Component

VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

265 NHTSA complaints about visibility:rear window wiper/washer:motor issues across 27 makes and 91 models.

The visibility:rear window wiper/washer:motor is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 265 filings from 27 manufacturers and 91 distinct vehicle models, a footprint large enough that defect engineers can isolate part-family patterns across different platforms that share the same supplier or the same federal motor vehicle safety standard.

Among filings citing this component, owners have reported 3 crashes, 5 fires, 3 injuries, and 3 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the CHEVROLET BLAZER with 19 filings, followed by FORD EXPLORER and CHEVROLET S10. These severity counters are what separates a nuisance complaint trend from a pattern NHTSA is likely to escalate into a Preliminary Evaluation.

Component-level analysis is how the Office of Defects Investigation spots cross-manufacturer supplier issues — the same airbag inflator, the same takata-style ignition switch, the same brake hose material — before they become industry-wide recalls. When you see a single component accumulating large complaint volume across several unrelated nameplates, that is usually a signature of a shared supplier or a shared federal standard being stressed by real-world conditions. Use the affected-vehicles table below to see whether the pattern is concentrated on a handful of models or distributed evenly, and cross-reference each model's full recall and investigation history before drawing conclusions about any one nameplate.

265
Complaints
91
Models Affected
3
Crashes
5
Fires
3
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 CHEVROLET BLAZER 19
2 FORD EXPLORER 18
3 CHEVROLET S10 15
4 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER 14
5 FORD EXPEDITION 13
6 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 11
7 FORD WINDSTAR 8
8 GMC SIERRA 7
9 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 7
10 CHEVROLET ASTRO 7
11 ISUZU HOMBRE 6
12 GMC JIMMY 6
13 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 5
14 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 5
15 DODGE CARAVAN 5
16 CHEVROLET VENTURE 5
17 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER 5
18 CHEVROLET PICKUP 5
19 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4
20 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4
21 SATURN VUE 3
22 GMC SAFARI 3
23 FORD F-150 3
24 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 3
25 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 3
26 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 3
27 CHEVROLET C1500 3
28 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE 2
29 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER 2
30 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 2

Recent Complaints

2024 VOLKSWAGEN TAOS

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the windshield wipers activated independently. The contact was unable to turn off

2012 FORD MUSTANG

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the front windshield wipers independently activated. There were no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, t

2018 CADILLAC XT5

See attached document for complaint

2016 ACURA RDX Crash

The contact owns a 2016 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH a deer had jumped in front of his vehicle. The contact stated that he depressed the brake pedal with force, how

2011 FORD ESCAPE

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear windshield wiper motor failed to deactivate, causing the battery to drain. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagn

2020 FORD MUSTANG

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the passenger's side rear window failed to roll up completely. The contact also stated that the front passenger's side window would contin

2012 TOYOTA RAV4

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RECEIVING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA (9101 GLENWOOD AVE, RALEIGH, NC 27617, (919) 890-3686) THE CONTA

2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH IN A RAIN STORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DI

2006 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SPRAYED UNCONTROLLABLY AT MAXIMUM PRESSURE. EVEN THOUGH THE SPRAYER ACTIVATED UNCONTROLLABLY, THE

2007 MAZDA CX9 Fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MAZDA CX9. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, A BURNING WIRE ODOR EMITTED IN AND OUTSIDE THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WAS BURNING. T

2010 MERCURY MARINER

2010 MERCURY MARINER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE REAR WINDOW ISSUES AND DEALERSHIP PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE REAR WINDSHIELD MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB

2012 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

I PURCHASED MY CAR FROM OURISMAN VOLKSWAGEN OF LAUREL 3371 FORT MEADE ROAD, LAUREL ON MAY 27, 2012 I BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH DRIVER'S SIDE THE AUTOMATIC WINDOW OPENING MECHANISM TOOK MY CAR BACK TO

2009 MAZDA MAZDA3

I SUBMITTED A REIMBURSEMENT APPLICATION FORM FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF MY WIPER MOTOR $438.07. THE MOTOR WAS REPLACED ON JANUARY 4, I SENT IN THE REIMBURSEMENT APPLICATION ON JANUARY 5, AND WAS DENIED O

2008 PONTIAC TORRENT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC TORRENT. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THERE WAS A BURNING INSULATION SMELL AND WHEN TURNING ON THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER THEY FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE CONTACT THEN DROVE ON

2002 FORD WINDSTAR Fire

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT ENTERED HER VEHICLE AND NOTICED THICK WHITE SMOKE INSIDE THE ENTIRE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND DISCONNECTED THE BATT

2005 HUMMER H2 SUT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HUMMER H2 SUT. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED WIPER FLUID RELEASING ON ITS OWN. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE WIPER MOTOR CONTROL M

2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. IN MARCH OF 2008, THE REAR HATCH GLASS SUDDENLY SHATTERED. THE HATCH HAD JUST BEEN IN USE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING SOUND A

2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAS HAD TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION, TIE RODS, WATER PUMP, REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR, PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MOTO

2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

BACK WINDOW BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT ON 2004 CONVERTIBLE NEW BEETLE DO NOT GO UP. FAILURE PUTS CAR AT RISK FOR VANDALISM AND DAMAGE TO INTERIOR DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. COST TO REPAIR $900. CAN'T JUSTI

1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER

THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT ISSUES WITH THIS TRUCK: 1. THE WHEELS ARE MAKING A SQUEAKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING; REPLACED BRAKES, ROTORS, HAD TIRES ROTATED, BALANCED AND NEW ALIGNMENT DONE WITH NO HELP

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve visibility:rear window wiper/washer:motor issues?
The NHTSA has received 265 complaints about visibility:rear window wiper/washer:motor problems across 91 vehicle models from 27 manufacturers.
How dangerous are visibility:rear window wiper/washer:motor defects?
VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR issues have been linked to 3 crashes, 5 fires, 3 injuries, and 3 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most visibility:rear window wiper/washer:motor problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for visibility:rear window wiper/washer:motor issues is the CHEVROLET BLAZER with 19 complaints.
Where does PlainCars get its safety data?
All vehicle safety data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database, which collects reports from vehicle owners about safety-related defects.

Data Sources

Vehicle complaint data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database. Includes consumer-reported safety issues filed with NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Severity counts cross-reference NHTSA FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) for fatal incidents where a corresponding FARS record exists.

Component categories are standardized by NHTSA. Crash-test ratings where shown are drawn from the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Complaint counts, crash reports, fire reports, and fatality data reflect consumer-submitted reports and may not represent all incidents.

Disclaimer: This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for vehicle purchase decisions. NHTSA complaint data is self-reported by consumers and has not been verified or investigated. A high complaint count does not necessarily indicate a defect. Always consult a qualified mechanic and check official NHTSA recall notices before making safety-related decisions.

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