Ford expands 2021 F-150 recall for faulty windshield wiper

The 2021 Ford F-150 pickup truck is being recalled for windshield wiper arms that could break, obstruct outward vision, and increase the risk of a crash, the NHTSA disclosed on Monday. 

The wiper arm spline might not have the correct tooth height, which could lead to the arm stripping from the spline and detaching from the truck. Drivers and passengers might notice erratic or slow wiper speeds before it detaches.

The recall encompasses 222,454 F-150 pickup trucks. It is an expansion of a recall announced April 14, 2022, encompassing 652,996 units from the 2020-2021 F-150 model years, as well as heavy duty iterations and Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator full-size SUVs. The older recall was labeled 22S26 by Ford, whereas the expanded recall is 23S10. 

The difference in the recalls was the current population of trucks had a smart wiper motor that sensed precipitation and would apply less torque to the wiper arms based on the circumstances. Originally, Ford thought the lower maximum torque of that type of wiper precluded it from the original recall. Further investigation found that the rate of windshield arm failures matched that of the high torque wiper motor. 

Ford acknowledged 576 reports of inoperative or detached windshield wiper arms related to this condition globally. 

Redesigned for 2021, the 2021 Ford F-150 has been recalled 15 times for an array of safety issues. 

To complicate matters, another windshield wiper recall on America’s bestselling vehicle was announced Nov. 15, 2022, for a windshield wiper motor that can become inoperative and lead to the wipers failing. That recall was labeled 22S71, and covered 474,561 trucks from the 2021-2022 model years. That recall fix required a new windshield wiper motor. 

This expanded recall may require new windshield wiper arms. Ford advises owners to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealer for inspection, and to have the wiper arms replaced if necessary at no cost to owners. Reimbursement will be available through Sept. 13, 2023, for owners who have already paid for the fix out of pocket. 

Owners can expect notification by mail as early as March 27. For more info, contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or visit Ford’s recall website.