1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass Visibility Problems

1) THE FAILURE OCCURRED UNDER NORMAL USE OF WIPERS IN HEAVY RAIN. 2) DURING NORMAL USE, THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER ARM APPEARED TO BECOME DISLODGED AND BEGAN MOVING ERRATICALLY. AFTER INSPECTION OF THE WIPER ASSEMBLY IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PLASTIC HOUSING THAT HOLDS THE WIPER ARM TO THE WIPER MOTOR WAS CRACKED AND BROKEN AWAY FROM THE LINKAGE TO THE WIPER MOTOR. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE IS THAT NEITHER WIPER ARM OPERATES AND THIS CAUSES HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS BY REDUCING VISIBILITY DURING RAIN OR FROST. 3) AFTER RESEARCHING THIS APPARENT DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURERS ORIGINAL PART, I DISCOVERED AN OPEN RECALL IS ALREADY IN EFFECT FOR THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID# 01V068000). THE DESCRIPTION UNDER THIS RECALL IS IDENTICAL TO THE PROBLEM I ENCOUNTERED AND IS FOR THE SAME VEHICLE. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, GM-OLDSMOBILE, AND THE OPEN RECALL WAS VERIFIED, BUT I WAS TOLD MY PARTICULAR VIN# WAS NOT ON THEIR LIST. I WAS TOLD THAT IF GM HAPPENS TO ADD OTHER VEHICLES FROM THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL TO THE LIST THEN I WOULD BE NOTIFIED, BUT NO REPAIRS WOULD BE OFFERED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10206993

Incident

Oct 10, 2007

Mileage

154,000 mi

RECALL CAMPAIGN#01V068000 WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE BREAKAGE WILL NOT COVER MY BREAKAGE BECAUSE I AM IN A SOUTHERN STATE, MY VIN IS NOT ON THEIR RACALL LIST.

NHTSA ID

10130080

Incident

Jul 15, 2005

Mileage

15,000 mi

I CURRENTLY HAVE THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS WITH MY 1998 OLDS CUTLASS GL. MY POWER STEERING IS STIFF AND MAKES A "WAILING" NOISE. MY COOLENT SYSTEM HAS A LEAK. MY HEAT AND AIR HAVE COMPLETEY STOPPED WORKING. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS (IN THE PAST THAT HAVE BEEN REPAIRED_ WITH MY POWER WINDOW LOCKING UP (DRIVERS SIDE). THE SOUND SYSTEM SHORTED OUT. THE CD PLAYER QUIT WORKING. I HAVE REPLACED MY WIPER BLADES SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY STILL DO NOT CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD COMPLETELY. ONE TIME WHEN MY TEENS WERE USING MY CAR, THEY WERE ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD...NOT ONLY WERE THEY TERRIFIED, IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THEM TO BE IN.*AK

NHTSA ID

10114007

Incident

Feb 28, 2005

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH ON A DOWN POUR, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. THE WIPERS BEGAN TO WORK OUT OF SYNCH AND ENDED CROSSED UP ON THE WINDSHIELD. HAD TO REPLACE THE WIPER TRANSMISSION. NO RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED. *LA

NHTSA ID

10071935

Incident

Apr 20, 2004

Mileage

71,000 mi

WHILE STARTING VEHICLE ENGINE IS RELEASING STRONG FUMES THROUGHT VENTS OF VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

8008428

CONSUMER BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR INOPERATIVE RIGHT SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER, DEALERSHIP REPLACED WIPER BLADE ASSEMBLIES AND ADJUSTED LEFT AND RIGHT WIPER ARMS, CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE, 01014S, AFTER REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, BUT DEALERSHIP STATED THAT REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED BY RECALL, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *TT

NHTSA ID

563795

Incident

Sep 19, 2000

I WAS DRIVING ON ROUTE 9, A MAJOR HIGHWAY HERE IN THE CITY OF POUGHKEEPSIE AND I HAD MYWINDSHIELD WIPERS ON BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING. SUDDENLY THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER ARM STOPPED MOVING, CAUSING THE DRIVER SIDE WIPER TO MOVE ACROSS IT FORMING AN 'X' ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. THE WIPER SYSTEM STALLED AND I COULDN'T SEE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AGAIN. LUCKILY THERE WASN'T TOO MUCH TRAFFIC AT THE TIME AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PULL OUT OF THE ROAD WITHOUT CRASHING INTO ANYTHING. I HAD SEEN EARLIER IN THIS WEBSITE THAT THERE IS OR SUPPOSED TO BE A RECALL ON THE 98 CUTLASSES FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE WIPER SYSTEMS AND I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A RECALL NOTE BUT I HAVEN'T RECIEVED ONE YET. MY QUESTION IS, IS MY DEALER REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT FOR FREE OR AM I REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE SERVICE? *AK

NHTSA ID

745967

Incident

May 26, 2001

WHEN START USING DEFROSTER FOR WINDOWS SOME TYPE OF FIBER IS BLOWING FROM VENTS, CAUSING CONSUMER TO OPEN WINDOWS IN COLD INORDER NOT TO INHALE VAPOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

877787

Incident

Jan 9, 2001

DRIVER SIDE MIRROR VIBRATES NOTICEABLY AT ALL SPEEDS. DEALER ADJUSTED THE MIRROR ONCE & REPLACE THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY ONCE. THE MIRROR STILL VIBRATES.

NHTSA ID

700100

Incident

Mar 25, 1998