572,000 Ford F-150s Recalled for Bad Windshield Wiper Motors
This is Ford’s second wiper-related recall of 2022, and it’s actually the smaller of the two.
A batch of 2021-2022 Ford F-150 pickups totaling more than 572,000 trucks across North America are being recalled for their windshield wiper motors. According to a defect notice published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the motors may suddenly become inoperable, leading to impaired visibility. Just 1% of the involved vehicles' motors are estimated to be defective, though Ford will replace them all as part of the recall.
Ford claims the potentially faulty parts were not used in pickups built at the Dearborn truck plant between May 3, 2021, and Sept. 10, 2021. As such, the affected vehicles were not produced in VIN order. The automaker explains that F-150s manufactured in Dearborn, Michigan, during that span use a different wiper motor design that isn't susceptible to the same problems. Per the NHTSA report, erratic wiper operation is an early indicator that the motor is on its way out.
No related accidents or injuries have been reported, to Ford's knowledge, though 1,378 warranty claims were received globally between May 6, 2021, and Oct. 12 of this year. The breakdown of affected vehicles includes 453,650 pickups in the United States, 103,076 in Canada, and 7,064 in Mexico. Ford cites the problematic wiper motors as coming from Trico Componentes, a Mexican supplier.
This is Ford's 63rd recall of 2022, the most of any automaker, and the second related to wipers. Ford recalled 653,000 pickups and SUVs in April for wiper arms that might break, possibly leading to obvious problems with visibility.
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