What a Joke! GM and its latest recall.

[wvpolekat]

Let's change this a bit to illustrate Chris's point.

When Ford had all the cruise control problems.

Let's say that Bob's Electronics made the module. Bob was killed in a tragic snowmobile accident. Thus, Bob's is no longer able to offer a fix.

Ford decides that they do not want to invest the resources to engineer a fix. Instead, you will get $100 off your next Ford vehicle purchase or service and they will just disable it.

Now, to me, that is completely unacceptable. I bought my vehicle with that feature and I expect it to have that unless I choose to not fix it.

Same applies to WW heaters, seat heaters, illuminated muffler bearings or anything else on the car.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Let's change this a bit to illustrate Chris's point.

When Ford had all the cruise control problems.

Let's say that Bob's Electronics made the module. Bob was killed in a tragic snowmobile accident. Thus, Bob's is no longer able to offer a fix.

Ford decides that they do not want to invest the resources to engineer a fix. Instead, you will get $100 off your next Ford vehicle purchase or service and they will just disable it.

Now, to me, that is completely unacceptable. I bought my vehicle with that feature and I expect it to have that unless I choose to not fix it.

Same applies to WW heaters, seat heaters, illuminated muffler bearings or anything else on the car.

There you have it. If I bought it that way they should make it right.

As for the ones who have had the earlier fix done it was nothing more than a inline fuse near the heater element that was added. It has been found that was not enough so this recall is to now take that out and disable the entire unit. So my guess is yes, you will get a notice and the $100 offer if you take it but by doing so it takes away your right to fight to have it fixed properly. If it were me I would refuse the payment and sign nothing. I see a class action law suit in the works.

Chris

Chris

 

[westcliffe01]

In a cold (and dry) climate, seat heaters allow passengers to run lower air temperatures while remaining comfortable and not drying out your eyes and sinuses on a long trip. it also allows each individual control over the heating, which is not feasible with regular heaters. And if you are in and out of snow, it also reduces the likelihood of moisture in that hot interior from condensing on the inside of the glass after parking when you get to work. Scraping frost off the exterior glass is one thing, but scraping it off the inside glass is a pretty sucky job indeed.

What I notice that nobody seems to do here is use electrically heated glass (except rear windows on some hatchbacks). In Europe, most Ford Focus vehicles and diesel vehicles in particular have electrically heated front and rear glazing which means that you never need to blast the windshield with hot air while your feet are freezing and the defrosting is very even across the full area too.

I appreciate that folks in Texas or Florida may not have use for these features, but those of us above 40 degree latitude sure could use them every winter.

 

[timswi]

Chris, let's be honest. If Ford did this you wouldn't be talking about it. Any post having to do with trucks is loaded with GM bashing by you. This is just another opportunity.

A windshield washer heater? Why was one ever needed in the first place.

 

[Bird]

I appreciate that folks in Texas or Florida may not have use for these features

In some parts of Texas, they might.:laughing: But in my case, (1) I'm retired so I don't have to get out if the weather is bad, and (2) we park both the car and the pickup in an attached garage, but I still have some ice scrapers that haven't been used in over 10 years.:laughing: Incidentally, our 2002 Ford Crown Victoria has a heated rear window and heated side view mirrors. I even turned it on once just to see if it worked; it did.

Our youngest daughter has a GM product (Trail Blazer) with the heated seats, but since she's parking outside all the time, she might occasionally use that feature.

 

[2manyrocks]

A windshield washer heater? Why was one ever needed in the first place.

:thumbsup:

 

[wvpolekat]

A windshield washer heater? Why was one ever needed in the first place.

You sure you live in PA? And do you drive? Have you never had your washer nozzles freeze rendering them useless while all the grime and water on the road coats your windshield only to be smeared by your wipers?

At one point on my way to Indiana in Feb I was stopping every 15 min to clean the windshield because the washers were frozen and useless. It is definitely a safety issue.

we park both the car and the pickup in an attached garage, but I still have some ice scrapers that haven't been used in over 10 years.

Neither of which would help you when they freeze going down the interstate.

 

[Dmace]

You sure you live in PA? And do you drive? Have you never had your washer nozzles freeze rendering them useless while all the grime and water on the road coats your windshield only to be smeared by your wipers?

At one point on my way to Indiana in Feb I was stopping every 15 min to clean the windshield because the washers were frozen and useless. It is definitely a safety issue.

Neither of which would help you when they freeze going down the interstate.

I don't know how bad the weather is down there in West Virginia but I would be willing to bet that a balmy day up here in New Hampshire is a deep freeze in those central states. We normally see 10-20 degrees BELOW zero and I have never had my windshield washer freeze. The washer fluid sits in a nice little plastic bottle IN THE ENGINE BAY where it's pretty warm.

The only time you would need a windshield washer fluid heater is when you first start up the vehicle but you shouldn't be taken off after immediately starting the vehicle when it's that cold anyways. It's just a sales gimmick and completely unnecessary, remove it - give me $100 for my time and off I go a happy man.

Chris, I am sure they would be happy to change your oil and rotate your tires in lieu of the $100. :laughing:

 

[BobRip]

So that's 3 recalls for Chrysler, one for McDonald's, and one for GM in the past 2 weeks. I wonder if they are doing it now hoping that people (and the news media) are so focused on the oil spill that the recalls won't receive much attention. Hmm!

 

[timswi]

You sure you live in PA? And do you drive? Have you never had your washer nozzles freeze rendering them useless while all the grime and water on the road coats your windshield only to be smeared by your wipers?

At one point on my way to Indiana in Feb I was stopping every 15 min to clean the windshield because the washers were frozen and useless. It is definitely a safety issue.

Neither of which would help you when they freeze going down the interstate.

Never happened to me...Been driving nothing but GM trucks for 20 years. The only Ford I ever had was Chevy powered.

I use a winter washer fluid. Wiper blades will freeze sometimes, but a washer heater won't help that. Heated wipers would.