NHTSA Complaint #10560517 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS REST ON A PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD THAT IS NOT HEATED. AFTER HAVING FULLY CLEARED MY WINDSHIELD OF SNOW AND ICE BEFORE MY TRIP, I WAS QUITE SURPRISED TO FIND MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS NON-FUNCTIONAL WHEN I WENT TO USE THEM TO CLEAR ROAD SPRAY FROM MY WINDSHIELD. WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS THAT THE WIPERS HAD REFROZEN TO THE WINDSHIELD AFTER HAVING BEEN CLEARED EARLIER. I COMMONLY DRIVE WITH THE VEHICLE'S CLIMATE CONTROL SET TO THE FLOOR/DEFROST SETTING TO KEEP THE WINDSHIELD WARM, ESPECIALLY ON THE FIRST LEG OF A TRIP. THIS IS THE FIRST VEHICLE I OWN WHERE THE WIPERS DISAPPEAR FROM THE VIEW WHEN THEY ARE NOT USED. INSPECTION OF THE WINDSHIELD DESIGN SHOWS THAT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD IS NOT DIRECTLY EXPOSED TO CABIN HEAT, NOR IS THERE A EASY PATH FOR ENGINE HEAT TO AFFECT THIS AREA. THERE SHOULD BE, AT A MINIMUM, A METHOD TO DEFROST THE LOWER PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD THAT THE WIPERS REST ON, EITHER THROUGH DIRECT THERMAL ELECTRIC MEANS, OR BY EXPOSURE TO CABIN HEAT WHEN THE HVAC IS ON THE DEFROST SETTING. HAVING WIPERS THAT RANDOMLY NOT FUNCTION BECAUSE THEY ARE FROZEN REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD WHEN ROAD SPRAY COVERS YOUR WINDSHIELD DUE TO GREATLY REDUCED VISIBILITY. ADDITIONAL HAZARDS ARE PRESENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO CHOICE TO BUT TO IMMEDIATLY STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO FREE YOUR WIPERS. THIS LEAVES YOU EXPOSED TO TRAFFIC TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS WHILE YOU ARE STOPPED, AS WELL AS THE INHERENT RISK ASSOCIATED WITH MERGING BACK ON THE ROAD FROM A FULL STOP WITHOUT THE AID OF AN ON-RAMP, OR OTHER ACCELERATION LANE. *TR