1999 Ford Ranger: windshield wiper failure

67 of the 755 complaints about the 1999 Ford Ranger describe windshield wiper failure.

owner complaints: 67
of this car's complaints: 9%
typical mileage: 59,802
recalls: 0

Is there a fix? 21 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Windshield wiper failure by model year

2022
1
2020
1
2019
1
2011
1
2008
1
2007
1
2006
3
2005
1
2004
5
2003
1
2002
3
2001
1
2000
5
1999
67
1998
4
1997
28
1996
37
1995
64
1993
1

What owners say

Filed Oct 19, 2016 · Visibility · 82,000 miles · IL

99 ford ranger xlt sport package. 5 speed manual. Truck body is rust free but frame has rotted out. Rust began on left rear frame and spread to entire frame and cross members. Spare tire fell off, frame cracked in half causing bumper to fall off, gas tank fell off truck hitting a small road bump at 60mph. Both sides of rear frame, bumper, and gas tank were repaired. Now frame has cracked in half under passenger side door. Truck is unsafe to drive with only 99,000 miles. Windshield wipers also go off intermittently and do not always work when turned on.

Filed May 3, 2010 · Visibility · 74,700 miles · RI

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford ranger. While driving 25 MPH, the contact stated that the windshield wipers activated without assistance. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was 74,700 and the current mileage was 76,005.

Filed Dec 1, 2009 · Visibility · 217,000 miles · IN

99 ford ranger, windshield wipers turn on by themselves while driving. Now wont turn on at all. Seems to be a driving hazard if your driving in the rain and they quit!!

Filed Oct 18, 2009 · Visibility · OH

(1) the windshield wipers will turn on by themselves while I am driving the vehicle when I have not activated them. I may be traveling at 20 to 65 MPH, sitting at a stop light, or turning at an intersection or corner, and the wipers just come on by themselves. (2) this event has occurred 2 - 3 times per week since 2007 and the consequence is that both wipers scrape across a dry windshield leaving tracks on the windshield. As I only have approximately 100,000 miles on the vehicle, these incidents began when I only had approximately 75,000 to 80,000 miles on it. (3) to stop the wipers, I pull over to the side of the road, turn off the engine and than restart the vehicle--this does not always work. The other is to put the wipers on fast speed for a couple of seconds and turn the wipers off. And this "solution" does not always work. At times during rain, when I first turn the wipers on, they will not turn on at all. I turn the wiper knob off and than put on high speed than back the speed down to get them working. A professional repair has not been made up to this date as I would like to know if this is a manufacturer's defect.

Filed Apr 4, 2009 · Electrical · 94,000 miles · OH · fire

1999 ford ranger. Windshield wipers activated for no reason and made shorting sound when turn signal lever was used. 2 days later while traveling home from pa. Rear of truck caught fire and in a matter of 3-4 seconds was a total loss traveling into the cab area. Interior was so burnt even the metal for the steering wheel was destroyed.I believe the was a short circuit in the wiring.

Filed Nov 3, 2008 · Visibility · 59,802 miles · KY

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford ranger. While driving at various speeds, the windshield wipers operated on their own intermittently. The wipers have to continuously be shut off manually. The VIN was not included in the recall regarding this failure. The current mileage was 78,000 and failure mileage was 59,802. Updated 11/26/08 *cn updated 12/01/08.

Filed Aug 24, 2007 · Visibility · 88,000 miles · OR

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford ranger. While driving 20 MPH in the rain, the contact activated the windshield wipers. However, the wipers did not begin to operate until 15 minutes after they were activated. The failure has occurred on numerous occasions. The contact did not locate any burnt fuses. She took the vehicle to the mechanic and they diagnosed the cause of failure as the wiring. The current mileage was 95,000 and failure mileage was 88,000.

Filed Oct 1, 2005 · Visibility · 10,000 miles · NV

Windshield wipers turn on intermittently, this happens when driving or sitting stopped with ignition on listening to radio... Also slipping of transmission when accelerating after a turn...this has happened many times, too many to count in the years since I owned the truck...

Filed Jun 20, 2005 · Visibility · 42,000 miles · FL

Wipers go on for no reason on humid days, has happended many times

Filed Apr 25, 2005 · Lights, Visibility · 250,000 miles · IA

Windshield wipers intermittemntly turn on when I make turns. Another problem: the 'door ajar' light comes on and the dome light won't turn off. Had the truck taken in before for the domelight problem.

Filed Mar 24, 2005 · Electrical · CA

1) windshield wipers randomly start and stop 2) smoke puffs rising from steering column occasionally

Filed Dec 16, 2004 · Electrical · CA

There is a problem with the door switches with this vechicle. I had the door switches replaced 2 years ago because they both were saying the the door was open when in fact they were closed. A year later the car started doing it again. It has been an on going problem since I can not afford to have the problem repaired. There is also a problem with the wipers. They spontainsouly turn themselves on for no reason and at times when I try to turn them on in the rain the dont work properly.