NHTSA Complaint #10288844 — 1999 FORD RANGER

(1) THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL TURN ON BY THEMSELVES WHILE I AM DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN I HAVE NOT ACTIVATED THEM. I MAY BE TRAVELING AT 20 TO 65 MPH, SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT, OR TURNING AT AN INTERSECTION OR CORNER, AND THE WIPERS JUST COME ON BY THEMSELVES. (2) THIS EVENT HAS OCCURRED 2 - 3 TIMES PER WEEK SINCE 2007 AND THE CONSEQUENCE IS THAT BOTH WIPERS SCRAPE ACROSS A DRY WINDSHIELD LEAVING TRACKS ON THE WINDSHIELD. AS I ONLY HAVE APPROXIMATELY 100,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, THESE INCIDENTS BEGAN WHEN I ONLY HAD APPROXIMATELY 75,000 TO 80,000 MILES ON IT. (3) TO STOP THE WIPERS, I PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND THAN RESTART THE VEHICLE--THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK. THE OTHER IS TO PUT THE WIPERS ON FAST SPEED FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND TURN THE WIPERS OFF. AND THIS "SOLUTION" DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK. AT TIMES DURING RAIN, WHEN I FIRST TURN THE WIPERS ON, THEY WILL NOT TURN ON AT ALL. I TURN THE WIPER KNOB OFF AND THAN PUT ON HIGH SPEED THAN BACK THE SPEED DOWN TO GET THEM WORKING. A PROFESSIONAL REPAIR HAS NOT BEEN MADE UP TO THIS DATE AS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *TR