Ford Visibility: Windshield Wiper/Washer

Ford is recalling about 283 vehicles over a problem with the visibility. A washer system contaminated with brake fluid can reduce the driver's ability to clear windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.

Campaign
21V014000
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Reported
15 January 2021
Vehicles
283
Built between
Not published
Models
2
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
2 March 2021
Repaired
75%
Unrepaired
70

Does this affect my vehicle?

The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.

  • 2020 Ford Explorer Police Intercept
  • 2020 Lincoln Aviator

Repair progress

70 of 283 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q4 2022.

75% repaired — 212 of 283 reported

Owners not reachable
1

Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.

What the defect is

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility and 2020 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The affected vehicles contain windshield washer fluid that was contaminated with brake fluid. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."

What could happen

A washer system contaminated with brake fluid can reduce the driver's ability to clear windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush out the washer system, replacing the washer bottle neck, washer pump assembly, fluid level sensor and the front and rear wiper blades. Dealers will also inspect and repair the vehicle's paint and exterior components if affected, free of charge. The recall began March 2, 2021.

Timeline

  1. Recall reported to NHTSA15 January 2021
  2. Owners notified2 March 2021
  3. Latest repair reportQ4 2022 — 75% repaired

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 15 January 2021.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C01.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
21C01
Recalling manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Safety standard
FMVSS 104
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand