Now things are getting interesting. We’ve heard about the chip shortage messing with car production. But the part of that equation we haven’t seen much of yet is the replacement parts log jamb. The GM recall this past April was due to faulty windshield wiper modules on the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain. Well, it seems there aren’t any parts available to address the recall. Whoops. 

What is the latest GM recall news?

According to GM Authority, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall for the 2014 and 2015 model year Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain over an issue with the vehicles’ windshield wiper modules. 

A regional Virginia news outlet, WAVY-TV, recently received a letter from Smithfield, VA resident John Wayne Warren, who owns a 2015 GMC Terrain affected by the recall. He got the notice from GM earlier this year that his vehicle needed the repair done. However, the necessary parts were unavailable, and he would be contacted when they were. 

What is the problem with GM windshield wipers? 

The windshield wiper motors are failing for 2014 and 2015 GMC Terrains and Chevy Equinoxes. While this doesn’t keep the car from working, it makes driving in the rain pretty difficult. For Warren, his GMC’s wiper module stopped working two weeks after he received the letter stating that his car needed for the repair. Given the lack of parts, he has been forced to wait. 

GM recalled 681,509 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain models this year. The ball joints in the windshield wiper modules are prone to experiencing high corrosion and wear. This degradation can result in the separation of one or more ball joints from their sockets. The only fix is replacing the entire wiper module. And GM doesn’t have enough of them to go around.

What should you do if you are waiting on a recall? 

The Ford Bronco roof debacle was probably the first situation like this. Given our strange production difficulties, it only stands to reason that more should follow. 

According to GM Authority, Warren, now unable to drive his car in the rain, has tried to contact GM many times to no avail. This waiting with no response prompted him to reach out to WAVY-TV’s consumer watchdog segment. 

“I reached the end of my rope,” he told the outlet. “I had nowhere else to go.”

What is GM doing about it? 

GM Authority says that WAVY-TV got in touch with GMC spokesperson Daniel Flores to find out what’s going on with the recall. Flores suggested that for Warren’s case, he “should go to the dealer and ask if he qualifies for six-year/150,000-mile special coverage.” 

Unfortunately, the dealer told Warren that his 2015 GMC terrain was too old to qualify for the coverage. GM maintains that the parts will still take a while to get to customers. 

“We apologize for any inconvenience,” the automaker said in a statement. “We understand concerns and frustration.”