Ford Recalls Maverick, Bronco Sport, Mustang Mach-E Over Wiper Motor Problems

Aside from the blue ovals inside and out, what else do the Maverick, Bronco Sport, and Mustang Mach-E have in common? All three models are made in the United States of America and not in the United States of America. By extension, the windshield wiper motors on these models are also made by Robert Bosch in Mexico.

It appears that many of those motors could fail due to a missing sealant between the transmission case and the cover. In other words, the motor could fail unexpectedly due to water ingress. Ford Motor Company is aware of 37,371 vehicles produced with questionable wiper motors for the 2023 and 2024 model years at the Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant and the Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant.

The Critical Concern Review Group began looking into the issue in April 2024, following a report of non-functioning windshield wipers on Maverick and Bronco Sport vehicles. The supplier analyzed the returned replacement parts. The root cause of these failures? Improper application of sealant between the gearbox and the cover.

Ford is aware of 81 warranty reports with confirmed water inclusions, with the first one received on July 26, 2023. Maverick trucks with suspect wiper motors number 18,681 in the U.S., while the mechanically similar Bronco Sport is listed with 15,087 units. Based on an Escape-derived platform, the zero-emission Mustang Mach-E has been recalled for a total of 3,603 vehicles.

The suspect motors' part numbers do not differ from the remedy motors. M1PB-17504-AC is the Bronco Sport front wiper motor part number, while NZ6B-17504-AC and LJ8B-17504-AC are the Maverick and Mustang Mach-E part numbers. All three versions of the front wiper motor are manufactured in Toluca, Mexico.

2022 Ford Mustang

Photo: Ford

Dealers have already been instructed to install engines with properly applied sealants at no cost to owners, with notification letters to owners to be mailed August 26-30. Owners can easily determine if their vehicles have been recalled by running the 17-character vehicle identification number on Ford's recall portal. Alternatively, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers a similar online tool.

The Maverick Hybrid is the most popular hybrid truck in the United States in the first half of 2024, outselling the much more expensive F-150 PowerBoost. Ford Motor Company moved 40,420 units compared to 33,674 for the F-150 PowerBoost, while Toyota reported 26,867 deliveries of the Tundra with the i-FORCE MAX trim.

The Maverick has been refreshed for the 2025 model year inside and out, with the biggest change being all-wheel drive for the hybrid. The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport, which will be revealed on August 26, 2024, is all but confirmed to receive some sort of Sasquatch package. However, it’s unclear if a hybrid is on the menu.

Finally, the Mustang Mach-E recently broke the world record for the longest speed Electric vehicle driving on a full charge of the high-voltage battery. It traveled 569 miles (915.71 kilometers) in one go, beating Zeekr 009's record of 563.97 miles (907.62 kilometers).

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