Kurt0
Well-Known Member
this and the lack of heater to the led headlights are really, really frustrating me.Although there are many other threads and posts about the front windshield defrost problem on the JL Wrangler, I decided to start a new thread to suggest filing a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
I have a brand new, 2021 JL Wrangler Rubicon, with a December, 2020 factory production date. After three years of JL production, it still has a terrible and dangerous, front windshield defroster.
The windshield defroster has vents across almost the entire width of the windshield, but defrost air only comes out of the center vents. Very little or no air comes out of the right third and left third of the defroster vents.
While driving on the Interstate, with traffic moving at about 35 mph, in a Northeast Ohio snow storm recently, I experienced severe snow and ice buildup on the sides of the windshield. Even with the front defrost on high heat, high blower, and full defrost mode, the right side and left side of the windshield (about 12ā each side) had huge ice and snow buildup.
This caused the wiper blades to build up with ice and snow, making visibility almost impossible. Every 3 or 4 minutes, both my wife and I had to lower the side windows, then reach out while driving and āslapā the wiper blades against the windshield to help remove the ice/snow buildup. It was so hot inside the Jeep, we had to open the side windows a few inches so we could breathe, while leaving the defrost on full blast, all to no avail.
I know about putting gloves over the center vents to re-direct more air to the sides. We tried that and it did help somewhat. I know about plugging many of the center vents with 5/8ā plastic plugs. I know some people have made 3-D printed vent plugs, diverters, etc.
I have owned two TJ Wranglers, two JK Wranglers, and now this 2021 JL, plus many other vehicles over many years. This is by far the absolute worst windshield defroster of any vehicle I have ever owned, plus, this is one of the smallest windshields of any new vehicle on the market today. It is unbelievable that the defroster does such a poor job of defrosting, even with such a small windshield.
I tested other 2021 Wranglers on the dealer lot, and they also had almost no air coming out of the right and left side defrost vents, the same as my Jeep. This poorly designed windshield defroster has been a known issue for about three years now, and still Jeep has not fixed this dangerous design.
I urge anybody who has had direct experience with this poor and dangerous windshield defroster design to file a NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint here:
File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (dot.gov)
Sponsored