Ford announced the recall of 422,613 full-size SUVs and Super Duty pickup trucks due to a defective wiper arm assembly that can cause the vehicle’s windshield wipers to stop working.
The company says 2021-2023 Lincoln Navigators and Ford Expeditions as well as 2022-2023 Ford Super Duty pickups have been affected. Most of the recalled vehicles — 326,239 — are Ford’s heavy-duty pickups built between Oct. 21, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2022, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) filings.
“In all of the affected vehicles, it is possible that the splines on one or both wiper arms may become stripped or damaged. This may result in erratic wiper arm speed, an inoperable wiper arm and/or a wiper arm becoming detached from the vehicle,” according to NHTSA filings.
Officials from the automaker report the windshield wiper arm’s latch retention plate may have been installed incorrectly by the supplier. The plate keeps the arm head seated to the wiper arm, the report said. Ensuring the wiper arm is attached properly to the knurl ensures the arm works properly.
There have been more than 1,500 warranty reports related to the problem, but Ford “is not aware of any accidents, injuries or fires related to this concern.”
Affected owners will be notified by mail beginning April 13, although owners can search online by vehicle identification number (VIN) right now. Owners will need to take their vehicle to a nearby dealer, where the wiper arm will be inspected. If it does not pass the inspection, it will be replaced with a new wiper arm.
“Wiper arms used as the remedy for this field action will be produced with correct staking of the latch retention plate, and wiper arm splines within specification,” according to the recall report.
[Images: Ford, Lincoln]
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