A year ago, my windshield wiper motor failed and I had to have it replaced; well two weeks after the guarantee expired on the replacement motor, it failed again, so it cost me another $180.00 to replace it again and though they work functionally (intermittent/low speed/high speed), they're loud and flaky sounding!
My question is: are windshield wipor motors a common problem with 1996 Dodge Caravans?
Thanks all!
Ray
Nope not at all....did you purchase this from an aftermarket parts store? It may come with a 3/36 warranty but im not sure.
Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech
I think the motor came from "Carquest", an auto parts store chain here in the NW. I live in a small town on the Oregon coast and I took my van to a local mechanic and he gets some of his parts that way.
So do you mean that if it isn't a genuine Dodge replacement part, it might be inferior and not work properly?
Is that a surprise to you?
Well actually yes, it is a surprise to me! A windshield wiper motor ain't rocket science!
If you ever took apart an alternator or starter that came from certain aftermarket rebuilders and actually saw what they do to call it rebuilt you would laugh. There's alot of remans that are just cleaned, spray painted and put back on the market. If they give you a warranty on it and the part fails within the warranty they simply give you another part, you pay to put it on or do it yourself, they don't care. If you purchase a MOPAR part you have a 12/12 or 3/36 warranty,they pay the labor if the dealer installed it. I would never recommend aftermarket reman parts such as what you had installed. There fore the answer to your question about wiper motors lasting more then a year... my answer is no if they are remans!!!
Just a thought
Glenn
Thanks Glenn, if it fails again I will definitely heed your warnings! However, the motor that just failed was aledgedly a "New" part, I remember because the mechanic who replaced it told me that I had a choice, I could replace it with a rebuilt motor, or for $25 more, I could get a new one, I paid the extra thinking that it would probably never fail again; I mean really, out of all the cars I've owned in my life, I've never had a wiper motor fail!
Thanks again!
If the motor came from carquest, its a rebuilt, if you have the receipt, give me the part number
I do have the receipt, the description calls it a "Domestic Wiper Motor" and the part number was 40-3001 and it cost $94.15. The receipt is dated
12/21/05The one that was just installed has the same description and part number as the one that failed.
ITS A REBUILT/REMAN
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