Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 GMC Sonoma submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 30 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 30, in the owner's own words
I HAVE ENCOUNTERED TROUBLE WITH MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THEY GO ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. I AM ASSUMING THE PROBLEM IS THE PULSE WIPER RELAY, AND WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PRODUCT. I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN WHEN THIS OCCURRED, AND THERE WAS NEARLY A COLLISION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS FOR THIS PART. THANK YOU. *TR
DT: THE CONTACT SAID WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR SIX MONTHS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS ON THE PROBLEM. SHE HAS NOT MADE ANY ARRANGEMENTS FOR REPAIRS AT THIS TIME. *AK
DT: THE CALLER COMPLAINED ABOUT A WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR PROBLEM. IT WILL WORK IN LIGHT RAIN, BUT NOT IN HEAVY RAIN. HE HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. THERE WAS A RECALL ON OTHER VEHICLES, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. MANUFACTURER SAID IT WAS A BLANKET RECALL AND THE TIME HAS RUN OUT ON IT.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILURE WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY AND SOME TIMES NOT AT ALL.I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP THEY INFORMED THERE HAD BEEN RECALLS ON THIS CONDITION INVOLVING SEVERAL GM VEHICLES INCLUDING MINE. WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A GM REPAIR SHOP THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS THE 4WD MODEL AND NOT THE 2WD MODEL I'M SHOCKED THAT THE SAME YEAR SAME MODEL BUT NOT 4WD IS INCLUDED. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHY MY VEHICLE IS EXCLUDED ? WHEN IT HAS THE EXACT CONDITIONS OF THE OTHERS RECALLED.
WE HAVE A 1997 GMC SONOMA WITH A VOTREC 4.3 X. OVER 2 YEARS AGO, WE STARTED GETTING MISFIRES. WE TRIED EVERYTHING WE COULD THINK OF, TO NO AVAIL. IN THE PAST MONTH I'VE PUT OVER $500 ALONE. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING IT UP ON-LINE, AND HAVE REALIZED, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. THERE HAS EVEN BEEN A RECALL IN CALIFORNIA, BUT ONLY THERE. GM TOLD ME THEY HAVE DIFFERENT GAS OUT THERE. ANOTHER MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE HAS BEEN THE WIPER MOTOR FAILURE, THAT HAD A RECALL. GM TOLD ME MY VIN # WAS NOT ON THE LIST, BUT I BATTLE MY WIPERS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. I HAVE TO YANK THE BLADES HALF WAY UP THE WINDOW BEFORE THEY GRAB AND START TO WORK. ONE MORE PROBLEM THAT I NOW KNOW I AM NOT ALONE ON IS THE ISSUE WITH DEX-COOL. WE HAVE FLUSHED AND REFILLED THE SYSTEM AT LEAST THREE TIMES, ONLY TO HAVE IT GUNK-UP AGAIN. PLEASE HELP ME AND ALL THE OTHER CUSTOMERS WHO GOT TRAPPED WITH JUNK VEHICLES. WE HAVE HAD TOO MANY OTHER FAILURES TO COUNT!*AK
REPAIRS WERE MADE TO DEFECTIVE WIPER MOTOR ON 1997 GMC SONOMA. *MR THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THE OTHER HALF OF THE REFUND, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED. *SC THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE REMAINDER OF THE REFUND WAS IN THE MAIL, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD NOT RECEIVED A CHECK.*JB
VEHICLE HAS A FAULTY WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR.*MR PRODUCT RECALL NOTIFICATION WAS SENT FROM GENERAL MOTORS TO THE CONSUMER, BUT THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO REIMBURSE THE CONSUMER FOR REPAIRS MADE FOR THE ABOVE MENTIONED DEFECT. *CB *JB
WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WITHOUT WARNING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING THEN SUDDENLY COME BACK ON. THIS CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. *NLM. *AK
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER WORKED SPORADICALLY, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE WHEN DRIVING. *JB
WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. LATEST INCIDENT WAS IN HEAVY SNOW AND VISIBILITY WAS LOST. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE 1996 S-10 AND SONOMA WERE RECALLED FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL ON THE 1997. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AND IT STARTED TO RAIN THE VEHICLE WIPERS WILL NOT COME ON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. MR *TT
WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY AFTER BEING TURNED ON. SOMETIMES THE WIPERS WOULD NOT COME ON BUT THE MOTOR WOULD STILL BE RUNNING. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY HAVE THEN BEEN INFORMED THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT ON RECALL BUT THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRABLE DUE TO A MODULE OF THE WIPER SYSTEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. MR
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED, WIPERS STALLED IN HEAVY RAIN AND TRAFFIC--HAD TO BLINDLY MANEUVER TO CITY FREEWAY SHOULDER AND PROCEED TO NEXT EXIT.*AK
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT TAPPING THE MODULE WOULD MAKE THE WIPERS WORK AGAIN. *YH
WINDSHIELD WASHER/WIPERS RANDOMLY DO NOT WORK. DEARLER SAYS THEY CAN'T FIX A RANDOM PROBLEM. APPEARS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE 1996 RECALL #98V150001. *AK
CONSUMER STATES WAS UNABLE TO KEEP WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKING, CONSUMER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED THERE WAS A RECALL, HOWEVER WAS INFORMED BY DEALER THERE WAS A RECALL, HOWEVER RECALL WAS NOT APPLICABLE TO CONSUMER BECAUSE OF THE VIN NUMBER MECHANIC STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMEDIATELY RESULTING IN THE MOTOR TO MALFUNCTION.*JB *YH
WHILE DRIVING WINSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. CONTACTED DEALER, THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING. *AK
THIS IS THE SECOND OF MY THREE 1997 GMC VEHICLES TO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. THE WIPER MODULE FAILED. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON A 1997 S10 EXT CAB 4WD; IT COST ME $175 TO GET THAT ONE REPAIRED BY DEALER REPLACEMENT OF THE MODULE. I HAVE NO YET TAKEN THIS ONE, A 1997 GMC SONOMA , TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE CHECKED TO SEE IF THE PART IS AVAILABLE AT OTHER THAN A DEALERSHIP. IT IS NOT. IF THERE IS NO RECALL THERE SHOULD BE. THERE HAS BEEN AMPLE INCIDENCES REPORTED TO CREATE AT LEAST SOME INVESTIGATION. I CHECKED ON RECALLS FOR THE S10 AND WAS TOLD NO.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILS TO OPERATE SOME TIMES WHEN I TURN IT ON. AND THEN AFTER A FEW MINUTES, ITS WORKING AGAIN. I CAN'T DEPEND ON THE WIPERS TO WORK WHEN I NEED THEM. FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED AT ABOUT 75,000 MILES. MY LOCAL GM SERVICE CENTER TELLS ME THERE IS SOME ELECTRICAL MODULE CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND WANTS $150 TO FIX.*AK
THE 1996 CHEVROLET S-10, WAS RECALLED FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR, AND THE DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM EXPLAINS MINE PERFECTLY. WHEN I TRIED TO TURN THEM ON, THEY WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF FOR NO REASON. FINALLY, THEY JUST QUIT WORKING. IT'S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH NO WIPERS IN THE RAIN.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF OPERATION. WIRING HAS TO BE JIGGLED BEFORE OPERATION CONTINUES. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK *ML
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL INTERMITTENTLY QUIT WORKING WHILE IN USE DUE TO DEFECTIVE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED WHILE IN USE. BAD SOLDER JOINTS ON PCB IS THE CAUSE. BAD PCB DESIGN. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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