Complaint Review: GM GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATE RIP OFF RECALL GMC JIMMY - Detroit Michigan

I mean this is technically a safety issue. But I also feel you may be acting a little unfair to GM in this case, and perhaps a bit unreasonable. GM was making good on this. I will explain...

Now although the notice you posted is regarding a recall, the letter that was sent to customers regarding this issue clearly states it is not actually a recall, but a "special policy adjustment. I have posted the actual letter that was sent out at the end of this report so you can see for yourself.

Now, this vehicle is 13 years old, and a GMC..yes, things are going to break, nothing lasts forever. You say you were driving your vehicle all these years with a wiper problem..well why did you not have it checked out?

The good news is, it is a 2 minute fix. Pull the plastic cover off the wiper motor under the hood, and re solder the broken connection. If you can not solder, ask someone who can. The unit that was used to replace the defect was simply reinforced where the vibration was causing the break..it is really not a big deal.

Now the special policy was only good for 7 years or 70,000 miles, which ever came first. If you had paid to have this fixed GM was reimbursing for this but for how long depended on what state you lived in. However, if you did not put in for the reimbursement within 1 year after the notice for most states,2 years for some or you were out of luck anyhow. The notice was sent back in 2003...SEVEN years ago. So yes, there are certain things expected to go wrong over time, and sometimes you have to replace or repair parts at your expense regardless if it was a defect.

The letter states this was not a recall, hence you were only to have this fixed free of charge during the allotted time period if there was this particular problem with the wipers. If you have had a problem with your wipers for 7 years or longer, and are expecting to get it fixed free now, yes I would say that is unreasonable.
Here is a copy of the letter GM sent that you should have received..

April, 2003
Dear General Motors Customer:

As the owner of a 1996 or 1997 Chevrolet Blazer or S10 Pickup; 1995, 1996 or 1997 Chevrolet Astro or C/K Crew Cab; 1994, 1995, 1996 or 1997 C/K Pickup, Tahoe, or Suburban; 1996 or 1997 GMC Jimmy or Sonoma; 1995, 1996 or 1997 GMC Safari or Sierra Crew Cab; 1994, 1995, 1996 or 1997 GMC Sierra Pickup, Yukon, or Suburban; or a 1996 or 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada, your satisfaction with our product is very important to us. Your vehicle was provided with a new vehicle warranty, which covers certain parts of your vehicle for a specified period. These warranties are of considerable value to you if you should experience problems with your vehicle.

This letter is intended to make you aware that some 1996 and 1997 Chevrolet Blazer and S10 Pickup; 1995, 1996 and 1997 Chevrolet Astro and C/K Crew Cab; 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 C/K Pickup, Tahoe, and Suburban; 1996 and 1997 GMC Jimmy and Sonoma; 1995, 1996 and 1997 GMC Safari and Sierra Crew Cab; 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 GMC Sierra Pickup, Yukon, and Suburban; and 1996 and 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada vehicles may have a windshield wiper motor that fails due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. This will cause the windshield wipers to work intermittently or not at all.

This is not a recall. Do not take your vehicle to your General Motors dealer as a result of this letter unless you believe that your vehicle has the condition as described above.

What We Have Done
To address the above mentioned condition, General Motors is providing owners with special warranty coverage. If this condition occurs on your 1996 or 1997 Chevrolet Blazer or S10 Pickup; 1995, 1996 or 1997 Chevrolet Astro or C/K Crew Cab; 1994, 1995, 1996 or 1997 C/K Pickup, Tahoe, or Suburban; 1996 or 1997 GMC Jimmy or Sonoma; 1995, 1996 or 1997 GMC Safari or Sierra Crew Cab; 1994, 1995, 1996 or 1997 GMC Sierra Pickup, Yukon, or Suburban; or a 1996 or 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada within 7 years of the date your vehicle was originally placed in service or 70,000 miles (112,000 km), whichever occurs first, the condition will be repaired for you at no charge .

What You Should Do
Repairs and adjustments qualifying under this special coverage must be performed by a General Motors dealer. You may want to call the service department at your dealer to find out how long they will need to have your vehicle so that you may schedule the appointment at a time that is a convenient time for you. This will also allow your dealer to order parts if they are not already in stock. Keep this letter with your other important glovebox literature for future reference.

Reimbursement
(Statement for all states except as shown below)

If you have already paid for some or all of the cost to have your wiper motor replaced and you have not received reimbursement under a Vehicle Service Contract, and the repair was performed before March 14, 2003, you should contact your dealer to seek reimbursement. Please provide your dealer with your original paid receipts or invoices verifying the repair, the amount charged, proof of payment, the date of payment of those charges, and proof of ownership of the vehicle at the time of the repair. Your request for reimbursement, including the information and documents mentioned above, must be received by your dealer by February 29, 2004.

(STATEMENT FOR CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN)

If you have already paid for some or all of the cost to have wiper motor replaced, and you have not received reimbursement under a Vehicle Service Contract, and the repair was performed before March 14, 2003, you should write to your division specific address to seek reimbursement. Please provide your original paid receipts or invoices verifying the repair, the amount charged, proof of payment, the date of payment of those charges, and proof of ownership of the vehicle at the time of the repair. This information must be provided within two (2) years after the date on which you paid for the repair.