2016 Ford Edge Visibility Problems

Saw there was a recall for wiper motor defects for Ford Explorer and Escape, per NHTSA Campaign Number 26V117. We had intermittent wiper failure with our 2016 Ford Edge Sport years back, which resulted in Ford repurchasing the vehicle back through the BBB (back in 2019). If carry-over parts / design are similar between the Explorer/Escape & Edge, then you may want to investigate incase the scope of this recall needs to be expanded. Please give me a call if you have any questions. (I'd like to stay anonymous as I am a Ford employee) I think we still have videos of this that we can share too.

NHTSA ID

11731337

Incident

Aug 20, 2019

Manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for my vehicle in a timely manner: Sep 08,2025 Manufacturer Recall Number 25S89 NHTSA Recall Number 25V572 Recall Status Recall Incomplete, remedy not yet available

NHTSA ID

11703694

Incident

Sep 8, 2025

The rear window spontaneously shattered/exploded. The rear defrosted was on as well as the rear wiper. It was 30 degrees outside.

NHTSA ID

11698712

Incident

Nov 11, 2025

On [XXX], around 7 PM, while my 2016 Ford Edge SEL was parked in front of my apartment, I used the remote start feature to start the vehicle. After activation, the rear window shattered unexpectedly. I could hear the crackling sounds, and the rear window was falling apart. There were no external impacts or visible damage to the window prior to this incident. The vehicle was stationary, and the weather conditions were normal at the time. I went to Elder Ford of Rochester Hills. The manager informed me that they could not do anything and that I should fix the car before returning it at the end of the lease period. I mentioned that there was Technical Bulletin FSA# 17B39 for the 2016 Ford Edge in Canada, but the manager informed me that it was only valid for Canada. He advised me to keep the receipt in case Ford USA issues a similar recall. FSA# 17B39 informs that war and salt can weep through the rear wiper motor shaft grommet. The residues in the rear defroster and cause uneven heat in glass and cause it to break or shatter. I live in Michigan so this is a common situation of salt/water during winter. It is unacceptable that this issue was not addressed. I had to pay $397 to fix a problem that was not caused by me. There are numerous complaints in forums about this same issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11663260

Incident

Nov 1, 2019

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH on the interstate with the rear windshield defroster engaged, the vehicle made an abnormal, loud popping sound, and the contact noticed that the rear window had shattered. The contact drove under an underpass, switched lanes, and pulled over safely. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was inspected by a glass specialist who secured the rear windshield with plastic. The specialist determined that the rear window defroster had been overheating. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 98,009.

NHTSA ID

11662509

Incident

May 21, 2025

Mileage

98,009 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact's daughter opened the partition for the panoramic sunroof and discovered that the rear stationary panel of the panoramic roof had developed several, spider web cracks along the edge of the glass. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA ID

11583028

Incident

Apr 14, 2024

Mileage

71,000 mi

Sunroof is cracked, concerned about it flying out and hitting another car.

NHTSA ID

11578358

Incident

Mar 19, 2024

Rear window suddenly shattered while driving . No other vehicles around . Entire windshield shattered and pieces are now falling into back hatch area . There were no passengers with me at the time . This renders the car not safe to drive . I was pulling into my driveway but had I been out on the highway (In January) this would soon become an issue of exposure to below freezing temperatures. Ford claims they have never heard of this when I’m finding other reports of this happening online . Dealership is saying it’s replaced at all my cost also ? Seems like a manufacturing fault ? There is a FSA # [XXX] that Canadian owners have listed. My car originally was sold in North Dakota. Currently I’m in Nebraska . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11570328

Incident

Feb 3, 2024

Back windshield - not available for inspection as I have had it repaired already. Back windshield shattered/exploded sounded like a balloon being blown up too much and then popped - hazard to when someone is physically driving the vehicle and has no idea what just happened Inspected by insurance reps No warnings besides at the time it happened I heard a strange blowing noise After glass broke and was replaced multiple shards of glass jammed the trunk lock making it unable to be opened from outside or inside. Had to have dealership replace plastic trim and lock also after glass was repaired by safelite

NHTSA ID

11503946

Incident

Oct 2, 2021

Rear window breaking for no apparent issue. Broke on me over night sitting parked. Could break on someone driving dow the road and cause an accident.

