Ford Recalls Nearly 40,000 Transit Connect Vehicles Over Inadequate Windshield Adhesion

[Willygee]

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/ford-recalls-nearly-40000-transit-connect-vehicles-over-inadequate-windshield-adhesion-185796.html?utm_source=ae_self&utm_medium=ae_onscroll&utm_campaign=ae_onscroll

[Fifty150]

I can't wait until I get my recall notice.  Then I can get the van fixed for free.  I almost paid out of pocket.

[Fifty150]

 

 

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RCLRPT-22V192-5167.PDF

 

 

[Fifty150]

[Fifty150]

 

 

 

The recall notice came in the mail today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[20Ti]

Take this one seriously folks.

 

Hopefully my 2020 Passenger Wagon is an outlier, but I just discovered that the windshield is detached and loose/rattling in upper passenger corner, can stick a finger outside from passenger seat. Basically held on by gravity and aerodynamic forces at this point, and the wind noise sounds like rabid squirrels fighting to the death on the highway. (minimizing my highway time till fixed)

 

Just made an appointment for next week, sounded like the dealer had never heard of this issue, had to call me back after a bit of research and lining up a glass repair shop.

 

 

[Double Nickels]

This is a rare recall. Different Ford cars and trucks have had leaks for years. And they never offered a fix.  People complain about water pooling on the floor or even dripping on their head.  I had a Ford that when it rained, the headliner was wet.  Rain or water from a car wash.  Eventually, the moisture in the headliner began rusting the car from under the roof.  I had another Ford that the auto glass was always wet on the inside of the car.  

[Don Ridley]

I took my TC to the dealership for this recall. They sent it to a local glass shop because they don't do windshields. I have a heated windshield and the glass shop broke something associated with the heater. I got a new windshield for free. This was fortuitous because I had several large chips that were likely to propagate soon.

[windguy]

Ford just mailed me a notice about this windshield sealing issue for my 2015.

They must be expanding beyond the original 2016 and newer recall.

What's interesting is that they aren't saying it's a recall, but a "Customer Satisfaction Program 22N04".

The offer has a 10 year / 100,000 miles limit to get it fixed at no cost.

I've had no issues with my windshield so I'm inclined to leave it be. Guess I've got 2.5 years to change my mind on that.

 

Anyone else with a 2014 or 2015 get the same notice recently?

 

 

[G B L]

Not yet, but the issue is about  to be a non issue for me. There is a crack progressing from the roof panel seam on the right side down to the right bottom corner.  As my inspection sticker is due and it won't pass. The adhesion  issue will now be up to Safelight!

[windguy]

4 hours ago, LostnTransit said:

FYI: After months of asking and searching 3 dealership said they would not honor this recall on our 2020 Connect. Said all they would do is reseat the current cracked windshield and not actually replace it. because of this BS, we've had to have Safelite do the replacement and repair. it took 1 month with 2 foul up by Safelite to have our windshield replaced. This time, we took the van to a different Safelite as the first Safelite location has made too many screw ups. The second Safelite location took the time to get this right and even purchase an aftermarket windshield that has been tinted darker from the aftermarket supplier. The windshield does appear to be darker than the ford factory original. So if you're lucky enough to have your windshield replaced by an authorize Dealership, more power to you.. None we've talked with are willing to honor this recall on our van.

 

I don't understand your grievance regarding this recall.

The recall clearly states Ford will remove the windshield and reinstall.

It doesn't say anything about providing a new windshield because you have a crack caused by normal wear and tear.

How is that not honoring the letter of the recall???

 

[Don Ridley]

Read the recall document. It only REQUIRES the windshield be reseated/resealed. No free windshield. I was "lucky" enough to have the glass company damage my windshield during the process and a new one installed for free.

 

The recall fixes a potential safety issue properly. A new windshield is not needed to make the vehicle safe.

 

[windguy]

 

6 hours ago, LostnTransit said:

FYI: After months of asking and searching 3 dealership said they would not honor this recall on our 2020 Connect. Said all they would do is reseat the current cracked windshield and not actually replace it.

 

9 minutes ago, LostnTransit said:

Read what I said, We went to 3 different dealership and NONE of them would honor our windshield recall. We had to get Safelite to do the replacement. Does this correct the recall? Prob not. So you tell me, why these Ford Dealerships would not honor our recall? I don't have a clue. We've had it with trying to get anything done through the dealership.

 

I read what you said, very clearly. I'm guessing you can go to 100 Ford dealerships and the outcome would be exactly the same.

You said it yourself. "All they would do is reseat the current cracked windshield and not actually replace it."

That is the recall. Reseat the windshield, not replace the windshield. Please show me where in the recall it says otherwise.

Ford would have honored the recall if you let them reseat the windshield. But you wanted something outside the scope of the recall. Doesn't work that way and three different dealerships confirmed it. That's not the fault of the dealerships. They wouldn't get compensated from Ford Corporate for doing extra work, so why should they.

