Quick Facts: GM Bulletin #26-NA-140

  • Affected Vehicles: 2024–2026 Chevrolet Traverse, 2024–2026 GMC Acadia, 2025–2026 Buick Enclave
  • Primary Symptom: Complete vehicle “No-Crank / No-Start” condition
  • Diagnostic Clue: Blown F17UA Fuse in the Engine Junction Block

Modern automotive electrical engineering is an absolute marvel, but it has a funny way of complicating things. Today’s vehicles feature complex CAN bus networks, dozens of interconnected modules, and enough computing power to launch a rocket. But every now and then, a manufacturer groups a couple of components together on the same circuit in a way that defies all logical explanation, creating a bizarre Achilles’ heel that leaves owners vulnerable to the most unexpected mishaps.

Imagine walking out to your brand-new vehicle after a routine trip through the automated car wash, or after clearing a heavy load of wet snow off the rear window. You hop in, push the start button, and absolutely nothing happens.

You aren’t dealing with a dead battery, a fried ECU, or a dead key fob. Instead, a simple mechanical issue has completely paralyzed your entire powertrain.

Even worse, it also could have been a single disgruntled person walking past your midsize crossover. Intentionally or not, they bent one tiny piece of hardware and now it is completely ruining your day.

According to an official GM bulletin released on May 31, 2026, this exact and highly unusual “no start” condition is plaguing a specific lineup of Chevrolet, Buick and GMC family haulers.

If you drive a 2024–2026 Chevrolet Traverse, a 2024–2026 GMC Acadia, or a 2025–2026 Buick Enclave, you need to pay very close attention to one thing…

…..the state of your rear wiper blade.

No, I am not joking. As it turns out, a bent rear wiper arm or a binding wiper motor is actively leaving owners of these mid-size crossovers completely stranded. 

The Shared Fuse Trap: Fuse F17UA

How does a bent piece of metal on your tailgate prevent a 328-horsepower turbocharged engine from cranking? It all comes down to a single, shared fuse in the junction block.

A GM electrical wiring schematic highlighting that the 5-amp F17UA fuse supplies power to both the rear window wiper motor relay and the engine restart relay.
The X50A Engine Wiring Harness Junction Block diagram clearly shows how a jammed wiper motor can blow the 5-amp F17UA fuse and instantly cut power to the engine restart relay. (Image: GM-Techlink.com)

Deep inside the engine bay sits the X50A Engine Wiring Harness Junction Block. Inside this block is a specific fuse labeled F17UA. In GM’s wisdom, this single fuse is tasked with supplying power to two completely unrelated systems:

  • The rear window wiper motor relay
  • The engine restart relay

You can probably see where this is going. If an automated car wash brush catches the arm and bends it, or if it gets jammed by heavy winter ice, the wiper motor will bind up the next time it tries to cycle. When that electric motor jams, it draws a massive amount of current attempting to force its way back to the park position.

That electrical spike instantly pops fuse F17UA. And because that exact same fuse controls your engine restart relay, your brand-new truck or crossover is instantly transformed into a very expensive driveway ornament.

The Stranded Crossover Checklist (Bulletin #26-NA-140)
If you walk out to your new Acadia, Enclave, or Traverse and it refuses to crank, skip the heavy starter motor diagnostics for a second and take a walk around to the back of the vehicle:

  1. Is the rear wiper arm bent, sagging, or sitting at an odd angle?
  2. Did you recently go through a car wash or clear heavy wet snow off the back glass?
  3. Pop the hood and check Fuse F17UA in the engine junction block. If it’s blown, you’ve found your culprit.

What To Do If It Happens To You

If you find yourself stranded with a dead ignition and a blown F17UA fuse, simply throwing a new fuse into the slot isn’t going to fix it. The second you turn the accessory power on, the binding wiper motor will just pop the new fuse all over again.

To actually get moving, technicians and owners need to reference Bulletin #26-NA-140. The real fix requires physically straightening or replacing the bent wiper arm and ensuring the motor spins freely before replacing the fuse.

It’s a wild reminder of how interconnected modern vehicle platforms really are. So, next time you’re clearing ice off your tailgate or pulling up to the local automated wash, keep a close eye on that rear glass, because the health of your daily driver may depend on it.

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