First Hard Freeze - Ford Designers Will Make You Pay a Hard Price

[mdwheaton]

Yeah, I get it, the first thing you're gonna say is "Well, you should have changed the washer fluid from the summer formula."
First hard freeze in North Texas.
The design of the washer fluid system should withstand freezing and be flezible.
Crappy design with hard spray nozzles for the front windshield.
They should DRAIN when not in use and not crack open with a freeze.
Driver's side one apparently cracked and spraying all over inside the engine compartment.
The rear sprayer doesn't work at all, and I hear no pump motor running when trying to use it.
Is there a separate pump motor for the back, or a possible blown fuse?
I grew up in a Ford town just outside the KCMO assembly plant.
Tons of family and friends are Ford guys and gals.
I've been a lifelong Ford guy but I'm about to bail out with all the problems I've had with this one.
Light hail last year, super thin skin, now it looks like a teenagers pimple face.
I have the rear moaning brakes and been waiting over TWO years to have a dealer address it, both in Connecticut, now here in Texas.
I had the Ford guy reach out to me on here and start a case for the brakes issue, and I even got a call from a Ford rep.
She said I'd hear back in a day or so, now been over a week.
I get it with the supply chain issues, but this brake issue is A BUSHING ... A BUSHING guys.
I've learned my lesson buying a new model (2021) ...

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[davidg4781]

I've owned two other cars when we got some freezing weather in Texas. All three's windshield washer fluid froze up. I don't know of any manufacturer that would insulate it in a way so they'll withstand freezing temperatures in a car sat around for hours. I did make sure not to fill the tank full so that it didn't crack if the fluid expanded.

Hopefully my nozzles and rear pump aren't damaged. I'll check that out tomorrow morning.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

My washer fluid sprayed out fine here in Northeast,Ohio the other day at 17 degrees with wind chill probably close to zero!!

 

[Bucko]

Mine is working fine in Gainesville Florida. We had morning temps in the 20's this week.

The BS was in the garage.

 

[BravoAlpha]

Mine sat out and operated in negative temps for days. Zero issues.
I dont have the moaning brake issue.

I DO have very light hail damage but my Silverado does too. Very thin aluminum on ALL vehicles now.

 

[Sparks]

When it comes to cold temps, northern Canada can be extreme. I am in Yellowknife. It was -36F (-38C) a few days ago.
No issues with the washer fluid freezing (winter grade). However the wiper heater caused the windshield to crack.
A day before that, the engine was super sluggish. It felt like the turbo system stopped working or the engine was running on 2 cylinders. This issue fixed itself after having the car in a heated garage for a few hours.

 

[jonofaro]

No issues in Ma

 

[rocks]

Wouldn't a block heater help the engine issue?

 

[kshaw]

Wouldn't a block heater help the engine issue?

I would bet that it would. My BS does not have a block heater but my plane does. If I plug it in overnight, the whole engine and engine compartment is warm. The type of washer fluid you use may also have an effect on freezing level. I do not dilute those with water even in the summer.

 

[Mark S.]

Your car got hail damaged; how is that Ford's fault? Weather forecasts are available for at least a week these days, and you failed to put anti-freeze in your washer fluid; how is that Ford's fault?

It's not just a bushing on the brakes issue. Really smart people have fretted over this issue with multiple vehicles since forever.



Dissatisfaction skews perceptions. It's almost a certainty you will never be satisfied with this vehicle. Your best option (IMHO) is to get rid of it and try your luck with something else.

 

[Rogerthat898]

I would agree with Mark.
It looks like you have a '21 so you have most likely filled the washer fluid over the past couple of years. Different washer fluid is only rated to certain temperatures, some have a freezing point of +32*F
While others have a freeze point of -32*F.
If a dealer is topping off fluids for you and they are diluting with water or something not rated to the area you live in that is a little bit of a different story.

 

[PaulOinMA]

No issues in Ma.

Same here. I use winter formula.

 

[JAD67428]

No issues in Ma

I’ll second that.

 

[Mwittke5857]

I have no idea what I have winter or summer grade washer fluid but (thankfully) no issues there or moaning brakes(I have a 21 also). The EcoSport I traded in made all sorts of noise when backing up, that entire vehicle was a mistake

 

[sajohnson]

All of the windshield washer fluid I've ever seen for sale -- regardless of brand -- has been rated to -20*F or lower. And we're in Maryland -- not ND or AK.

If there is fluid that freezes at +32*F, I hope it's only sold in SoCal!

In about 25 years of reading car forums, this is the first I've hear of washer fluid freezing and damaging parts.

There must be more to this story.

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