My wipers stopped working, the wiper linkage is seized. Ford is stating because the vehicle was made and [XXX] but resides in the [XXX], I don’t qualify for the recall INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Ford F-150 wipers problems
466 of the 38,391 owner complaints about the Ford F-150 describe windshield wiper failure, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 466
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical repair cost reported
- $700
- typical mileage
- 55,000
Is there a fix? There are 9 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Water leak 14Fire or smoke 13Headlights 11Door locks 10Adaptive cruise 9Won't start 8Stalling 7Engine failure 7
What owners say
The body control module was destroyed when water leaked on it. Apparently there is a failed windshield seal(maybe) that causes leaking down the A pillar. That pillar leads the water directly to the wiring harness for the BCM. When my BCM went out, wipers, blinkers, external lights, speedo/tach, power windows (in the front), all HUD, all stereo, and I think the security system too, stopped working. It was raining hard, it was a very dark day/difficult to see. I and others could easily have been killed. VERY, VERY DANGEROUS! Why the BCM isn’t in a sealed box, is mind blowing. The fact that the computer to my truck can get wet at all is nothing short of asinine. The vehicle was inspected by ICDI Diesel in [XXX] [XXX]). The part is currently on order and isn’t expected to be delivered until XXX. The truck is available for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the windshield wipers failed to activate, and no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the control stalk, wiper motor, and the motor linkage were inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the windshield wipers failed to activate as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V842000 (VISIBILITY). The failure mileage was 97,000.
This vehicle 2016 ford F150 is known to have shorting issues. From literally all wiring harnesses. I had a small fire in my truck due to this issue, caused melting of the ribbon cable in my seat heater control module, which is a known issue from Ford. I have shorting in my turn signal switch (no wipers). Is that safe? I am a research scientist and engineer, I can tell you now it is not safe. If i need to prove it, I can do so with ease and write the necessary literature. If I cant use my AC sometimes, the windows fog, then i cant use the wipers to unfog them, how is this not a visibility issue? Not to mention all the shorts. I have a 40 gallon fuel tank, if any shorts get near it, is that going to be a fun experience for me? Please give Ford a penalty, the average owner of this truck pays thousands a year in repairs. I paid $17,800.00 in 2025 to repair this piece of shit. And it still has major issues. This is something ford needs to address, i want my wiring to be replaced, i bought a new engine, what if i cant use it especailly with the 3 year warranty bc the wiring consistently shorts and fails. unacceptable for a truck that's sticker price is $80k. This is a major problem, I will file claims until im afforded a response
Almost all functions connected to the steering column quit working. I do not have working turn signals, high beams or wipers, unless the wipers are on high. None of the functions on the steering wheel work. It seems like a safety issue to not have functioning turn signals or properly finctioning wipers and high beams. No lamps or warnings.
the instrument panel cluster flickered and flashed for months consistently after the recall repair was complete then failed just outside of bumper to bumper warranty. yes its available for inspection. When failure occurred the turn signals wipers and collision safety systems all stopped working simultaneously. The vehicle is at the dealer and has been confirmed. The component is still in the vehicle. no warning lamps symptoms have been present for the entire 1 year of ownership but became more predominate after recall software update.
When using the window wipers, they become inoperable. Stopping in the middle of the window, pausing when moving, or completely stopping and unable to get them to start moving until they begin to move on their own. This has occurred multiple times and at multiple different speeds of operation for the wipers. This was a previous recall issued by Ford that has been completed on the vehicle yet the same result is occurring.
The linkage on the passenger side windshield wiper is known to seize from rust. Canada has a recall on this particular issue, but not America. I have had failing blades in heavy rain as a result.
I was driving down the road with my windshield wipers as it was raining and they suddenly just stopped in the middle of the window. Imagine driving and suddenly can’t see???? Oh yeah not to mention we had to have it towed because it’s raining!!!!
Related recalls
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, 2021-2023 F-150, 2022 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles. The moonroof wind deflector clips may be inadequately attached to the moonroof frame, which can result in the wind deflector detaching from the vehicle.
- Risk
- A detached wind deflector can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the moonroof wind deflector as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SB7. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning October 30, 2025.
Recall number 25V729000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024 F-150 vehicles. The windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
- Risk
- A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove and reinstall the windshield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 10, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C20.
Recall number 24V486000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.
- Risk
- Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the wiper arms, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 13, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S10. This recall expands previous recall number 22V‑250.
Recall number 23V163000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 F-150 vehicles. The front windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.
- Risk
- Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper motor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2023. Remedy parts are expected in the 3rd Quarter of 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S71. This recall expands previous recall number 22V‑142.
Recall number 22V842000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-150, Expedition, 2020-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.
- Risk
- Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available 3rd Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S26.
Recall number 22V250000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The front windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.
- Risk
- Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper motor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 22, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S12.
Recall number 22V142000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 and 2020-2021 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, if the windshield separates from the vehicle, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove and reinstall the windshield, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C06.
Recall number 21V090000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks, passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may have been produced without grease being applied to the output shaft gear.
- Risk
- After a period of continuous use on the high speed setting, lack of grease on the output shaft gear may cause the gear to distort or fracture during operation resulting in a loss of wiper function. Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the wiper motor for the presence of grease and grease the wiper motor gears if necessary. The recall began on november 22, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673 or lincoln/mercury at 1‑800‑521‑4140.
Recall number 05V520000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. These vehicles were built at the following assembly plants: atlanta plant from 2/11/00 through 7/31/00; chicago plant from 2/14/00 through 8/4/00; kansas city plant from 2/26/00 to 9/4/00; kentucky truck plant from 2/18/00 to 8/31/00; michigan truck plant from 2/23/00 through 8/3/00; norfolk plant from 2/21/00 through 7/27/00; wayne stamping and assembly plant from 2/25/00 through 8/15/00; and wixom plant from 2/15/00 through 8/8/00.
- Risk
- Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 01V258000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford F-150 wipers
Which Ford F-150 years have windshield wiper failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (62 complaints), 2021 (52 complaints) and 2016 (37 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix windshield wiper failure on the Ford F-150?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $700 (median of 20 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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