Ford recalls 422,000 vehicles over wiper defect

April 7, 2026

Summary

Ford recalled 422,613 vehicles in the U.S. after regulators said a wiper arm defect could impair driver vision.

Why this matters

The recall affects more than 422,000 SUVs and trucks, and drivers can check their VINs to see whether their vehicles are included. Faulty wiper arms can reduce visibility and raise crash risk.

Ford recalled more than 422,000 vehicles in the U.S. over a windshield wiper defect, federal regulators said Tuesday.

The recall covered 422,613 vehicles, including 2021-2023 Lincoln Navigator SUVs, 2021-2023 Ford Expedition SUVs, and 2022-2023 Ford Super Duty trucks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The agency said windshield wiper arms may operate erratically or break, causing the wipers to fail. It estimated that 3% of the recalled vehicles had the defect.

NHTSA said drivers “may experience erratic wipe speed of the driver or passenger wiper arm” before a failure.

“An improperly functioning or detached wiper arm may impair driver vision, increasing the risk of a crash,” the agency said.

According to NHTSA, the windshield wiper arm’s latch retention plate may have been incorrectly staked by a supplier. The agency said reduced engagement between the knurl and wiper arm also may result from dimensional variability.

NHTSA said production improvements at the supplier in December 2022 addressed the issue, limiting the recall to vehicles made during a specific period.

Ford was not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the defect, according to NHTSA’s recall report.

NHTSA said dealer notification was expected April 1. Notices to interim owners were expected to be mailed starting April 13 and completed by April 17. Owners of potentially affected vehicles were expected to be able to search vehicle identification numbers, or VINs, beginning April 1.

The remedy was expected to include an inspection of the windshield wipers and replacement as needed. NHTSA said wiper arms that did not pass inspection would be replaced with parts made with correct staking of the latch retention plate and wiper arm splines within specification.

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US, Israel agree to two-week ceasefire with Iran

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council says it achieved a great victory and forced the U.S. to accept its 10-point plan.

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President Donald Trump said he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran less than two hours before his 8 p.m. deadline to destroy a “whole civilization.”

The ceasefire is dependent on the condition that Iran agrees to reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz.

Israel also agreed to the ceasefire.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council says it achieved a great victory and forced the U.S. to accept its 10-point plan. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Iran’s armed forces will coordinate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan mediated the agreement.
World

Kidnapped U.S. journalist freed in Baghdad

Iraqi officials said kidnapped U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson was released in Baghdad on Tuesday.

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American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped from a Baghdad street corner last week, was released Tuesday, an Iraqi official with direct knowledge of the case said.

The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said Kittleson was freed in the afternoon. He did not disclose her whereabouts, but said she had been held in Baghdad before her release.

Earlier Tuesday, the Iran-backed Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement that it would release Kittleson. The group said its decision came “in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing prime minister,” Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, without elaborating. It added that “this initiative will not be repeated in the future” and said Kittleson must “leave the country immediately” after her release.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kataib Hezbollah had not previously acknowledged responsibility for Kittleson’s abduction, though U.S. and Iraqi officials had blamed the group.

Two Kataib Hezbollah officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, told the AP that several members of the group detained by Iraqi authorities would be released in exchange for Kittleson’s freedom.

Kittleson, 49, is a freelance journalist who has reported across the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria. U.S. officials have said they warned her several times about threats against her, but she did not want to leave Iraq.

Iraqi officials have said two cars were involved in the kidnapping. One crashed while being pursued near al-Haswa in Babil province, southwest of Baghdad, and Kittleson was transferred to a second car.

Earlier Tuesday, three Iraqi officials said efforts to negotiate her release had faced obstacles. One security official said a Popular Mobilization Forces official had been tasked with contacting the abductors, but had difficulty reaching Kataib Hezbollah’s leadership.

“The primary challenge is that the leaders of the Kataib armed group — specifically, the commanders of the battalions — are nowhere to be found. No one knows their whereabouts, and the process of establishing contact with them is extremely complex,” the official said.

“These leaders have gone underground, maintaining no active lines of communication, out of fear of being targeted.”

