1998 GMC YUKON Complaints

WHILE DRIVING WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THEY WILL SUDDENLY QUIT WORKING. CONSUMER HAS TO EXIST THE TRUCK AND PLAY WITH THE WIPER FOR THEM TO RESTART. THIS RESULTS IN POOR VISIBILITY AND ALMOST CAUSES ACCIDENTS. THERE'S A RECALL 03V159000 FOR THIS ISSUE BUT THE MODEL AND YEAR IS OUTSIDE THE REMEDY SCOPE. *AK

RECENTLY, MY DAUGHTER, TRACYE, A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER FOR THE DAWSON COUNTY GEORGIA SCHOOL SYSTEM, CALLED ME FOR HELP WITH HER 1998 YUKON. AT DAYS END, SHE PROCEEDED TO HER VEHICLE TO GO HOME. IT WAS RAINING HEAVILY AT THE TIME. HER WINDSHIED WIPERS WOULD NOT START. SHE CALLED ME, AND I HAD HER CHECK THE FUSE WHICH WAS OK. I THEN LEFT MY HOME TO DRIVE THE 80 MILES TO HER SCHOOL. WHILE I WAS ENROUTE, SHE CALLED AND SAID THE RAIN WAS REDUCING, AND SHE THEN DROVE THE 20 MILES TO HER HOME WITHOUT WIPERS. I CONTINUED ON TO HER HOME, SOME 90 MILES FROM MY HOME. THE NEXT MORNING, IT WAS NOT RAINING, SO I TOLD HER TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE TO SCHOOL, AND I WOULD DRIVE HER VEHICLE FOR REPAIR. I WENT TO NAPA AUTO PARTS WITH THE PROBLEM. NAPA WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM; STATING THAT GM CARS HAD A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE SOLDER CONNECTIONS BREAKING ON THE ELECTRONIC BOARD THAT CONTROLS THE WIPERS. UNFORTUNATELY, HE HAD TO ORDER THE BOARD WHICH WAS GOING TO BE DELIVERED THE NEXT MORNING. I LEFT NAPA AND WENT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER. HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM, BUT SAID THE REPAIR COVERED BY GM WENT FROM 94 THROUGH 97 MODELS. THE NEXT MORNING, I GOT THE PART FROM NAPA AND WENT TO A NAPA REPAIR SHOP. THEY WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS RECURRING PROBLEM ON GM CARS. SINCE I WAS WAITING, THEY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. THE CIRCUIT BOARD WAS THE PROBLEM. I DROPPED MY DAUGHTER'S VEHICLE AT HER SCHOOL AND RETURNED HOME. I FEEL THAT THIS WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ITEM IN THAT OCCURRENCE WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN LIKELY WOULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE A RECALL BY GM AND THE COST OF THE BOARD AND THE LABOR SHOULD BE BORNE BY GM. OWNERS SHOULD BE COVERED ALSO FOR REPAIRS/PARTS COMPLETED AT OTHER SHOPS. *AK

ABOUT 3 HOURS INTO A LONG-DISTANCE TRIP, DURING HEAVY RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON MY CAR QUIT WORKING. I WAS PULLING A CAMP TRAILER AND HAD 4 CHILDREN IN THE CAR WITH ME. IT WAS A VERY FRIGHENING EXPERIENCE AND CAUSED US ALL GREAT DISTRESS AND ANXIETY WITH THE DANGEROUS SITUATION. THERE WAS NO PULL-OUT AVAILABLE SO I WAS FORCED TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHILE IT STUCK OUT IN THE ROADWAY. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND OPENED THE HOOD OF THE CAR. I LIGHTLY HIT THE WIPER MOTOR WITH A ROCK. THE WIPERS STARTED WORKING AGAIN. I CONTINUED DRIVING WITH CAUTION NOT KNOWING WHEN THE WIPERS MIGHT QUIT WORKING AGAIN. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE USED A LUBRICANT TO HELP REPELL WATER FROM MY WINDSHIELD AND TRY TO LIMIT THE USE OF MY WIPERS UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. I CANNOT DEPEND ON MY WIPERS TO GIVE ME VISABILITY. I CONTACTED THE GMC ASSISTANCE CENTER IN DETROIT AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THEM. THEY DID NOT WRITE ME BACK. MY GMC MECHANIC HAS ALSO TRIED TO GET GMC TO REPLACE THIS KNOWN DEFECT IN THEIR WASHER ASSEMBLY, ALSO WITHOUT SUCCESS. PLEASE PUT PRESSURE ON GMC TO INCLUDE 1998 YUKONS IN THEIR RECALL

