NHTSA Complaint #10818897 — 2013 FORD FUSION

I TOOK MY 2013 FORD FUSION (THEN STILL UNDER WARRANTY) TO THE DEALER IN SEPTEMBER 2014 BECAUSE MY WIPERS WERE SOMETIMES BOUNCING/ VIBRATING (AT TIMES VIOLENTLY) WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING, AND WOULD HESITATE INTERMITTENTLY AS THEY MOVED ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. THEY CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND DISMISSED IT. THEY CLAIMED THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. I VIDEOTAPED THE PROBLEM SHORTLY AFTER I PICKED-UP THE CAR AND SHARED THE YOUTUBE LINK WITH THE DEALER. VIDEO LINK: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/EJR8DM_FZ2C I LIVED WITH IT UNTIL A YEAR LATER (NOVEMBER, 2015) WHEN THE WIPERS CEASED WORKING IN HEAVY RAIN AT SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY. I LOST VISIBILITY IMMEDIATELY. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD. WHEN THE RAIN SLOWED, I MADE MY WAY TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND REMINDED THEM OF THE PROBLEM A YEAR EARLIER. THEY DIAGNOSED A WIPER MOTOR FAILURE AND--IN SPITE OF MY EARLIER VISIT UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE WIPER PROBLEM--DECLINED TO FIX IT UNLESS I PAID FOR THE REPAIR AS THE CAR WAS NOW NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT THE REPAIR, THUS I WAS AT THE MERCY OF THE DEALER FOR A $533 BILL, WHICH I PAID. I BELIEVE THE FAILURE OF THE WIPERS ON THE HIGHWAY WAS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD THE DEALER SERVICED THE VEHICLE WHEN I BROUGHT THE PROBLEM TO THEIR ATTENTION IN 2014. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT FAILURE DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THE DEALER FAILED TO MAKE THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF THE COST. THE FAILURE OF THE WIPER MOTORS WAS GRADUAL AND PROVIDED AMPLE WARNING FOR THE DEALER, BUT THEY FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT IN A TIMELY WAY. IN THE FUTURE, PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE VIBRATION AND HESITATION THAT TELEGRAPH POTENTIAL WIPER FAILURE SHOULD BE DEALT WITH IMMEDIATELY WHEN BROUGHT TO A DEALER'S ATTENTION.