Kataib Hezbollah has previously been accused of kidnapping foreigners. Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton graduate student with Israeli and Russian citizenship who disappeared in Baghdad in 2023, said after her release in September 2025 that she had been held by the group.
World

Macron says Iran let French detainees leave

Macron said Iran allowed French former detainees Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris to leave after more than three years.

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Iran allowed two French former detainees, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, to leave the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday.

“Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on route toward French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran,” Macron wrote on X.

Macron thanked Oman for mediating their release. “It’s a relief for us all and obviously for their families,” he wrote.

Iranian authorities released Kohler and Paris from prison in November, but did not allow them to leave the country. French officials said they were then kept at the French Embassy in Tehran.

A source at the French Foreign Ministry said they left Iran at dawn Tuesday in a diplomatic convoy with the French ambassador and “are currently in Azerbaijan.”

Kohler, a 40-year-old literature teacher from eastern France, and her partner, Paris, who is in his 70s, were arrested May 7, 2022, on the last day of a tourist trip to Iran.

They were held for more than three years on spying charges, which Paris said were unfounded. They were detained in Section 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison, which is seen as reserved for political prisoners.

Their departure came after France had long sought permission for them to leave Iran. The move also came as Macron distanced France from the conflict involving Iran, saying France was not consulted in advance about the U.S.-Israel strikes and did not want the war.
Asia

Afghanistan says China-hosted Pakistan talks useful

Even as the talks continued, Afghanistan accused Pakistan of shelling across the border several times, killing and wounding civilians.

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Afghanistan said peace talks with Pakistan in China had been “useful,” as the two countries sought to halt cross-border fighting that began in February.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry issued the comment amid talks in Urumqi, in western China, launched last week after an invitation from Beijing.

Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal said acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met China’s ambassador to Afghanistan on Tuesday and thanked Beijing for arranging and hosting the talks. Takal said Muttaqi also credited Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates for mediation efforts.

“Noting that constructive discussions have taken place so far, FM Muttaqi expressed hope that minor interpretations would not hinder the progress of the negotiations,” Takal wrote.

Separately, Muttaqi said that “useful discussions have taken place.”

Few official statements have been issued since the talks began April 1 between mid-level delegations.

Pakistan, which has said it was in “open war” with Afghanistan, carried out air strikes inside Afghanistan, including in Kabul. The recent fighting, the most severe between the neighbors, began after Pakistan launched air strikes aimed at armed groups. Afghanistan then carried out cross-border attacks in response.

Even as the talks continued, Afghanistan accused Pakistan of shelling across the border several times, killing and wounding civilians. Pakistan has not commented.

Islamabad has often accused Afghanistan of sheltering armed groups behind attacks in Pakistan, especially Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The group is separate from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban, which took power in 2021 after the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denied the accusation.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on X on Tuesday that the conflict had displaced 94,000 people overall. It said 100,000 people in two Afghan districts near the border had been completely cut off by the fighting since February.

The clashes also disrupted a ceasefire brokered by Qatar in October after earlier fighting killed dozens of soldiers, civilians, and suspected fighters.

On March 17, a Pakistani air strike hit a drug-treatment center in Kabul, which Afghan officials said killed more than 400 people. Pakistan denied targeting civilians and said its strikes were against military facilities.
Business

Used-car wholesale prices reach highest since 2023

Manheim said demand remained strong and inventory stayed relatively tight.

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Used-car shoppers in the U.S. faced the highest wholesale prices in nearly three years in March, according to Manheim, a Cox Automotive brand.

The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index rose 6.2% from a year earlier to 215.3, its highest reading since summer 2023. Prices also rose 1.4% in March, which the report said was above long-term norms, and were up 2.3% from the start of 2026.

Manheim said demand remained strong and inventory stayed relatively tight. The sales conversion rate, a measure of buyer activity, rose to 68.2% in March. That was 4.6 percentage points above the most recent three-year average for March and 5.5 percentage points higher than February’s revised 62.7%.

“As soon as this year began, prices at Manheim started moving higher as dealers anticipated strong demand from higher tax refunds to consumers,” said Jeremy Robb, chief economist at Cox Automotive.