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IN SO. IDAHO, DURING A HEAVY RAINSTORM, IN MODERATE TRAFFIC, MY WINDSHIELD WIPER SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING IN FRONT OF ME (THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD) AND HAD TO GUIDE MY CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD USING THE SIDE WINDOW FOR VISABILITY. I REPEATEDLY TURNED THE WIPER SWITCHES BUT COULD NOT GET THEM TO WORK. I SAT BY THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE FOR OVER 20 MINUTES WITH MY ENGINE RUNNING WHILE TRYING TO GET THE WIPERS TO START WORKING AGAIN. THEY DID NOT. I HAD TO ABANDON MY VEHICLE AND FLAG DOWN A PASSING VEHICLE TO ASSIST ME IN GETTING HELP. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE WITH A MECHANIC, AND STARTED MY YUKON UP, THE WIPERS WORKED FINE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A GMC DEALER WHERE I FIRST LEARNED THAT THE WIPER MOTOR WAS DEFECTIVE, I LEARNED THAT GMC KNEW IT WAS DEFECTIVE AND ALSO LEARNED THAT GMC WAS NOT GOING TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE DURING A WET SNOW-STORM, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE SLUSH ON OUR WINDSHIELD, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING. IT IS ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT I WAS ABLE TO CROSS LANES AND REACH THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURNED OFF MY ENGINE AND WAITED FOR APPROX. 10 MINUTES FOR THE WIPER MOTOR TO COOL DOWN. MY GMC MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THIS EXACT MOTOR BUT THAT GMC HAS NOT INCLUDED THE 1998 YEAR YUKONS INCLUDED. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME MY WIPERS HAVE STOPPED WORKING - ALWAYS DURING LONG-TERM DRIVING AND DURING HEAVY USE OF THE WIPERS. I HAVE WRITTEN TO GMC ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND REQUESTED THEIR HELP. THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN HELPING ME NOR WERE THEY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MYSELF, MY FAMILY AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD THAT ARE SEVERELY AT RISK WITH THIS PROBLEM.

THE STEERING OVER COMPENSATES AT SPEEDS OF 20+. PLEASE REFER TO EA99-011, AS IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT DOCUMENT. *LA

MY CONCERNS ARE A HEALTH ISSUE. I'VE OWNED A 1996 YUKON AND I NOW OWN A 1998 YUKON. AND BOTH HAVE WATER LEAK PROBLEMS IN THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE,THE PROBLEM WITH THE LEAK IS THAT THEY GO UNNOTICED BY THE CONSUMER BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION. WHEN YOU DRIVE YOUR SUV IN WET WEATHER, WATER COMES IN THE VEHICLE SOMEWHERE. THE WHOLE BACK OF THE TRUCK GETS WET, HOW WET DEPENDS ON HOW BAD THE WEATHER IS. HARD TO DETECT BECAUSE,YOU DON'T SIT IN THE BACK OF YOUR TRUCK FOR ONE, AND THE CARPET MAT THAT COVERS THE BACK AREA FOR TWO, AND THE FACT THAT IT DRIES UP. MY CONCERNS ARE THE MOLD,AND MILDEW,AND SPORES THAT ARE GROWING, AND GOING UNTREATED. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SMALL CHILDREN TRAVELING IN THESE VEHICLES,AND THE PEOPLE WITH SEVERE ALLERGIES TO MOLD AND MILDEW. I'VE MADE TWO CASE FILES WITH THEM ON THIS ISSUE AND THEY BOUGHT MY 1996 YUKON BACK FROM ME BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND THE LEAK NOR FIX IT. I AM NOW TRYING TO GET THEM TO TAKE CARE OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH MY 1998. MY SISTER IN-LAW ALSO BOUGHT A 1996 YUKON WITH THE SAME PROBLEM,AND SHE THEN BOUGHT A 1999 TAHOE,AGAIN THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE SAME PLACE. SHE WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOW TO LOOK UNDER THE MAT IF I DIDN'T BRING IT TO HER ATTENTION.

CONSUMER STATED THAT FOR SIX MONTHS WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING LEFT TURNS STEERING BECAME LOOSE. *AK

COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH OUT NOTICE. PURCHASED EXTENED SERVICE PLAN, 2,700 PAST WARRENTY AND WILL NOT HONOR. ONLY 98000 MILES. YUKON WAS NEVER USED OFF ROAD OR TO HAUL ANYTHING HEAVY.*AK

VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN NHTSA RECALL NHTSA 97V142000. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY EXTENDED-CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND 4-DOOR UTILITY TRUCKS. THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT TO STEERING GEAR PINCH BOLT IS "FINGER LOOSE" OR MISSING ALLOWING THE BOLT TO LOOSEN AND FALL OUT. THE STEERING SHAFT YOKE CAN WEAR, CAUSING AN OFF CENTER STEERING WHEEL.*AK