Ford Recalls 422K Trucks, SUVs Over Risky Wiper Failures

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration disclosed the recall Tuesday, targeting 2021-2023 Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition SUVs, plus 2022-2023 Ford Super Duty trucks including F-250 through F-600 models. At stake: windshield wiper arms that may break, detach or operate erratically due to a manufacturing flaw at the supplier. The latch retention plate was incorrectly staked, and knurl engagement varied dimensionally, compromising the arm head's seating and teeth grip.[1][2][3] Ford pinpointed the defect in a January 2026 internal review amid climbing warranty claims for vehicles assembled October 2021 to December 2022. Production fixes implemented by the supplier in December 2022 confined the problem to that window; regulators estimate 3% of recalled vehicles carry the flaw. Drivers might notice erratic wipe speeds as a warning before total failure, which could obscure visibility and spike crash odds, NHTSA stated.[1][2][3] No accidents, injuries or fires tie to the issue, per Ford and NHTSA reports. Dealers got notice April 1, with owner letters mailed starting April 13 through April 17. Owners can check vehicle identification numbers on NHTSA's site as of that date.[2][3] Remedy calls for wiper arm inspections; faulty units get swapped with properly staked and spec-matched replacements. The recall underscores persistent quality pressures on Ford's truck-heavy lineup, which drives most of its profits amid EV pivots and tariff talks.[1][2][3] This action follows other recent Ford wiper-related scrutiny, with some reports suggesting the company tracked defects for years before federal nudge prompted the broad recall. Super Duty models, workhorses for fleets and consumers, amplify the stakes for Ford's reputation and service costs.[4]