“Sales conversion rates, a clear sign of demand, were higher against 2025 for every week but one in Q1, and vehicle value trends at auction show we are well ahead of last year and where we would normally be during a spring bounce in the wholesale markets,” Robb added.

“We thought we’d see some impact from the Middle East conflict, and that may still happen. But right now, the data is clear: used-vehicle demand is healthy and inventory levels are relatively tight,” he added.

Retail used-vehicle sales also showed momentum. First-quarter sales rose about 2% from a year earlier, while days’ supply fell below 40 in March, the lowest level this year and down from a year ago.

Used electric vehicles also posted firmer pricing and activity in the first quarter, Manheim said, as values rose with the seasonal increase. The report said used EVs offered affordability advantages over new EVs, while more off-lease EVs entered wholesale channels.

Cox Automotive said its 2026 outlook still called for a stronger-than-expected start to the year, offset by a softer second half, with total used-vehicle sales down 1% from 2025.
Business

Ford recalls 422,000 vehicles over wiper defect

Ford recalled 422,613 vehicles in the U.S. after regulators said a wiper arm defect could impair driver vision.

Full story +

Ford recalled more than 422,000 vehicles in the U.S. over a windshield wiper defect, federal regulators said Tuesday.

The recall covered 422,613 vehicles, including 2021-2023 Lincoln Navigator SUVs, 2021-2023 Ford Expedition SUVs, and 2022-2023 Ford Super Duty trucks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The agency said windshield wiper arms may operate erratically or break, causing the wipers to fail. It estimated that 3% of the recalled vehicles had the defect.

NHTSA said drivers “may experience erratic wipe speed of the driver or passenger wiper arm” before a failure.

“An improperly functioning or detached wiper arm may impair driver vision, increasing the risk of a crash,” the agency said.

According to NHTSA, the windshield wiper arm’s latch retention plate may have been incorrectly staked by a supplier. The agency said reduced engagement between the knurl and wiper arm also may result from dimensional variability.

NHTSA said production improvements at the supplier in December 2022 addressed the issue, limiting the recall to vehicles made during a specific period.

Ford was not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the defect, according to NHTSA’s recall report.

NHTSA said dealer notification was expected April 1. Notices to interim owners were expected to be mailed starting April 13 and completed by April 17. Owners of potentially affected vehicles were expected to be able to search vehicle identification numbers, or VINs, beginning April 1.

The remedy was expected to include an inspection of the windshield wipers and replacement as needed. NHTSA said wiper arms that did not pass inspection would be replaced with parts made with correct staking of the latch retention plate and wiper arm splines within specification.
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Stock futures rise after Trump says ceasefire sought

U.S. stock futures climbed and oil fell after Trump said he was seeking a two-week ceasefire with Iran.

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U.S. stock futures moved higher Tuesday evening after President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that he was seeking a two-week ceasefire between the U.S.-Israel coalition and Iran.

Futures tied to the S&P 500 rose 0.8%, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 1%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up about 0.8%.

Earlier Tuesday, stocks finished little changed. The S&P 500 rose 0.1%, the Nasdaq Composite added 0.1%, and the Dow fell 85 points, or 0.2%.

Late buying lifted stocks from session lows after Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was looking to call a two-week ceasefire, saying, “I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!” He also called for an immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had not issued an official response as of Tuesday evening.

Oil prices fell as traders reacted to the possibility that Trump could extend his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures fell 5.4% in after-hours trading, while West Texas Intermediate crude slipped about 4% to just above $108 a barrel.

Trump had set an 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to reach an agreement with the U.S. to reopen the waterway. In a Truth Social post, he wrote that “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” if the deadline was not met.
Europe

UK bars Kanye West, Wireless Festival canceled

The decision followed West’s past antisemitic comments and praise of Nazism.

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British authorities refused entry to U.S. rapper Kanye West, leading to the cancellation of London’s Wireless Festival in July, according to Festival Republic.

Festival Republic said West had been set to headline the event, but his permission to enter and perform in the United Kingdom was withdrawn Tuesday. The organizer said the three-day festival was canceled and all ticket holders would receive refunds.

