A problem with the windshield wipers on the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain has prompted General Motors to issue a recall for an estimated 367,808 vehicles in the United States.
According to the recall notice, the issue stems from the ball joints in the windshield wiper module, which could rust and wear, potentially rendering the wipers inoperative. And if the wipers don’t work, the driver could have trouble seeing in the rain, “increasing the risk of a crash.”
GM is still working on exactly how it’s going to fix the problem, but we’d imagine it would involve replacing the wiper motors on the affected vehicles with units that are better sealed against the elements. Once the remedy is identified, owners can expect to hear from the manufacturer to arrange service at their local dealership.
The Equinox and Traverse are among GM’s most compact crossovers – the smallest in the GMC range and slotting into the Chevy in between the smaller Trax and the larger Traverse. The Equinox was first introduced in 2004 and replaced in 2009 when GMC got its own boxier version as well. Both models underwent minor refreshes for the 2016 model year.
The Pontiac Torrent was essentially a rebadged version of the first-generation Equinox, but disappeared when GM shut down the entire Pontiac brand in its bankruptcy restructuring at the end of 2009. That was the same year that GM took full control of the Canadian Automotive Manufacturing Incorporated (CAMI) plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, where these crossovers are built – like so many SUVs before them. Three years later Suzuki withdrew from the US market altogether.
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