NHTSA ID

11503938

Incident

Jan 24, 2023

My rear window exploded and created a large hole and shattered the window.

NHTSA ID

11497127

Incident

Dec 9, 2022

Panoramic sun roof suddenly cracked. Nothing hit it. Had it shattered while on the freeway it could have caused safety issues with the driver maintaining control of the vehicle. Not to mention injuries to any rear seat passengers.

NHTSA ID

11496600

Incident

Dec 7, 2022

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle and opening the interior sunshade panel, it was discovered that the glass sunroof had cracked in multiple places. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the glass sunroof needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 63,000.

NHTSA ID

11493788

Incident

Nov 6, 2022

Mileage

63,000 mi

Found sun roof cracked. No impact noted Just opened sliding visor and saw cracked glass.

NHTSA ID

11473486

Incident

Jul 11, 2022

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon entering her garage, there were shards of glass near the rear end of the vehicle. Upon further inspection, she discovered that the broken glass came from the rear windshield. The contact stated that the failure occurred without incident. The contact initially called the dealer and they informed her that they were unaware of such failure; they also informed her that there were no recalls on her vehicle. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided her with the same information as the dealer. She was then referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

NHTSA ID

11447833

Incident

Jan 18, 2022

Mileage

86,000 mi

Rear Windshield shattered spontaneously. 28 degree morning 7am commuted to work without issue. 40 degrees sunny after work 4pm and glass was shattered. No foreign objects or impact.

NHTSA ID

11444615

Incident

Dec 21, 2021

Sitting in my car this morning and turn the rear defroster on and out of no where my back window explodes from the inside out. Nothing was touching it or fell on it. Alot of people have this same issue but Ford won't cover it. Luckily my daughter wasn't in her rear facing carseat or I'd be one super angry mom. seriously a safety hazard, what if we were driving down the road and it exploded causing us to swerve and cause serious injuries to ourselves or someone else, who'd be liable then.

NHTSA ID

11435020

Incident

Sep 30, 2021

Rear Windshield Shattered due to no cause, no impact, nothing. I was just driving down the road to town and it just Popped and shattered. I could not see out the rear window and pieces kept falling from the bottom of window. It was very unsafe to drive the car with the windshield shattered like this. NO quick fix, no available glass on the island and working right now to try to get it repaired. It happened today, 7/31/21.

NHTSA ID

11427285

Incident

Jul 31, 2021

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD APPROXIMATELY 55MPH AND HEARD A LOUD POP THAT SOUNDED LIKE GLASS BREAKING. IT WAS DARK SO I COULDN'T TELL WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL I GOT HOME. I FOUND THE BACK HATCH GLASS HAD SHATTERED. I HAD BEEN USING THE REAR WIPER AND DEFROST. I READ ON THE INTERNET THAT CANADA HAD A RECALL 17B39 FOR THIS CONCERN. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 29 DEGREES OUT WITH LIGHT SNOW WHEN IT HAPPENED

NHTSA ID

11389696

Incident

Jan 24, 2021

Mileage

68,048 mi

REAR LIFTGATE GLASS SHATTERED/EXPLODED AS THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WAS SHUT. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN DRIVEWAY. A BASKETBALL SIZED HOLE WAS LEFT IN THE SHATTERED GLASS. REAR LIFTGATE WAS NEVER OPENED DURING THIS TIME, AND THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS OR EXISTING DAMAGE TO THE LIFTGATE OR LIFTGATE GLASS. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTSIDE IN MID 30 DEGREE WEATHER FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS PRIOR TO GLASS EXPLODING.

