NHTSA Complaint #10258655 — 2007 FORD FUSION

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD DURING HEAVY RAIN RESULTING IN A NEARLY COMPLETE LOSS OF VISIBILITY. WHILE DRIVING SOUTH ON A FREEWAY AT NIGHT, IT SUDDENLY BEGAN TO RAIN HEAVILY. I TURNED THE WIPERS ON TO THE HIGHEST SPEED AVAILABLE. I QUICKLY LOST VISIBILITY AND COULD NOT DETERMINE WHERE THE EDGES OF THE ROAD WERE. I RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. I APPLIED THE BRAKES LIGHTLY, AND THE TAILGATING TRACTOR-TRAILER VEHICLE (18 WHEELER) PASSED ME AND CONTINUED ON AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH. THE SPRAY FROM THE TRUCK MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE MORE THAN A FEW FEET IN FRONT OF ME. EVEN AFTER THE TRUCK WAS PASSED AND I HAD SLOWED TO THE MINIMUM SPEED OF 45MPH, I STILL COULD NOT FIND THE EDGES OF THE ROAD OR SEE THE LANE MARKINGS. NO SETTING OF THE HEADLIGHTS OR FOG LIGHTS HELPED. THE AMOUNT OF RAIN ON THE WINDSHIELD IS AGGRAVATED BY THE SHAPE OF THE CAR, WHICH DIRECTS THE RAIN FROM THE HOOD TO THE WINDSHIELD AND THE LONG SLOPING WINDSHIELD GATHERS MORE RAIN THAN OLDER VEHICLES. *TR