NHTSA Complaint #11191041 — 2012 FORD F-150

THE REAR DEFROSTER HAS NOT WORKED IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE FROM 2009-2014 AND THAT IT IS NOT WORTH FIXING BECAUSE IT WILL JUST BREAK AGAIN. WITH A PUSHBUTTON RATHER THAN A TOGGLE SWITCH IT IS NOT CLEAR IF IT IS TURNED ON OR OFF. DRIVING ONE RAINY DAY, IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS DRIPPING RAIN INSIDE THE TRUCK AT THE BACK WINDOW, BUT I COULD NOT SEE ANY WATER COMING IN. I THEN NOTICED THE LIGHT WAS ON FOR THE REAR DEFROST. I RECALLED WHAT I HAD READ ABOUT THESE DEFROSTERS SHORTING OUT AND CAUSING THE WINDOW TO SHATTER. I REALIZED THAT WAS THE SOUND OF ELECTRICAL ARCING RATHER THAN WATER. I QUICKLY PUSHED THE BUTTON TO THE OFF POSITION AND WITHIN ONE SECOND, BOOM, THE WINDOW WAS SHATTERED. WITH THE LARGE VOLUME OF COMMENTS AND ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET, WHY IS FORD NOT RECALLING THIS? THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE WINDOW TO GET REPLACED AND AS MANY OTHERS DO, I DO NOT HAVE IT PLUGGED IN TO AVOID ANOTHER SHATTERED WINDOW. ALSO, THE MIRROR DEFROSTERS WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT THE ENTIRE CIRCUIT BEING COMPLETED. I HAVE OTHER PAST EXPERIENCE WITH FORD NOT BACKING THEIR PRODUCT.