Ford is expanding an existing recall for 2021 Ford F-150 trucks, adding 450,000 vehicles needing wiper motor replacements. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Ford Motor Co. expanded a recall from earlier this year adding about 450,000 F-150 trucks due to a malfunction in their windshield wiper motors.
The automobile manufacturer notified regulators of the issue with non-working wipers, expanding on an earlier recall that affected about 150,000 vehicles, the Detroit Free Press reported. The wiper motor may stop functioning because of a circuit board that is damaged by voltage spikes and "poor-quality wiper motor electrical terminals."
Ford issued the expanded recall alert on Tuesday for 2021 and 2022 F-150s. The recall affects vehicles built between Jan. 8, 2020, and March 22, 2021. Vehicles built at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan from May 3, 2021 to Sept. 10, 2021, are excluded from the recall because they were built with a different wiper motor.
"An inoperative wiper motor has the potential for reduced visibility or loss of visibility in certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash," the notification to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
The NHTSA warns this is an urgent safety recall and people should not drive the vehicles. This is particularly pressing in the case of winter weather events such as sleet and snow.
The faulty wiper component was manufactured by Trico Componentes, based in Matamoros, Mexico.
Under the recall, wiper motors will be removed and replaced with a new motor manufactured on Aug. 1 or later. Notifications for dealers and owners will be sent out beginning Jan. 3, 2023.
The initial recall was issued in March, calling for 157,000 vehicles to be brought into dealers to have their wiper motors replaced.
The company said it does not have any reports of accidents caused by the issue in question, saying only about 1% of the vehicles are likely to encounter the malfunction.