CONCERNS PURSUED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

Additional source detail variants (9)

Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery

Electrical System

Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood

Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers

Electrical System:wiring

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:switch/wiring