While driving home in the evening I drove through a swarm of insects. I pushed the button to spray washer fluid and engage the wipers to clear the windshield. No fluid came out and the windshield became smeared there by obscuring visibility. I thought that odd as I always top off windshield washer fluid on all my vehicles as part of routine maintenance. When I arrived home I put approximately 1 gallon of fluid into the washer reservoir which quickly emptied onto the fender liner and the ground. Apparently there is a known defect with the washer fluid reservoir that causes it to split along the seam and empty its contents. I believe this could be a safety issue due to the flat upright design of the Bronco windshield making it a bug splat magnet and not being able to clear visibility. The Bronco is also marketed as an off-road vehicle and the windshield could be covered in mud or dust. There is no warning lamp for low washer fluid.
2021 Ford Bronco: windshield wiper failure
13 of the 231 complaints about the 2021 Ford Bronco describe windshield wiper failure.
- owner complaints
- 13
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- recalls
- 0
Windshield wiper failure by model year
What owners say
The wiper will work for about 20 minutes. the slow to a very slow intermittent wipe no matter the rain amount. Once this has started you can adjust the speed of the wiper and it will work for about 30 seconds the fall back into the slow intermittent wipe. I took it to the dealer, and they said the wipers were working normally, even though I have a video of the issue happening. There are no indications of a malfunction on the dashboard.
The wipers are slowing during use. Seems like a intermittent weak motor.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the front windshield wipers at the low or high position, the windshield wipers slowed down and almost stopped. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed him that the windshield wipers were working as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted on several occasions and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 18,822.
Windshield wipers are very slow when set to high speed. On the highest setting they are going the same speed as other vehicles low speed setting. During heavier rain visibility is near zero in the Bronco when it wouldn’t be in other vehicles.
The wipers shut off on their own during heavy rains. Need to be turned on and off to get to activate. I took it to dealer and they said Ford said it is normal.
When driving in light, moderate, and heavy rain, the wipers fail to operate properly causing a loss in visibility and significant risk of accident. Specifically, when the wipers are on the fast intermittent, slow constant on, or fast constant on, they operate as expected for 45-80 seconds after which the wipers begin to slow down and stop. The wipers must be physically turned off and back on the make them work again, only to have the issue continue to occur after another 45-80 seconds. While driving at freeway speeds in moderate rain, this issue has caused numerous dangerous situations where my visibility has been reduced significantly.
This issue occurs anytime the wipers are used, including rain, snow, sleet, etc.. The issue has been present from day 1 of ownership and continues to this day. Wipers are turned on to any setting. After approximately 1 minute, the wiping will stop completely, then start wiping at approximately 4sec intervals (15 cycles per minute). This pace is almost always inadequate to provide unobstructed visibility. This pace does not meet the mandated requirements of FMVSS 104 section S4.1.1.3 (20 cycles per minute) and thus means the vehicle should deemed non compliant for on road use until corrected.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that after replacing the windshield wipers a crack formed on the bottom passenger’s side corner of the windshield. The contact stated that the crack then spread up to the top corner of the window shield. The contact stated he called the local dealer who informed him they were unable to repair the vehicle due to not having the part available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact stated that he called his insurance company who then referred him to Safelite. Once the contact called Safelite they scheduled a repair appointment; however, they delivered the wrong windshield for the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned that the quality of the windshield was poor and could cause severe injuries in the event of a crash. The approximate failure mileage was 1,200.
The speed of wipers is not fast enough. In moderate rain on high the wipers do not clear window fast enough.
The wipers slow down to intermittent after 45 seconds or so every time driving in the rain when they are set on continuous or continuous high. This temporarily hampers your visibility when driving in the rain and the Bronco is not even supposed to have auto sensing wipers. You have to change the wiper setting then put in back where you want the speed to be only to have it slow down again in 45 seconds or so.
When operating the wipers at either of the highest/fastest settings (LOW and HIGH), after about 45 seconds, the wipers will revert to intermittent. This happens at various driving speeds (not specific to driving slow or fast). When driving in heavy rain, it is very dangerous to suddenly not have adequate wipers.
Service bulletins that may apply
- 25S49 Recall Remedy: -Infotainment software update to address frozen screens"
- Water leak from the A-pillar, overhead console/upfitter switches and/or sun visors
- Water leak from the a-pillar, overhead console/upfitter switches and/or sun visors
- Certain 2021-2023 Model Year Bronco Vehicles
- Loose exterior fabric on the rear window assembly
- Exterior wear on the sides of the soft top material above the B-pillar
- HVAC switching out of recirculation without input
- Rattle from the front windows with the windows placed in the partially down position and driving over...
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2021 Ford Bronco wipers
Is windshield wiper failure a common problem on the 2021 Ford Bronco?
13 of 231 owner complaints about the 2021 Ford Bronco (6%) mention windshield wiper failure. The model year with the most reports is 2023.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Ford Bronco?
There are 0 recalls and 23 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2021 Ford Bronco
Engine failure 34Fuel pump 19Loss of power 18Check engine light 16Stalling 12Won't start 10Backup camera 8Fire or smoke 5
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