NHTSA ID

11384132

Incident

Dec 18, 2020

Mileage

65,000 mi

I NOTICED THE REAR SUNROOF WINDOW HAS A VERY STRANGE AND CIRCULAR CRACK THAT FOLLOWS HOW THE ANTENNA IS PLACED ON TOP OF VEHICLE. THERE IS NO IMPACT OR DAMAGE AROUND THE WINDOW OR THE FRAMING SURROUNDING THE WINDOW. I DISCOVERED THE DAMAGE WHILE WASHING THE TOP OF THE VEHICLE. WE DO NOT SIT IN THE BACK OF THE CAR (ONLY THE 2 OF US) AND VERY RARELY OPEN THE SHADE TO ALLOW THE LIGHT INTO THE VEHICLE. IT WAS NOT THERE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, THE LAST TIME I GOT UP HIGH ENOUGH TO WASH THE TOP. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, THE SERVICE GUY FOUND NO IMPACT DAMAGE BUT VERY SLIGHTLY FELT THE GLASS "CATCH" EVER SO SLIGHTLY WHILE RUNNING A PEN OVER THE GLASS. THE "CATCH" IS A PIECE OF GLASS CRACKED ON 2 SIDES AND BEING PUSHED UP BY THE PRESSURE OF THE CRACKED, MOVING GLASS. ACCORDING TO THE INSPECTOR, THIS "CATCH" IS A PROBLEM AND HE DOES NOT THINK FORD WILL TAKE THE BLAME FOR THEIR DESIGN FLAW. THIS WINDOW IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW, THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THE CRACK FOLLOWS THE CONTOUR OF THE ANTENNA. I HAVE PICTURES ON MY PHONE BUT I DO NOT DOWNLOAD OR HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEND THEM AT THIS TIME.

NHTSA ID

11342775

Incident

Jul 12, 2020

Mileage

40,954 mi

BETWEEN GETTING IN MY CAR AND STOPPING AT ANOTHER ERRAND, THE FIRST PANEL OF MY PANORAMIC SUNROOF CRACKED FROM FRONT TO BACK, RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. THERE WAS NO IMPACT POINT. I NEVER HEARD A ROCK HIT MY CAR. I DROVE ON THE HIGHWAY FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES BETWEEN STOPS. I DID DRIVE OVER A DIP IN THE ROAD BUT EVEN THEN, I NEVER HEARD IT CRACK. THE DEALER SUGGESTED I PLACE A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE BECAUSE OF THE COST. NO ONE CAN TELL ME HOW THE SUNROOF CRACKED. THE CAR IS GARAGED, THE TEMPERATURE WAS MODERATE, AND I DID NOT GO FROM A HOT ENVIRONMENT TO A COLD CAR WASH AS SOME HAVE SUGGESTED. *TR

NHTSA ID

11328632

Incident

Jun 2, 2020

Mileage

41,000 mi

ON TUESDAY 29 APRIL 2020 WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND STRIKING NO BUMPS OR POTHOLES WE OBSERVED THE PANORAMIC FIXED PORTION OF THE SUNROOF CRACK FROM CORNER TO CORNER. NOTHING HAD STRUCK THE GLASS AND THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR TEMPERATURE WERE ABOUT EQUALIZED. THIS HAS CAUSED A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD AND I AM NO LONGER DRIVING THE VEHICLE AS I USE THIS TO TRANSPORT MY SEVEN-MONTH-OLD GRANDSON AND CANNOT TRUST THE GLASS PANEL FORD HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND HAS NOT OFFERED ANY RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

NHTSA ID

11322628

Incident

Apr 28, 2020

Mileage

29,800 mi

WHILE DRIVING IN MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER THROWS THE WATER IN FRONT OF THE DRIVERS MAIN FIELD OF VISION; THE END OF THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER PASSES DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER AS IT IS WIPING THE WINDSHIELD AND THE EXCESS WATER FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER IS THROWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRIVERS FRONT/DIRECT FIELD OF VISION MAKING IT VERY HARD TO SEE DURING THE RAIN CREATING AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD; THIS COULD EASILY BE REMEDIED WITH A SHORTER WIPER ARM MECHANISM ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.

NHTSA ID

11321667

Incident

Apr 20, 2020

Mileage

50,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD EDGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH ENTERING A PARKING LOT, THE REAR WINDOW FRACTURED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A GLASS COMPANY TO HAVE THE GLASS REPLACED. THE GLASS COMPANY WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE FRACTURE. THE REAR WINDOW GLASS WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

NHTSA ID

11316581

Incident

Mar 5, 2020

Mileage

74,000 mi