Ford has issued a recall for certain 2021-2022 F-150 trucks. The front windshield wiper motor might fail, leaving the wipers inoperable, which could lead to an accident. The recall affects 453,650 trucks.
The recall does not affect models built at the company’s Dearborn Truck Plant from May 3, 2021, to September 10, 2021. During this time, Ford made these trucks with a different wiper motor design due to pandemic-induced microchip shortages. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue. However, the automaker said it’s aware of 1,378 warranty reports globally related to inoperative or intermittently functioning windshield wipers.
Gallery: 2021 Ford F-150
Ford will contact owners with affected trucks, with the automaker sending out owner notification letters on January 3, 2023. Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper motor free of charge.
The microchip shortage in 2021 crippled much of the industry as automakers struggled to build vehicles. Ford had to pause some vehicle production, putting the Mustang on a brief hiatus, and making F-150 pickups with missing features. And that was on top of the truck’s high demand from consumers who flocked to the new pickup, which Ford redesigned for the 2021 model year. General Motors also struggled with production, idling the factory building the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.
Ford has had to issue several recalls this year, including several for the F-150. In September, the Blue Oval recalled certain F-150 Raptors for loose wheel lug nuts. In June, FoMoCo issued a safety compliance recall for the electric F-150 Lightning. The truck’s tire pressure monitoring system on models with 20- or 22-inch wheels might not have illuminated.
Ford recalled the F-150, and several other vehicles, earlier this year for faulty wiper blades. However, the cars 600,000 affected by the new recall weren’t covered by the earlier one, which also involved the Expedition, Super Duty, and Lincoln Navigator. It’s been a tough year for the Dearborn-based automaker, which has had to recall thousands of popular models like the Mustang Mach-E, Bronco, and Maverick.
