Windshield wiper arm stripped

In my wife's A4 when you start the car with the rain sensing wipers already on and the windshield is already wet, they won't do anything until you turn them off and back on again. If their on and the windshield gets wet sometime after the car has been started, they will work. I used to think it was some sort of shortcoming of the design until I read this thread. Now I'm think those clever Germans did that on purpose for this very reason.

-SR-
 
The truck saw it’s first snow which was pretty wet and heavy. Started the truck and the automatic wipers tried to push the snow off. In doing so the drivers side wiper arm stripped out and is toast. Never seen that before. Definitely the opposite of “Ford Tough” Lol!

Anyway can’t find a replacement on line for a 21. I would imagine it’s the same part found on a 20.
Same thing happened to me, only I cleared the windshield!!! Stripped, and stopped working while on the highway, then flew off!! Dangerous as hell! Living in snow country a truck isn't drivable without wipers. The Splines on the motor gear, and on the arm are too fine for the torque the long arm creates. Add the extra weight of sleet and rain and the thing strips! Had a '99 F-350 for 450K and never happened --- P.O.S new trucks, $80K and 5 recalls and apparently there are no parts!!!
Anyone know of aftermarket motor gears/splines and wiper arms. If this is FORD tough...a Prius could kicks it A$$!
 
Same thing happened to me, only I cleared the windshield!!! Stripped, and stopped working while on the highway, then flew off!! Dangerous as hell! Living in snow country a truck isn't drivable without wipers. The Splines on the motor gear, and on the arm are too fine for the torque the long arm creates. Add the extra weight of sleet and rain and the thing strips! Had a '99 F-350 for 450K and never happened --- P.O.S new trucks, $80K and 5 recalls and apparently there are no parts!!!
Anyone know of aftermarket motor gears/splines and wiper arms. If this is FORD tough...a Prius could kicks it A$$!
Are you sure the motor splines are striped as well. Usually it the wiper arm only.
 
Same thing happened to me, only I cleared the windshield!!! Stripped, and stopped working while on the highway, then flew off!! Dangerous as hell! Living in snow country a truck isn't drivable without wipers. The Splines on the motor gear, and on the arm are too fine for the torque the long arm creates. Add the extra weight of sleet and rain and the thing strips! Had a '99 F-350 for 450K and never happened --- P.O.S new trucks, $80K and 5 recalls and apparently there are no parts!!!
Anyone know of aftermarket motor gears/splines and wiper arms. If this is FORD tough...a Prius could kicks it A$$!
Wiper arms are under recall. I just got mine replaced two weeks ago and the new ones fit much tighter.
 
Are you sure the motor splines are striped as well. Usually it the wiper arm only.
wiper arm splines are toasted, but the motor splines are rounded over as well now. why such fine teeth? they could be/should be so much deeper. yah you loose a few degrees of adjustment, but snow won't kill them - the dealer finally spoke with me about it today - 4 months, I have been on the waiting list...and he said they are replacing the motor gear/spline as well as the arms...we will see. who knows when the parts will be coming in? but right now... I have a 1 wiper truck, and half a windshield you can't see out of because of slush road spray. GRRRRR
 
My truck was built 3/21/22 and I’ve never got any recall notice for any topic. Both keys fell out of my wiper arms and I JB Welded the keys back in.
 
Stripped my drivers side this weekend when roof snow slid onto windshield. Put my passenger arm on ds to continue the trip. The woodruff keys were no where to be found. My local dealership has the new arms in stock. The new arms appear to have glued in keys. I could not remove them. I popped the arms off when I got home and agree they seem to fit tighter. I used a dab of thin viscosity cyanoacrylate glue with rapid accelerator around the key to ensure it does not come off and put them back on.
 

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