Issue with Chevrolet Equinox 2009 Rear Wiper Blade Rubber Seal

Hey everyone.

I own a Chevrolet Equinox 2009, and for sometime I've noticed that the rubber seal (black piece seen in the photos) between the wiper mechanism and the body hasn't been seated correctly. I recently realized that the hatch door body itself is distorted, possibly by someone forcibly pulling back the wiper arm to change out the wiper blade.

From other photos I have seen from this model online, the rubber seal should ideally be flush to the body. In the attached photos, I can rotate the seal and get it cover that hole but it does not *click* in as that metal where the paint is flaking a bit has been bent outwards.

My question: What would be the most economical way to deal with this? The rear hatch door has three drainage holes so water tighten-ness isn't a huge deal here I think. I am more concerned about the exposed metal rusting. Or perhaps someone with this vehicle model has had a similar problem? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

Hey everyone.

I own a Chevrolet Equinox 2009, and for sometime I've noticed that the rubber seal (black piece seen in the photos) between the wiper mechanism and the body hasn't been seated correctly. I recently realized that the hatch door body itself is distorted, possibly by someone forcibly pulling back the wiper arm to change out the wiper blade.

From other photos I have seen from this model online, the rubber seal should ideally be flush to the body. In the attached photos, I can rotate the seal and get it cover that hole but it does not *click* in as that metal where the paint is flaking a bit has been bent outwards.

My question: What would be the most economical way to deal with this? The rear hatch door has three drainage holes so water tighten-ness isn't a huge deal here I think. I am more concerned about the exposed metal rusting. Or perhaps someone with this vehicle model has had a similar problem? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

As long as it isn't scratched the exposed metal won't rust. The liftgate is galvanized steel. The paint will probably start flaking off, but it won't rust unless the galvanic layer is scratched off. The only way to truly fix it is to remove the wiper arm (and maybe the wiper motor too) and straighten out the metal so that the seal can be installed properly. Then, apply some touch-up paint to the area and let it cure before putting things back together.

That's probably a lot easier said than done because the metal appears to be stretched/pulled outward in that area. I'm thinking it will want to pop inward, and not flatten back to how it should be.

Be careful with that grommet. It's part number 15242157, but has been discontinued and the remaining stock appears to be sold out. You will need a small puller to get that wiper arm off. You will not be able to just pull it off. A battery cable puller might work if it fits around the wiper motor shaft. I replaced the wiper motor on ours almost 10 years ago. I rented the small three-jaw puller from AutoZone to get the wiper arm off. However, AutoZone no longer rents out the puller I used, so you'll need to find a battery cable puller that works.

Thanks a lot for your feedback, I was unware that the liftgate was galvanized. This eases my worry about rust!