Ford Motor Company on April 7 announced a recall of 422,613 vehicles due to a defect with their windshield wiper arm assemblies that may cause the arms to fall off when in use.
Windshield wiper arms on the recall population may have been incorrectly attached at the supplier level, the report said. As a result, the vehicles’ windshield wipers may function erratically or even detach while in operation. These wipers were made by Trico Components in Matamoros, Mexico.
Ford said its Critical Concern Review Group first became aware of reports regarding stripped windshield wiper splines in mid-January. The group noticed a higher level of warranty claims related to stripped wiper arm splines or windshield wipers fully detaching from certain Expedition and Navigator vehicles, model years 2021–2023.
During the following 45 days, Ford said it conducted testing and assessed field performance data from vehicles that have the same windshield wiper design and use Trico wiper blades. It also reviewed and evaluated affected parts to determine if they adhered to technical and dimensional specifications.
Based on the group’s findings, the investigation was expanded to include F250-F600 Super Duty trucks for model years 2022–2023. The investigative group determined in March that a combination of conditions led to the issue with the windshield wiper arms. Trico improved its production processes in December 2022, which addressed the wiper issues, Ford said.
By mid-March, Ford said it had received 1,538 warranty reports, 11 field reports, and three customer service reports regarding the problem. However, there haven’t been any accidents or injuries reported from the windshield wiper issue. A remedy for affected vehicles is still being developed, the automaker added, but vehicles with faulty wiper arms will be replaced at no cost to owners.
Ford owners can also contact customer service at 866-436-7332 and reference recall number 26S24.