According to the report, the decision followed West’s past antisemitic comments and praise of Nazism.
Middle East

Iran urges human chains as Trump deadline nears

President Donald Trump said Iran must restore traffic through the strait by 8 p.m. in Washington or face strikes on infrastructure.

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Airstrikes hit Tehran on Tuesday as Iranian officials urged young people to form human chains around power plants ahead of a U.S. deadline tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump said Iran must restore traffic through the strait by 8 p.m. in Washington or face strikes on infrastructure. He said Monday that “the entire country can be taken out in one night.” He also said, “Every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night,” and all power plants will be “burning, exploding and never to be used again.”

Iranian official Alireza Rahimi, identified by state television as secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, called on “all young people, athletes, artists, students and university students and their professors” to protect “Power plants that are our national assets and capital.” President Masoud Pezeshkian said 14 million Iranians had responded to state campaigns urging people to volunteer to fight. “I too have been, am, and will remain ready to give my life for Iran,” he wrote on X.

Officials involved in diplomacy said talks continued, though Iran had rejected the latest U.S. proposal. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey were still trying to reach a compromise. The official said Iran linked reopening the strait to sanctions relief, and the U.S. was open to easing some sanctions, especially on Iran’s oil sector.

France and the United Nations warned that attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure are prohibited under international law. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said such attacks “are barred by the rules of war, international law.”

Strikes in Iran included Tehran, Shiraz, Khorramabad International Airport, and Alborz province, where state media said 18 people were killed. Iranian media also reported nine deaths in Shahriar and six in Pardis. Israel’s military said it struck an Iranian petrochemical site in Shiraz and warned people in Farsi to avoid trains.

Iran fired seven ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia early Tuesday, authorities said, and debris fell near energy facilities after interceptions. Saudi Arabia temporarily closed the King Fahd Causeway to Bahrain. Iran also fired on Israel, with reports of incoming missiles in Tel Aviv and Eilat.

Since the war began after Israel and the U.S. attacked on Feb. 28, more than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran, according to available figures. Brent crude rose above $108 a barrel Tuesday, up about 50% since the start of the war.
Military & National Security

Navy seeks $3 billion for Tomahawks in 2027 budget

Navy’s 2027 budget request seeks about $3 billion for 785 Tomahawks after heavy use during the Iran war.

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The U.S. Navy requested about $3 billion to replenish Tomahawk missiles used during the Iran war, according to the Defense Department’s fiscal 2027 budget request released Friday.

As part of the broader $1.5 trillion budget request, the Navy asked to buy 785 Tomahawk missiles for a little more than $3 billion, including about $1.5 billion for missile modifications. In fiscal 2026, Congress provided $257 million for 58 Tomahawks.

The 2027 request represented a 1,200% increase in procurement volume from the prior year. The Navy also requested 494 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles for about $800 million, up from 106 missiles for about $69 million in its fiscal 2026 request.

Overall weapons procurement in the Navy budget rose to more than $22 billion, from about $10 billion requested in 2026.

The Washington Post reported March 27 that the Pentagon had launched at least 850 Tomahawks since the Iran war began Feb. 28. A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the U.S. likely still had close to 3,000 Tomahawks, but that the 850 fired was the most used in a single U.S. military campaign.

The next-highest total was 802 Tomahawks during Operation Iraqi Freedom. If Congress approves the 2027 request, it would replace most of the missiles used in Operation Epic Fury, though delivery would take time.

Mark Cancian, one of the authors of the Center for Strategic and International Studies report, told Military Times it would take two to three years to replace the 850 Tomahawks already used. The report said the Navy expected to receive 110 Tomahawks in fiscal 2026.

Tomahawks are ship-launched, long-range land-attack missiles with 1,000-pound warheads.

Heavy use of the missile has also affected Pentagon agreements. Bloomberg News reported that Japan’s order for about 400 Tomahawks could face delays because of demand tied to the Iran war. The order had been scheduled for completion by March 2028.

The defense contractor signed an agreement with the Defense Department on Feb. 4, 2026, to raise annual Tomahawk production to as many as 1,000 missiles over a possible seven-year period.