Windshield Wiper/washer Switch problems of the 1997 Chevrolet C/k Pickups

I was returning home when it started raining. I tried to turn on my windshield wipers and they did not come on. The rain became very heavy and I was unable to see. I had no was to turn off or stop so I slowed down to about 10 mph in a 45 mph zone, so I could even stay on the road. When I finally had a chance to pull off the road I did. The wipers did not work at any speed, nor did the wiper wash mode work. After I made it home I checked the fuse for the wipers and it was okay. I turned the ignition switch on and the wipers worked. As we have had a lot of rain in our area, this occurred 3 seperate times where the wipers failed to work when I needed them. After I had gotten home, and checked again, they worked. I researched on the web at a chevy site and found that this was a common problem with the vehicle, mine is a 1997 Chevrolet k pickup truck. I also found a odi recall which matched my type of failure. The dealer service manager said that my vehicle number was not part of the recall. The NHTSA action number is ea02006. Even though this was a used truck and the symptoms matched, they would not provide the repairs for free based on the recall. I believe that this should be repaired as part of the recall.

I received a letter from gm in Feb 2003 stating that if a windshield wiper circuit board would be replaced if it failed by 70,000 or Feb 29, 2004. It failed at 45000 miles, but on July 17, 2005. Fortunately the failure was not at a critical time! the letter clearly implies that gm felt their was a problem, however instead of accepting all responsibility they also implied that not every unit would fail. The two checkpoints were time or mileage. If, however one is not a "hard" user of a vehicle, then one would expect the mileage to be the key, not the time. This is especially true of a mechanical failure like a solder joint (proposed in this case). I took my vehicle to a gm dealer and it was not listed as a recall (it never was), and I agreed to have the work done and pay for it (it is a safety issue!). It was diagnosed as a failure of the circuit module and the module was replaced. I called gm about the issue, two pleasant people placated me but refused to accept responsibility. However a dealers agent implied that had I taken the vehicle in before Feb. 29th, 2004, the module would have been replaced, even though working - clearly outside their policy. The customer complaint agent acknowledged that was the case - that it would have been replaced "if diagnosed". However if the module was still working, how would it have been diagnosed as broken! clearly gm just using time to avoid responsibility for this components failure. Had the wiper failed during a heavy rainstorm on a freeway or a mountain road, where I typically use the vehicle, the results could have been catastrophic - easily resulting in serious injuries. I believe gm should have worded their letter in a way that stated their operating intent to replace the module, even if currently working. I do not wish to imply I know their motives, but it certainly seems that they were deliberately misrepresenting their intent. I would like to see gm replace every module.

I have 1997 Chevrolet pickup the windshield wipers seem to have a mind of their own they seem to quit at inopportune times and start when they are dumb good and ready, the dealer in kalkaska tells me there were no recalls and I now find there have been in the past covering the 1997 ck chev. Pkup.

Windshield wipers only work intermittently, a humming sound can be heard, but wipers won't move, then they will start working again. This has been happening for approx. 1 and a half years. I researched the problem and found that chevy was having a problem with the wiper motor solder joints at the circuit board, but the local dealership insists my truck isn't in that recall, however. . . I am having the same problem as the recall.

Windshield wiper motor switch failed causing the wiper to stop while in use, same component has been recall in 93-96 model but not 97 model. Nlm.