NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA19-005: Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA19-005 on December 13, 2019 and closed it on November 28, 2022. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain for it and links recall 22V-165 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA19-005 (also written EA19005)
- Investigation type
- Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
- Status
- Closed November 28, 2022
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- General Motors, LLC
- Components
- Visibility; Visibility/Wiper; Visibility — Windshield Wiper/Washer — Linkages
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 22V-165: Windshield Wipers May Fail, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA19-005.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
On December 13, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis (EA19-005) to further assess the MY2010-2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain windshield wiper failures. Due to a prior recall, 16V-582, addressing this issue in the MY2013 subject vehicles, MY2013 was not included in the analysis. To date, ODI had received 998 complaints with allegations of the front windshield wiper failing in adverse whether conditions, while the vehicle was in motion.
General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intruding into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint resulting in loss of windshield wiper function. ODI?s review focused on 2010-2012 and 2014-2016 Equinox and Terrain vehicles. Owners were reporting a high rate of failures of the windshield wiper system. These failures were the same as that addressed by recall 16V-582. ODI's review of data supplied by GM as well as its own confirmed a high failure rate in model years 2014 and 2015. On March 17, 2022, GM filed a defect information report recalling all MY2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the front windshield wiper transmission assembly.
General Motors is also conducting a special coverage program, N192266181, for MY2010-2012 and MY2016-2017 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The special coverage is for a period of 15 years or 200,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Both the recall, 22V-165, and the special coverage program, N192266181, address windshield wiper system failures on the subject vehicles. The dealership will inspect the front wiper assembly for ball joint wear. Depending on the degree of wear, the wiper links will be replaced, and a water shield installed or the entire module will be replaced.
In view of the recall and special coverage, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.
The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers in a separate attachment.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA19-005. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for EA19-005
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.