NHTSA Complaint #710810 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

FREEZING RAIN THE NIGHT BEFORE A TRIP OCCURED, WIPERS STOPPED WORKING 20 MILES INTO A 130 MILE TRIP AND REFUSED TO WORK REST OF TRIP. REQUESTED AN APPOINTMENT WITH ROTH FORD IN PETERSBURG, WV TO ENLARGE WINDSHIELD WIPER STORAGE AREA DRAIN HOLE. DEALER REFUSED, SAID THAT AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE HAD CALL IN WITH WIPERS FROZEN. DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP, I TRIED TO GET THE WIPERS TO WORK. THEY WOULD BARELY MOVE, BUT WOULD NOT OPERATE. AFTER VEHICLE SAT IN AIRPORT PARKING LOT FOR 10 DAYS, WIPERS WORKED. I SAW AN ARTICLE IN A RECENT NEWSPAPER ABOUT THIS MALFUNCTION, SO EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT PRUSUE IT WITH THE LOCAL DEALER OR WITH THE ORIGINAL DEALER, I WANTED TO INFORM NHTSA THAT IT IS PROBABLY MORE OF A PROBLEM THAN THE 35 INCIDENTS MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE. *AK