NHTSA Complaint #10078421 — 2003 FORD E550

WE BOUGHT A FORD F150 AROUND AUGUST OF 2003. WE HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL MARCH OR APRIL OF 2004. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES THAT THE WIPERS HAVE NOT FUNCTIONED WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. AT THE BEGINNING, THEY WOULD WORK IN THE SELECTED MODE BUT IF YOU CHANGED THE SETTING, THEY WOULD STOP. THIS HAD HAPPENED ABOUT EIGHT TIMES. HOWEVER, IT HAS PROGRESSED TO STOPPING AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES, NO MATTER WHAT MODE YOU ARE IN. THE RAIN IN LOUISIANA COMES DOWN IN TORRENTS, YOU CANNOT SEE EVEN WITH THE WIPERS ON FULL SPEED. WHEN YOU HAVE NONE, IT WILL BE CATASTROPHIC. WE WERE ON OUR WAY BACK FROM HOUSTON, TX. ON MAY 31ST, 2004, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING, WHEN THERE WAS A DOWNPOUR. THE WIPERS WORKED FOR A COUPLE MINUTES THEN THEY JUST SHUT OFF. NO MATTER WHAT SPEED SHE PUT THE WIPERS IN, THEY WOULD NOT WORK. BY THIS TIME SHE REALLY COULDN'T SEE, TRIED TO PULL OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER AND WOUND UP IN THE MUD AND GRASS. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT, JUST SHOOK UP. WE WAITED UNTIL IT STOPPED RAINING AND PRECEDED HOME. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE FORD DEALER, THEY STATE THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE SO THEY CANNOT FIX IT. TOOK IT BACK AGAIN, AFTER ANOTHER INCIDENT, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE SO THEY STATE THEY CANNOT REPLACE THE ASSEMBLY. I HAVE TALKED TO THE MANUFACTURER IN MICHIGAN, THEY STATE THEY CANNOT FIX IT IF THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE IT. OUR POSITION IS: THE TRUCK IS WORTHLESS TO US, WE SHOULD NOT DRIVE IT ANYWHERE. IT IS A HAZARD ON THE ROAD, TO US AND TO ANYONE ELSE. THE STATE LAW IS THAT WIPERS WILL BE FUNCTIONAL AT ALL TIMES, IF THEY ARE NOT, WE CANNOT GET A BRAKE TAG AND WE SURELY CANNOT DRIVE IT IN THE CONDITION IT IS IN. WE ARE AT OUR WITS END, WHAT ARE WE TO DO? PLEASE HELP US. *AK