NHTSA Complaint #10938021 — 2016 FORD EDGE

I WAS DRIVING HOME CHRISTMAS NIGHT AFTER SPENDING THE WEEKEND WITH FAMILY, IT WAS RAINING HARD AND WINDY (20-30MPH GUSTS). WHILE DRIVING WITH MY WIPERS ON AT 70MPH ON INTERSTATE 35 SOUTH JUST NORTH OF ALBERT LEA MINNESOTA MY WIPER BLADES STARTED TO GET CAUGHT IN THE WIND, I HEARD A SLAPPING NOISE A FEW TIMES AND THEN ALL THE SUDDEN AS THE WIPERS WENT TO WIPE THE PASSENGER SIDE BLADE WAS LIFTED BY THE WIND AND WAS DROPPED ON TOP OF THE OTHER BLADE. THE LATCH THAT HOLDS THE BLADE ON TO THE DRIVER SIDE WIPER WAS BLOCKING THE PASSENGER SIDE BLADE AND CAUSED THE WIPERS TO BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. AT THIS POINT I WAS GETTING VERY NERVOUS BECAUSE VISIBILITY RAPIDLY DIMINISHED BECAUSE I COULD NO LONGER USE MY WIPERS. I TRIED TURNING THEM ON TO HIGH AND LOW AND THEY WOULD NOT WORK. THE WIPERS DID TRY TO "FIX" THEM SELVES BY PULSING A FEW TIMES BUT ONLY IN THE DOWN DIRECTION, HAD THEY TRIED TO GO IN THE UPRIGHT DIRECTION I THINK THEY COULD HAVE FIXED THEM SELVES. AT THIS POINT I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PULL OVER IN THE COLD AND RAIN TO MANUALLY MOVE THE WIPER ARMS INTO A POSITION WERE THEY COULD WORK NORMALLY, MIND YOU I WAS GOING 70MPH AND WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE VERY WELL TO EVEN PULL OVER. ON AN UNRELATED NOTE, THE HEADLIGHTS IN THIS VEHICLE ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ROADS ARE WET ARE THE ABSOLUTE WORSE HEADLIGHTS I HAVE EVER USED. NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR A BRAND NEW CAR. *TR