2021 Ford Bronco Visibility Problems

While driving home in the evening I drove through a swarm of insects. I pushed the button to spray washer fluid and engage the wipers to clear the windshield. No fluid came out and the windshield became smeared there by obscuring visibility. I thought that odd as I always top off windshield washer fluid on all my vehicles as part of routine maintenance. When I arrived home I put approximately 1 gallon of fluid into the washer reservoir which quickly emptied onto the fender liner and the ground. Apparently there is a known defect with the washer fluid reservoir that causes it to split along the seam and empty its contents. I believe this could be a safety issue due to the flat upright design of the Bronco windshield making it a bug splat magnet and not being able to clear visibility. The Bronco is also marketed as an off-road vehicle and the windshield could be covered in mud or dust. There is no warning lamp for low washer fluid.

NHTSA ID

11678485

Incident

Jul 29, 2025

Ford Bronco windshield washer reservoir will no longer hold fluids. Multiple attempts to refill lead to the reservoir being empty. This is problematic as the windshield CANNOT be cleaned while driving the vehicle. Finally got an appointment with a Ford dealer to be told that the washer reservoir needs to be replaced, that they know these crack and fail, and that I was 9 days out of warranty. Dealership also stated there was a long backlog to get a replacement washer reservoirs (3-4 weeks minimum). There is no way that the reservoir could have been damaged by us (the owner) - it is nestled between the exterior and interior of the front quarter panel and inaccessible unless the exterior quarter panel is removed. This appears to be a well-known issue with Bronco owners as many forums (easily found in internet searches) have numerous complaints and discussions about the leaking washer fluid reservoirs.

NHTSA ID

11604442

Incident

Jul 8, 2024

The wiper will work for about 20 minutes. the slow to a very slow intermittent wipe no matter the rain amount. Once this has started you can adjust the speed of the wiper and it will work for about 30 seconds the fall back into the slow intermittent wipe. I took it to the dealer, and they said the wipers were working normally, even though I have a video of the issue happening. There are no indications of a malfunction on the dashboard.

NHTSA ID

11548808

Incident

Jul 13, 2023

The wipers are slowing during use. Seems like a intermittent weak motor.

NHTSA ID

11540838

Incident

Aug 25, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the front windshield wipers at the low or high position, the windshield wipers slowed down and almost stopped. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed him that the windshield wipers were working as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted on several occasions and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 18,822.

NHTSA ID

11528866

Incident

Aug 1, 2021

Mileage

18,822 mi

Windshield wipers are very slow when set to high speed. On the highest setting they are going the same speed as other vehicles low speed setting. During heavier rain visibility is near zero in the Bronco when it wouldn’t be in other vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11528376

Incident

Jun 14, 2023

Sync 4 system has a critical issue that Ford has not fixed and is a known issue in many sync 4 systems. This causes the system to reboot at random times and reload. This includes being black and not working for many minutes so the rear camera and cross traffic do not function at all. This is a safety issue as with most SUVs the rear is a huge blind spot. Ford has not been able to update my system with a recall issued for safety concerning a different issue and the rear view camera. Ford will not replace the unit until they have sent out an update that is unknown release date. I have spoke to Ford reps and two dealerships and all refuse to fix the radio to allow for normal function.

NHTSA ID

11516449

Incident

Apr 1, 2023

The wipers shut off on their own during heavy rains. Need to be turned on and off to get to activate. I took it to dealer and they said Ford said it is normal.

NHTSA ID

11515230

Incident

Apr 18, 2022

When driving in light, moderate, and heavy rain, the wipers fail to operate properly causing a loss in visibility and significant risk of accident. Specifically, when the wipers are on the fast intermittent, slow constant on, or fast constant on, they operate as expected for 45-80 seconds after which the wipers begin to slow down and stop. The wipers must be physically turned off and back on the make them work again, only to have the issue continue to occur after another 45-80 seconds. While driving at freeway speeds in moderate rain, this issue has caused numerous dangerous situations where my visibility has been reduced significantly.

NHTSA ID

11507384

Incident

Feb 12, 2023

This issue occurs anytime the wipers are used, including rain, snow, sleet, etc.. The issue has been present from day 1 of ownership and continues to this day. Wipers are turned on to any setting. After approximately 1 minute, the wiping will stop completely, then start wiping at approximately 4sec intervals (15 cycles per minute). This pace is almost always inadequate to provide unobstructed visibility. This pace does not meet the mandated requirements of FMVSS 104 section S4.1.1.3 (20 cycles per minute) and thus means the vehicle should deemed non compliant for on road use until corrected.

NHTSA ID

11498159

Incident

Dec 19, 2022

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that after replacing the windshield wipers a crack formed on the bottom passenger’s side corner of the windshield. The contact stated that the crack then spread up to the top corner of the window shield. The contact stated he called the local dealer who informed him they were unable to repair the vehicle due to not having the part available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact stated that he called his insurance company who then referred him to Safelite. Once the contact called Safelite they scheduled a repair appointment; however, they delivered the wrong windshield for the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned that the quality of the windshield was poor and could cause severe injuries in the event of a crash. The approximate failure mileage was 1,200.

NHTSA ID

11484819

Incident

Aug 21, 2022

Mileage

1,200 mi

The speed of wipers is not fast enough. In moderate rain on high the wipers do not clear window fast enough.

NHTSA ID

11477676

Incident

Apr 20, 2022

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated the front windshield cracked and was repaired by the dealer; prior to the second crack that occurred while driving approximately 35 MPH. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer; however, they diagnosed no failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000.

NHTSA ID

11475172

Incident

Jun 28, 2022

Mileage

9,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. While starting the vehicle the contact became aware of a line crack on the front of the windshield. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,337.

NHTSA ID

11467210

Incident

Jun 2, 2022

Mileage

7,337 mi

The wipers slow down to intermittent after 45 seconds or so every time driving in the rain when they are set on continuous or continuous high. This temporarily hampers your visibility when driving in the rain and the Bronco is not even supposed to have auto sensing wipers. You have to change the wiper setting then put in back where you want the speed to be only to have it slow down again in 45 seconds or so.

NHTSA ID

11460137

Incident

Apr 8, 2022

When operating the wipers at either of the highest/fastest settings (LOW and HIGH), after about 45 seconds, the wipers will revert to intermittent. This happens at various driving speeds (not specific to driving slow or fast). When driving in heavy rain, it is very dangerous to suddenly not have adequate wipers.

NHTSA ID

11454580

Incident

Feb 23, 2022

The Wiper Motor or electrical controlling the Wiper Motor. When the two high wiper blade settings are selected, the wipers run for around 30-40 seconds, then slow down and eventually stop. You can watch it happen. This has happened while having snow and rain on my windshield. In order to get them to start going again full speed you need to turn the switch. I feel this takes my focus off of the road during unfriendly road conditions and puts me and others at risk. The condition has been reproduced by my dealership and I have had my truck to the dealership twice for this problem. The first time they replaced the motor and the second time they said they couldn't fix it. They compared it to another one on the dealers lot and it did the same thing. They said if a bulletin came out on the problem, they would contact me to get it fixed. There were no warning lights. This first happened a couple weeks after picking up my truck new from the dealership. I have a video of it, but cannot attach it. If needed, I can email it to you. Thank you

NHTSA ID

11451437

Incident

Jan 7, 2022