NHTSA Complaint #10483438 — 2007 FORD MUSTANG

I HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY TRIP IN MY CAR IN AUGUST IN HEAVY RAIN ON A MOUNTAIN. AS I TRAVELED THE WIPER MOTOR BEGAN TO MAKE A VERY LOUD & SICKLY NOISE. AND THE WIPERS' WERE FUNCTIONING POORLY OR STOPPING COMPLETELY. I MADE IT TO MY DESTINATION HAVING BEEN ABLE TO GET THE WIPER BLADES' TO WORK AGAIN AFTER THEY WOULD STOP & NOT WORK. COMING BACK HOME DOWN A STEEP DOWNGRADE ON A MOUNTAIN THE RAIN BEGAN TO POUR VERY HARD & SUDDENLY WATER STARTING POURING INTO THE PASSENGER FLOORBOARD & THE WINDOWS' FOGGED & THE WIPER BLADES' STOPPED ALL TOGETHER. I HAD 3 VEHICLES' BEHIND ME ON A STEEP MOUNTAIN. AFTER MANAGING TO FIND A PLACE TO STOP ON THE SIDE WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE OUT AT ALL & WAITING OUT THE WORST OF THE RAIN. I THEN TOOK MY CAR TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP & THEY INDICATED I HAD THREE INCHES' OF WATER UNDER THE HOOD & THE WIPER MOTOR WAS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. I HAD THIS REPAIR DONE AT A COST OF $418 AND NO INDICATION OF WHAT TO DO TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN OR ANY OTHER INFO. I STUDIED THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET & DISCOVERED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO A LOT OF MUSTANG OWNERS'. CERTAIN MODEL MUSTANGS' YOU CAN FIND COWL COVERS' TO COVER THE WINDSHIELD WIPER AREA WHICH IS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THE HOLES' IN THE COWL & AROUND THE WIPERS' ARE LARGE ENOUGH FOR DEBRIS TO FILL UP THE VENTILATION SYSTEM & THEN THE WATER HAS NO WHERE TO GO BUT INSIDE THE CAR. ALSO THE PLUG UNDER THE HOOD IS SMALL AND HAS NO REAL CAPACITY TO DRAIN OFF LARGE TREE DEBRIS OR OTHER BITS' AND PIECES'. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. TODAY BECAUSE OF MY IRE OVER THIS & TO FIND A WAY TO AVOID THIS REPAIR AGAIN AND TODAY THEY INDICATED NOTHING COULD BE DONE FOR A REFUND OR A COWL COVER OR OTHER SOLUTION. THEY RECOMMENDED SOME WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE COVERS'. I THINK THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND COSTLY AND A POOR REAL WORLD DESIGN FOR THIS CAR OR ANY CAR. I PARK UNDER NO TREES'. *TR