Warren, Mich. — Oct. 14, 2016 — In the latest GM recall news, the manufacturer will address hundreds of thousands of its vehicles with windshield wiper system issues. According to official documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall includes two 2013 vehicle models: the GMC Terrain and the Chevrolet Equinox.
Production periods for each of these affected models began on the same date, April 17, 2012. The Terrain production time range ended Aug. 13, 2013, while the Equinox production range ended Aug. 15. of the same year.
Though the original Part 573 Safety Recall Report did not list the exact number of vehicles, a later updated version listed the number as 367,808 potentially involved autos. All 100 percent of the recalled population is thought to be affected and have the defect.
This source said that the ball joints on some wiper modules could wear down and possibly detach from their sockets and separate entirely. Doing so could disable at least one wiper, making it more difficult for drivers to see during inclement weather.
GM first received report of the possible problems Dec. 15, 2015 through one of its staff members in Canada. The official investigation began Mar. 9, 2016, and the decision to finally conduct the recall came later, in August. The root cause of the ball joint corrosion issues was unidentified as of Aug. 18. The report did list the component supplier, Mitsuba, and noted that it is based in Monroeville, Indiana.
An Aug. 2 dealer-facing notice said that the remedy is still forthcoming and will appear in a later bulletin. However, the source did state that an update to the Global Warranty Management system’s Investigate Vehicle History would help dealers prepare by identifying the affected vehicles.
