The defect
Proterra Operating Company, Inc. (Proterra) is recalling certain 2020-2022 35" Catalyst, 35" ZX5, and 40" ZX5 vehicles. The windshield wiper motors may operate intermittently or may fail to operate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."
The risk
Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the wiper motors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 3, 2023. Owners may contact Proterra customer service at 1-864-438-0000.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Proterra Catalyst | 2020, 2021, 2022 |
| Proterra ZX5 | 2020, 2021, 2022 |
Components: VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proterra Catalyst | 2020 | 0 | 8 |
| Proterra Catalyst | 2021 | 1 | 5 |
| Proterra Catalyst | 2022 | 0 | 3 |
| Proterra ZX5 | 2020 | 0 | 6 |
| Proterra ZX5 | 2021 | 0 | 6 |
| Proterra ZX5 | 2022 | 0 | 6 |
Other visibility recalls in 2023
20 of the 894 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2023 concerned the visibility; Proterra Operating Company, Inc. filed 5 campaigns in all.
| 23V856000 17 Dec 2023 | Bombardier Recreational Products, Inc. |
| 23V812000 4 Dec 2023 | Gillig, LLC |
| 23V783000 21 Nov 2023 | Rivian Automotive, LLC |
| 23V733000 1 Nov 2023 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC |
| 23V688000 13 Oct 2023 | Ford Motor Company |
| 23V681000 12 Oct 2023 | General Motors, LLC |
| 23V518000 27 Jul 2023 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 23V511000 24 Jul 2023 | Volvo Trucks North America |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2023