 

In problem solving, sometimes the common denominator is the problem and not the numerator.

[windguy]

On 7/25/2022 at 6:57 AM, Don Ridley said:

I took my TC to the dealership for this recall. They sent it to a local glass shop because they don't do windshields. I have a heated windshield and the glass shop broke something associated with the heater. I got a new windshield for free. This was fortuitous because I had several large chips that were likely to propagate soon.

 

Don, did you have any of the symptoms listed: wind noise, water leaks or looseness in the windshield?

 

It's interesting that the notice I got and posted above says nothing about any safety issues as mentioned in the recall notice. Curious omission.

 

The way I read the recall (cut and pasted below), if you have any of those symptoms listed, then your windshield may be inadequately sealed and that could lead to a problem in an accident. That makes sense but it's not a perfect cause and effect hence the "may experience" wording.

 

I'm on the fence about doing this since I don't believe I have any of those symptoms. I'll discuss with my service advisor at Ford on my next service.

 

 

 

[Don Ridley]

No, I did not have any symptoms listed in the recall. My windshield seemed perfectly fine.. except for several chips and cracks. I only did the recall because I had time on my hands and it would be nice to have the windshield stay attached if I rolled the van. 

[windguy]

1 hour ago, Don Ridley said:

No, I did not have any symptoms listed in the recall. My windshield seemed perfectly fine.. except for several chips and cracks. I only did the recall because I had time on my hands and it would be nice to have the windshield stay attached if I rolled the van. 

 

Thanks Don. Sounds reasonable.

[Double Nickels]

Assuming that someone does not have symptoms at the moment, it does not mean that you won't have problems later.  If defective sealant was used, the odds are, that sooner or later you will have a problem with it.  

 

I'm not an expert.  But I would think that the sealant used to fix the vans, is not defective.  At least not from the same batch that they used in Spain where the vans were assembled.  

 

To be on the safe side, I brought my van in.   The dealership used a glass contractor.  It wasn't half a day.  Just like when a glass shop replaces a broken windshield, it does not take that long.  The actual job of removing the windshield, and remounting it, was less than an hour.  The dealership wanted the van to sit there overnight, so that the seal could cure.  The next day, they sprayed it with a hose to test it.  Two of the lowest paid "technicians" got that job.  I stood there with the service adviser, and we watched.  One guy got into the van and sat there.  The other guy sprayed it for about 10 minutes.  No leaks.

 

So far, so good.  I expect that to be the end of it.  If done correctly, that sealant should be good for at least the next 10 years.  By which time, I may no longer even own the van.

 

If you have a recall notice, get it fixed.  It's free.  You don't want to have a leak 4 or 9 years from now, and go searching around the whole house looking for that letter.

[G B L]

Windshields are good till the next rock or hailstorm, so resealed, Re-seated  or replaced it could be a short lived achievement!

Edited September 6, 2022 by G B L

[Fifty150]

Part luck.  Part odds and driving conditions.

 

I've driven a lot of different cars over the years.  My Jeep from years back, needed 2 new windshields.  I thought it was because of the angle facing the road.  I've never had to replace the windshield on any of my other personal cars.  Although, the 1st week I owned the Transit Connect, a rock struck the windshield and made a good divot.  A windshield shop filled it.  Since then, I haven't had any more windshield damage.  

 

With work cars, that's a different story.  I had a year where I got 3 cracked windshields.  Over the years, I've lost count.  But I must have gotten at least 6 or 8 cracked windshields driving company vehicles.  Maybe because the odds stacked against me with all of the miles driven commercially.  

 

The only thing that I am sure of, is that there is no way to avoid or prevent road debris from breaking my windshield.  It just happens.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Fifty150

[RV means Rad Van]

I ended up getting my windshield re-attached after doing some legwork to find a place that would do it without replacing the whole thing.  I should add, it took me several months to figure out it was the windshield causing the leaks, and not my after market roof rails like the Ford dealer insisted.

 

A few months later this recall gets released.  According to the terms of the recall, I could be reimbursed if I already paid for the repair myself.  With recall notice and windshield invoice in hand, my local dealer refused to honor it, saying the reimbursement had to come from the dealer from which it was purchased, an hour away.  So I called that dealer and they refused to pay it either, saying it had to come from Ford corporate, in spite of the text on the recall notice I was sent in the mail.

 

And this is all after the sliding door recalls, in which my locking mechanisms were deemed "not affected" by a Ford service department but then broke within a few months.  So when the other door latch fails I'll be out well over $1k on repairs that were known manufacturer defects and subjects of formal recalls.  I have otherwise very much enjoyed my TC, but everything about dealing with Ford dealerships and service departments has been awful.  I stopped using them for regular maintenance and I'm not sure what I'll do about any further recalls on my vehicle as visiting the dealer has been nothing but a source of failure and frustration.

[Fifty150]

Which dealerships are you going to?