Dive Brief:
- Ford Motor Co. has recalled nearly 423,000 SUVs and pickup trucks for windshield wiper arms that may break, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- The recalled vehicles were produced between October 2021 and December 2022 and include certain 2021-2023 Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition SUVs, as well as 2022-2023, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and F-600 Ford Super Duty trucks. An estimated 3% of vehicles are expected to have the defect.
- Dealers will inspect the wiper arms and replace them if necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters will be sent beginning April 13, with additional notification letters mailed when the remedy becomes available.
Dive Insight:
Defective windshield wiper arms on Ford vehicles may exhibit erratic motion, lose function or detach from the vehicle, which can compromise driver visibility and increase the risk of a crash, according to the report.
The suspect wiper arms were sourced from Tier 1 supplier Trico and manufactured at a company facility in Mexico.
According to the report, the wiper arm’s latch retention plate, which keeps the wiper arm head in place, may have been incorrectly staked during manufacturing. The automaker also cited “dimensional variability” in components that may limit engagement between the knurl and wiper arm head, leading to stripped splines that affect wiper arm operation.
The concern was brought to Ford’s attention on Jan. 15 after its Critical Concern Review Group received a report of stripped windshield wiper arm splines on some Expedition and Navigator SUVs.
A review was conducted as part of a three-year review included in a 2024 consent order between Ford and the NHTSA following a previous windshield wiper recall in April 2022 of 653,000 Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, F-150 and other Super Duty trucks. The suspect wiper arms were also supplied by Trico.
Ford’s investigators noted that Expedition and Navigator models produced after the October 2021 production window of the first recall had elevated warranty claims for windshield wiper malfunctions, with reports of detached wipers and stripped wiper arm splines.
Throughout January and February, Ford conducted a read-across analysis and reviewed field data from vehicles equipped with wiper arms supplied by Trico that had the same knurl design as the Expedition and Navigator. Based on the findings, Ford expanded the recall population to include F-Series Super Duty trucks.
Ford studied the dimensions of returned parts and reproduced the failure through computer-aided engineering analysis. In March, the automaker’s investigators concluded that improper engagement of teeth in the wiper arm head can lead to stripped splines.
Ford’s analysis was supported by supplier records and warranty forecasting, leading to its Field Review Committee to approve the recall on March 24.
Trico improved its wiper arm manufacturing process in December 2022 to address the issue, according to the report.
As of March 16, Ford is aware of 1,538 warranty reports, 11 field reports and three customer service reports related to the issue, the first of which was received Nov. 11, 2021. The automaker is not aware of any related accidents or injuries.
According to the notice Ford sent to dealers, a complete bulletin including technical instructions to address the recall will be provided on June 29 when a remedy is available. A potential wiper arm inspection process is currently being evaluated and wiper arms that do not pass will be replaced.
The recall follows another by Ford in March involving faulty windshield wipers that affected roughly 605,000 Explorer, Escape, Aviator and Corsair SUVs, bringing the total number of vehicles recalled for wiper problems last month to more than 1 million.
