According to a Bronco forum, there have been wiper control speed issues that some Bronco owners have had to deal with. According to one Bronco owner, there was nothing smart about the Smart Wiper he purchased for his vehicle. This is because it did not come with some of the features that make it a Smart Wiper such as a rain sensor that can detect rain and turn the wipers on automatically.
Another Bronco owner on the forum complained about how the RainX wipers (two thick coats of the direct spray-on did not last him for more than two weeks. On the other hand, another Bronco driver stated that he uses the RainX on his Fusion for over a year regularly. He stated that the reason why the RainX may not have been so effective might have been because of the aerodynamics and slope of the windshield.
This driver stated that there had been no reason for him to make use of his Bronco wipers even with significant rain. The Bronco design stops water from steaming off on the windshield effectively. The water does not streak off, rather, it stays at where it is on the windshield which is pretty good. Let us take a look at some common wiper speed control speed issues that Bronco drivers face .
Wiper Control Speed Issues
After some research, we came across a story of a Bronco driver’s experience with wiper control speed issues. The kind of issue he was facing had to do with his wipers slowing down at full speeds and going intermittent. In some cases, it would be difficult to see with the wipers while driving so one would have to play with them while driving to keep them going and moving.
Someone on the forum claimed that he could be facing the problem because he enabled auto mode for his wipers. Auto mode has to do with the sensors on the wipers detect what it is on the windshield – could be rain or snow – and slows or speeds the wipers accordingly. This could be done as a result of the strength or heaviness of the weather.
This problem becomes extremely serious when driving because it limits the ability to see. The Bronco driver stated that he tried every setting that could possibly fix the problem but it only worsened. According to him, he would turn the wipers all the way so they can be continuously fast but after about a minute, they would slow down. Once the wipers slow down, they function every four to five seconds.
He also claimed that the wiper problem affected his vision while driving, as stated above. While driving, a car ahead of him would have braked but he would not notice until it was too close and would then have to brake hard to avoid accidents. There were some other comments in the forum that stated that they have also had this trouble where their wipers would move from extremely fast to slow and causes poor sight while driving.
Another Bronco driver on the forum stated that when he noticed the problem, he took his vehicle to Ontario, London, and they fixed the issue on their own. They didn’t inform him of what may have caused the problem and they also stated that there are no service bulletins that warn other drivers of the Bronco problem. And it is unlikely that there will be a service bulletin if there are no complaints about the issue.
A similar complaint about the wiper control speed issue was lodged by a Washington Bronco owner who stated that when on low setting, the wipers will automatically change to an intermittent setting after fifty seconds. And when changed from intermittent or high to slow setting, it functions for about another fifty seconds and goes back to a slow intermittent setting. During heavy rain, it will surely be difficult to drive with such an issue as one would have to focus on the wipers rather than the driving.
Lastly, another complaint was from a North Carolina owner who stated that his wipers usually stop or slow down when it is raining heavily and is on a constant setting which is not the intermittent setting. To fix this problem, he had to turn the switch on and off constantly so the wipers could function continuously.
Other Bronco Wiper Issues
As explained above, some Bronco owners find the Smart Wipers quite problematic. Ford Bronco 2023 models come with Smart Wipers. These Wipers are made to stop functioning when the windshield gets dry. This may not exactly be a good feature as there have been a couple of complaints about how it is not very effective.
A complaint lodged to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) stated that this new feature brings about an unsafe condition as it seems like Ford has tried to reinvent the wheel. Another complaint stated that the features on the Bronco wipers are a major safety issue common to the 2021 and 2022 models.
There were about 18 complaints of the 2023 Bronco wipers malfunctioning between December 2022 and February 2023. There were 29 complaints lodged with the NHTSA regarding the 2022 model and 6 complaints regarding the 2021 model. At the end of the day, we can see that these complaints lodged are not exactly significant for Ford to take notice of.
Ford’s Response to the Bronco Forum
Most of the responses Bronco owners got from Ford on the Bronco forum did not lead to a solution or fix the wiper control speed issue. The most recent response was to a 2023 Michigan Bronco Raptor owner who explained how he had to face the issue during a snowstorm. The response only requested for him to a message with his VIN to them and his local Ford dealer.
Conclusion
The Bronco wiper control speed issues can be classified as a major safety concern as it could lead to extreme damages during a heavy rain or a snowstorm. It could be very hazardous trying to operate the speed settings manually to keep the wipers functioning while driving. From what we have seen, there have been no significant responses from Ford neither did anyone on the forum state if their problem got solved.
