Ford Motor Co. announced a recall of almost 653,000 full-size pickups and SUVs due to a problem with the windshield wiper arms.
The automaker detailed in a report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the vehicles come with wiper arms that are essentially not strong enough to withstand the torque from the wiper motors.
The mismatched set is a result of the company being forced to adapt to the chip shortage. Under certain circumstances this could cause the arms to break, leaving the driver with reduced visibility in rain and other weather conditions.
The vehicles affected include certain 2020-21 Ford F-150 pickups and Expedition SUVs; 2020-22 Super Duty F-350, F-450 and F-550 pickups; and 2020-21 Lincoln Navigator SUVs.
“An improper functioning wiper arm may potentially result in reduced visibility in certain conditions, which could increase the risk of a crash,” the company wrote in the report, according to Automotive News.
The reports outline the problem
According to the report, the wiper arms can work in an erratic manner or at a slower than expected speed, which makes it difficult to clear water from the windshield. The wipers are produced by Trico Componentes, a Mexico-based supplier.
As of Feb. 25, there have been 257 reports of wiper arms that stopped working or detached from the assembly on the Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators with another 380 on the Super Duty models. There were reports of 41 F-150s with the problem, Ford told the agency.
The first of these reports was received Feb. 5, 2020.
Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 23, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 22S26.